research programme m2 + Ph2

( fixed term - april '97- march '98)

 

 

1. Conduct a set of structured interviews and seminars at Central Saint Martins with designers, agents and manufacturers. Explore different design methods within textile disciplines and the concerns that arise in current practice. Look at attitudes to new technology with a view to building a questionnaire that will hold up a mirror to the textiles professionals.

 

2. Gather names, addresses, specialisms of textile designers, agents and manufacturers and approach a small representative group of each to assist in the development of the questionnaire. Visit trade shows and exhibitions to make contacts and identify chief players and the level of quality, depth of assessment to aim at.

 

3. Examine the building and writing of questionnaire material. Find and learn suitable questionnaire / database software. Build interactive computerised questionnaires.

 

4. Questionnaires : Create three titles to establish the working practices of :

 

• Freelance Textile Designers
• Agents and Studios
• Textile Companies

 

1. Send out the questionnaire for early evaluation. Amendments. Post questionnaires to 500 identified recipients, also conduct face to face interviews with the questionnaire at Premier Vision, Decorex and 100 % design and extend the availability of the questionnaire to Europe , U.S.A. and other practitioners via an internet web site

in order to make comparisons between working methods that might differ from those in the U.K. Use the web site to document the progress of the Ph2 project and make links to other textile sites in order to formulate an understanding of distance presentation and concept development in the textile arena – world wide.

 

2. Enter the results of the returned questionnaires into the database. Evaluate statistically .

 

3. Concurrently further develop a CD-rom ( m2 )presentation of T3 first phase of the Textiles Research Project. Emphasis being on quality contemporary graphic interface and appropriate supporting explanations as to process, computing and materials. Credits and acknowledgements for sponsors. Add sound. The CD-rom to be compatible with both Mac and PC platforms.

 

4. Test and appraise methods and software for connectivity - video-conferencing, networking. Identify collaborators. Join user groups.

Set up ISDN lines at two/three London Institute sites and run series of tech tests

 

5. With reference to survey material and experience gathered from discussion with collaborators and staff - set down the tools and services to be incorporated into the Textile Design software.

Locate 'off the shelf' software to combine with this suite. Build structure of software in Visual Basic .Discuss and draw up plans for the look of the Graphic User Interface (GUI).

 

5. Develop, test and complete the group-user software to a point of distribution for evaluation purposes.

 

 Document and disseminate information . Publish to papers and conferences and report back to the participants.