Abstract
The draft, a grid of black and white squares used to specify where a particular warp crosses over or under a weft in woven cloth, is a common representation used to design and describe woven structures. The squares in a draft directly, or with a few modifications, translate to manufacturing instructions, which makes the draft a common representation used in weaving design software. In this paper, we describe how using a different woven structure representation, a cross-section, in a design tool that foregrounds different concerns. Specifically, we describe and reflect on our motivation, design, and initial testing of an interactive cross-section design tool and share how it helped us appreciate how a cross-section representation gives “voice” to the material conditions of weaving at design time — color interaction, layer structure, and loom constraints — that the draft tends to leave less immediately legible. We share our experiences to provide inspiration for future design tools and to help those interested in documentation and sharing of their designs consider how representations shape attention to different facets of the weaving process.
Keywords
Weaving; Cross-section; Design tools; Representation
DOI
10.21606/TI-2026.166
Citation
Gelosi, D.,and Devendorf, L.(2026) Designing with Drafts and Cross-Sections: Reflections on How Representations of Woven Structure Shape Design Practice, in Jane Scott, Sophie Skach, and Rebecca Stewart (eds.), Textile Intersections 2026, 17-18 September 2026, London, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/TI-2026.166
Conference Track
researchpapers
Included in
Designing with Drafts and Cross-Sections: Reflections on How Representations of Woven Structure Shape Design Practice
The draft, a grid of black and white squares used to specify where a particular warp crosses over or under a weft in woven cloth, is a common representation used to design and describe woven structures. The squares in a draft directly, or with a few modifications, translate to manufacturing instructions, which makes the draft a common representation used in weaving design software. In this paper, we describe how using a different woven structure representation, a cross-section, in a design tool that foregrounds different concerns. Specifically, we describe and reflect on our motivation, design, and initial testing of an interactive cross-section design tool and share how it helped us appreciate how a cross-section representation gives “voice” to the material conditions of weaving at design time — color interaction, layer structure, and loom constraints — that the draft tends to leave less immediately legible. We share our experiences to provide inspiration for future design tools and to help those interested in documentation and sharing of their designs consider how representations shape attention to different facets of the weaving process.