Abstract
Many wearable products are mass-personalized based on user data and produced through digital fabrication. This approach is known as ultra-personalization. Earlier work on ultra-personalization rarely discusses the perceived opportunities and risks associated with the practice or tools that allow future users to engage in the design process. This project explores the use of Midjourney (generative AI tool) in ultra-personalization for style and the design of garments that embody multiple self- expressions in the context of workwear. Study participants (five future wearers, two fashion designers, a lab manager, and a digital fabrication specialist) iteratively designed workwear with the help of Midjourney. Their reflection revealed tensions between creative autonomy, technical feasibility, and institutional identity, advancing participatory frameworks for AI-mediated design process. We present 1) the perceived opportunities and risks from participants’ perspectives related to the ultra-personalization process and outcomes, and 2) we offer implications for tool design that balance multiple self-expressions.
Keywords
Ultra-personalization; Digital/physical garments; Digital fabrication
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.979
Citation
Mironcika, S., Frens, J., Andersen, K.,and Wensveen, S.(2025) Using Midjourney for ultra-personalization of workwear with multiple self-expressions – exploring opportunities and risks, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.979
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 6 - Co-creation
Using Midjourney for ultra-personalization of workwear with multiple self-expressions – exploring opportunities and risks
Many wearable products are mass-personalized based on user data and produced through digital fabrication. This approach is known as ultra-personalization. Earlier work on ultra-personalization rarely discusses the perceived opportunities and risks associated with the practice or tools that allow future users to engage in the design process. This project explores the use of Midjourney (generative AI tool) in ultra-personalization for style and the design of garments that embody multiple self- expressions in the context of workwear. Study participants (five future wearers, two fashion designers, a lab manager, and a digital fabrication specialist) iteratively designed workwear with the help of Midjourney. Their reflection revealed tensions between creative autonomy, technical feasibility, and institutional identity, advancing participatory frameworks for AI-mediated design process. We present 1) the perceived opportunities and risks from participants’ perspectives related to the ultra-personalization process and outcomes, and 2) we offer implications for tool design that balance multiple self-expressions.