Distributed Stitches - Design Research for Custom-fit On-Demand Clothing Microfactories

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BackgroundPattern Project is a Smart Grant funded clothing micro-factory startup. We have developed proprietary machinery and a patent-pending process to enable clean, on-demand manufacturing of customized clothing.VisionOur vision is for clean-energy driven, on-demand micro-factories which produce custom-fit / customised clothing on every high-street, available online for home delivery to replace fast fashion stores across the country. For our proprietary low-emission fabric cutting machine and software to help digitise traditional tailors and small fashion houses. For people to have a deeper relationship with 'their style' and sense of ownership with their clothing, and to know their clothes inside out. For Britain to lead the world in a hybrid of craft, digital fabrication and human-centred automation.**Key Objectives**We are proposing conducting design research with the following objectives -* Better understand the needs, motivations and clothing buying and customisation behaviours of people with non-average and extreme body shapes. Understanding the key pain points with off-the-rack sizes. Conducting this research for both instore and online audiences (followers of [@patternprojectuk][0]).* Define the problem statement and generate ideas for an experiential clothing micro-factory that provides customisation and custom-fit garments moments after they are ordered.* Pinpoint the characteristics necessary to make the solution desirable and fit for purpose for both online and instore audiences (multi-channel revenue model).**Research Outcome**As an outcome, we will deliver a clearly communicated concept for a high-street experiential clothing micro-factory that offers customisation/custom fit to both online and in-store audiences. The concept would have been validated through fast, low-cost prototyping and user-testing and is ready for further technical R&D.[0]: https://www.instagram.com/patternprojectuk/