Design Framework for Social Wearables

Identity through Social Wearables: Designing with Finnish University Students

“…These devices can influence how bystanders perceive the wearer, which in turn can be used to trigger interactions between collocated people [38]. In human-computer interaction, the potential of wearables to augment collocated social interactions has received considerable attention [9,22,36]. These social wearables [9,30] exist in the form of smart textiles, digital accessories and physical devices for gaming or collaborative work [6,9,10,20,31,37,38].…”

“…In human-computer interaction, the potential of wearables to augment collocated social interactions has received considerable attention [9,22,36]. These social wearables [9,30] exist in the form of smart textiles, digital accessories and physical devices for gaming or collaborative work [6,9,10,20,31,37,38]. Recent works have implicitly contributed to this field by adding interactivity and digital expression into accessories, textiles or cosmetics [11,23,48].…”

“…From existing social wearables Dagan et al [9] identified potential for future designs in "augmenting existing social signalling" and "intervening in the social situation proactively". Designing for those potentials faces challenges when wearables become part of our social interactions.…”

“…For example, the "fast pace" of digital displays seems to break with the appeal of everyday clothing [10] and people are concerned about the control over the content of personal wearable displays [11,29]. Hence, the question of social context has to be addressed in designing social wearables [9]. The social function of technology often breaks with the function of clothes as a form of communicating self to others: self-expression to identify with a particular social group [4,12].…”

“…Research has started investigating digital expression in wearables in the context of co-design of live-action role-playing [8,9,30] and an auto-ethnographic study [29], which showed design can be informed by investigating the social factors of dress. Fashion and design studies [13,14,29] and HCI and CSCW scholars [24,25,53] alike argue for a perspective into socio-cultural practices.…”