Exploring Body-Scan for End-User Inclusion in 3D Digital Fashion Prototyping

The paper explores the implications of advancing sustainability through user-including methodologies and body scan technologies. The paper contributes new understandings of how designers may engage new technologies in their design processes to address end-user inclusivity and representation in their work. The study is qualitative and exploratory. It is based on the EU-funded Erasmus+ project Me-You-Us (2023–2025), which aims to develop the application of 3D digital prototyping in undergraduate curricula towards sustainability, inclusion, and diversity in the fashion industry. The empirical material encompasses design briefs, prototypes and participant reflections. Analytic methods include annotated portfolio and thematic analysis. The paper identifies and demonstrates three design approaches to using scanning technology that may enable end-user inclusion: 1. Inclusion of end-user needs through generalised avatar representation. 2. Inclusion of end-user lifeworld through conceptual digital body representation. 3. The inclusion of end-user needs through direct collaborative end-user participation. Further, six themes emerge: Understanding new technology, Handling data; Building empathy and user understanding; Representation and/or participation; Challenging the designer role; and, Tech-devices as personal vs. interpersonal spaces. The study is limited to the tutor’s perspective. A natural progression of this work is to study the designer and end-user perspectives. Overall, this study strengthens the idea that scanning technology, in combination with user-including design methodologies, can enhance designers’ end-user awareness and empathy, which may lead to user-inclusive design practices.