Abstract
Textile design practice research (TDPR) has recently been used in the delivery of multiple largescale material science-based projects. This paper considers the role TDPR played in the EU-funded HEREWEAR project and how has it contributed to theories of design practice research. The full range of textile experimentation - including engineering and design-led sampling - is mapped; then three TDPR interventions are explored using annotated portfolio approaches (Gaver & Bowers, 2012) framed by ‘sited’, ’situated’ and ‘situating’ conditions (Kaszynska & Kimbell, 2024). The authors examine the results from the TDPR within the context of various communities of validation, presenting how TDPR can bring original insights to practice research theory. The findings include an expanded approach to the Triple 'S' (TS) model for reviewing practice research, intended for utilisation by funding and event strategists wishing to harness TDPR interventions to create impact benefiting diverse communities, including scientific, technological and social innovation stakeholders.
Keywords
Textiles design practice research, design research practice theory, textile design thinking
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.537
Citation
Earley, R., and Forst, L. (2026) Situating textile design: Practice research in interdisciplinary material science projects, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.537
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Situating textile design: Practice research in interdisciplinary material science projects
Textile design practice research (TDPR) has recently been used in the delivery of multiple largescale material science-based projects. This paper considers the role TDPR played in the EU-funded HEREWEAR project and how has it contributed to theories of design practice research. The full range of textile experimentation - including engineering and design-led sampling - is mapped; then three TDPR interventions are explored using annotated portfolio approaches (Gaver & Bowers, 2012) framed by ‘sited’, ’situated’ and ‘situating’ conditions (Kaszynska & Kimbell, 2024). The authors examine the results from the TDPR within the context of various communities of validation, presenting how TDPR can bring original insights to practice research theory. The findings include an expanded approach to the Triple 'S' (TS) model for reviewing practice research, intended for utilisation by funding and event strategists wishing to harness TDPR interventions to create impact benefiting diverse communities, including scientific, technological and social innovation stakeholders.