Creating Positive Social Experiences Through the Design of Custom Wearables
Sabrina Lakhdhir · 2024
Wearables are interactive devices that are becoming increasingly popular for tasks such as communication and self-expression. They are used in social contexts by diverse individuals for diverse purposes, and impact social experiences positively and negatively due to their appearance, interactivity, and form. Given that their design impacts social experiences, my thesis considers how wearables can be custom designed by individuals to foster positive social experiences. I take a bottom-up approach to consider how custom designing is driven by individuals’ needs, identities and contexts of use, and how custom designing impacts wearable aesthetics and interactions. My thesis contains five projects within the contexts of fashion and healthcare that aim to understand user needs and desires towards custom wearable design, and develop systems and design approaches that empower end-users to engage in such custom design for creating positive social experiences.