The cross-section of a multi-disciplinary project in view of textile design

Abstract

We describe the development path of a smart textile-design method, stemming from a collaborative multi-disciplinary project, with three university departments: chemistry, design and electrical engineering. While the project focus was not originally on textiles, the needs for flexible semiconducting materials led to experiments with a zinc oxide(ZnO) semiconductor deposited over cotton substrate, thus shifting the focus towards textiles. A series of exchanges and actions between the three disciplines, raised the awareness of the need for textile-design methods regarding electric materials. Taking this as a starting point for generating new knowledge, drawing from the strengths of both textile design and engineering, an approach to develop smart textiles was developed. In this paper, we discuss the overall project, and identify the key stages in the interdisciplinary collaboration, in terms of textile design practice, while reflecting on the outcomes, which enabled paving the way for interwoven design and scientific knowledge embedded into smart textile design practice.