Constructing the affectiveness and aesthetics of touch through shape-changing fashion and textiles

Abstract This ongoing PhD study aims to explore the potential of shape-changing fashion and textiles for aesthetic haptic interaction and affective soma experiences using Research through Design methodology. The research has progressed through multiple workshops and design projects, with each one building upon the previous findings and contributing to the ongoing work. Design strategies and toolkits are developed to accommodate various interaction modalities, soma experiences, haptic patterns, and use contexts. Preliminary results show the potential of translating affective haptic experiences into fashion and textile design languages. It also contributes to the development of textile-craft-based shape-changing methods for hand-held tactile textile installation and body-worn haptic wearables design to generate engaging experiences. In the future study, I will verify the effectiveness of the developed design toolkits through workshops by engaging design students, thus preparing the study’s outcomes for broader dissemination.