Tiia Jaakkola
Universal Fashion Design: Inclusive fashion futures in the intersection between Universal Design, Artificial Intelligence and Co-Design
A brief summary of the project
This PhD project explores how fashion and fashion education can contribute to greater inclusion of persons with disabilities through a combination of Universal Design (UD), co-design and artificial intelligence (AI). Focusing on a Danish context, it aims to develop new design methods that support equal participation, dignity and identity through clothing.
The project takes as its starting point the observation that much clothing design continues to be based on the notion of an average body. Yet people have different bodies, movement patterns, sensory needs, preferences and identities. Standardised design can therefore cause discomfort, create dependence on others and limit opportunities for participation, particularly for persons with disabilities. The project uses UD to challenge this approach and explore how clothing can be designed to accommodate greater bodily, sensory and identity diversity.
The project is grounded in Research through Design and adopts an empathetic co-design approach in which persons with disabilities participate as co-designers. Workshops, dialogue and experimental design processes are used to explore lived experiences, needs and preferences. AI is used as a supporting tool, rather than a substitute for human knowledge and judgement, to support different forms of communication, develop a shared visual understanding and enable rapid iteration through digital prototypes and simulations. AI is combined with digital fashion design tools such as CLO3D and digital body simulations, and design proposals are continually validated with participants.
The project focuses on wheelchair users and people on the autism spectrum to gain in-depth insight into physical, sensory and cognitive needs. These experiences inform an exploration of how specific user needs can be translated into broader UD principles in fashion.
The project also addresses a current gap between digital developments in the fashion industry and inclusive design practices in fashion education. The methods developed will therefore be tested in an educational context to strengthen future designers’ skills in user involvement, inclusive design and the responsible use of AI. The aim is to create a stronger connection between education, design practice and a more inclusive fashion industry.
The project is expected to contribute at three levels. In fashion and design research, it will generate new practice-based knowledge about Universal Fashion Design. In fashion education, it will introduce new methods for co-design and AI-supported inclusive design. In social sustainability, it will contribute design methods and solutions that reduce exclusion and support diversity.
The overall ambition is to explore how fashion can be designed with people rather than simply for them, and how the responsible use of AI can support more inclusive, empathetic and future-proof design processes.