Educate, Advocate & Inform Using Textile Technology: Human Centered Design

 

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Home Economics Institute of Australia (Qld)

https://www.heiaq.com.au/

HEIA(Q) is a division of the national peak professional association for home economics professionals in Australia—the Home Economics Institute of Australia Inc. (HEIA).

The Queensland division supports:

• the mission of the Home Economics Institute of Australia Inc.—to enhance the professionalism and political legitimation of Australian home economics professionals
• the mission of the profession in Australia—to educate, inform, and to act as an advocate to government, industry and the community for families and households, so that individuals can make informed choices in order to enhance their everyday living.

Human-Centered Design

Human-centered design is a technique of problem solving and puts real people at the centre of the development process which enables the creation of products and services that are tailored to an audience's needs.

Human-centered design (HCD) is a fantastic approach for a textiles classroom. It can help create a more engaging and relevant learning environment for students. 

Here’s how you might incorporate HCD principles into a textile class:

1. Empathy and Understanding

• Student Feedback: Start by actively listening to your students’ needs and preferences. Use surveys, interviews, or informal conversations to gather insights into what they enjoy about textiles and what challenges they face.
• Personal Projects: Encourage students to design projects based on their own interests and experiences. This can help make the learning process more meaningful and personalized.

2. Iterative Design

• Prototype and Test: Allow students to experiment with different designs and techniques. Create opportunities for them to test their ideas and get feedback from peers and teachers. This iterative process helps refine their skills and understanding.
• Reflective Practice: Implement regular reflection sessions where students can discuss what worked, what didn’t, and how they can improve their designs. This helps them learn from their experiences and adapt their approaches.

3. Inclusivity and Accessibility

• Adapt Materials and Techniques: Ensure that the materials and techniques used in class are accessible to all students, considering different skill levels and physical abilities. Provide alternative tools or methods if needed.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of the diverse backgrounds of your students. Incorporate a variety of cultural influences into your projects and discussions to make the learning experience more inclusive.

4. Collaborative Learning

• Group Projects: Facilitate group work where students can collaborate on projects. This encourages teamwork and allows students to learn from each other’s strengths and perspectives.
• Peer Review: Implement peer review sessions where students can provide and receive constructive feedback. This fosters a supportive learning environment and helps students develop critical thinking skills.

5. Real-World Application

• Community Projects: Connect classroom projects with real-world issues or community needs. For example, students could create textiles for local charities or design products that address specific challenges faced by their community.
• Industry Collaboration: If possible, partner with local textile businesses or professionals. This provides students with real-world insights and experiences, bridging the gap between classroom learning and industry practice.

By integrating these human-centered design principles, you can create a more engaging, inclusive, and effective learning environment that truly resonates with your students and meets their needs.

Home Economics and Human-Centered Design

Home economics and human-centered design connect in several meaningful ways, particularly in how they both aim to improve people's lives and address their needs.

1. User-Centric Focus: Both fields prioritize the needs and well-being of individuals. Home economics traditionally focuses on managing household resources effectively, improving family health, and teaching practical life skills. Human-centered design, similarly, focuses on creating solutions that are tailored to the user's needs, preferences, and experiences.

2. Problem Solving: Home economics addresses practical issues related to everyday living, such as budgeting, nutrition, and family dynamics. Human-centered design tackles problems by understanding users’ challenges and designing solutions that address these specific needs. Both approaches involve identifying problems and creating practical, user-friendly solutions.

3. Design Thinking: In human-centered design, design thinking is a core principle that involves empathizing with users, defining problems, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing. In home economics, similar principles apply when designing practical solutions for household management, meal planning, or clothing. The focus is on understanding and meeting the needs of individuals and families.

4. Education and Skills Development: Home economics provides education on managing various aspects of daily life, which aligns with human-centered design’s goal of empowering users through effective and practical solutions. Both fields aim to equip individuals with skills that enhance their quality of life.

5. Holistic Approach: Both fields take a holistic approach, considering the broader context of individuals' lives. Home economics integrates knowledge from various disciplines (such as nutrition, finance, and family studies) to offer comprehensive solutions. Human-centered design similarly integrates insights from various domains to create solutions that fit seamlessly into users' lives.

By combining the practical, resource-oriented approach of home economics with the empathetic, solution-focused mindset of human-centered design, both fields contribute to creating better, more supportive environments for individuals and families.

Incorporating HCD Ideas into the Classroom

Link to Diffit Worksheet - https://app.diffit.me/packet/aa0b760e-09d8-4da6-960d-748be7e67d90

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS)

Lesson Plan: Embedding SDGs in Textile Education Objective: Students will understand the importance of textiles in relation to SDGs, focusing on health, inequality, sustainability, and ethics. They will explore how textiles impact human well-being and the environment and learn about making ethical and sustainable choices. 1. Introduction to SDGs and Textiles Objective: Familiarize students with the SDGs and their relevance to textiles. Activity: Begin with a brief introduction to the SDGs. Use a presentation or a short video summarizing the goals. Highlight SDGs 3, 10, 12, 13, and 16, and discuss their relevance to textiles. Discussion Questions: How can textiles impact human health and well-being? What are the consequences of textile overconsumption? How do textile production and consumption affect global inequality and sustainability? 2. SDG Focus Areas Objective: Dive deeper into each SDG related to textiles. SDG 3: Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-being for All at All Ages Discussion: Explain how textiles contribute to health (e.g., protective clothing, hygiene). Explore the impact of toxic dyes and chemicals in textiles on health. Activity: Analyze different textile materials and their impact on health. Discuss sustainable and health-conscious alternatives. SDG 10: Reduce Inequality Within and Among Countries Discussion: Examine the issues of labor inequality in the textile industry (child labor, unfair wages). Discuss how fair trade and ethical practices can address these issues. Activity: Research and present case studies on labor conditions in the textile industry. SDG 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns Discussion: Highlight the environmental impacts of textile production and waste. Discuss sustainable consumption practices (e.g., recycling, upcycling). Activity: Conduct a waste audit of textile products in the classroom or at home. Design a sustainable fashion item using recycled materials. SDG 13: Take Urgent Action to Combat Climate Change and Its Impacts Discussion: Explore how textile production contributes to climate change (e.g., carbon footprint, water usage). Discuss ways to reduce the environmental impact of textiles. Activity: Calculate the carbon footprint of various textile products. Develop a plan to reduce the environmental impact of textile consumption. SDG 16: Promote Peaceful and Inclusive Societies for Sustainable Development Discussion: Discuss how inclusive practices in the textile industry (e.g., equal opportunities, fair wages) contribute to a peaceful society. Activity: Create a project proposal for a community-based textile initiative that promotes inclusivity and sustainability. 3. Integrating Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Objective: Connect the importance of textiles to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Discussion: Discuss how textiles meet basic physiological needs (e.g., clothing for protection and comfort). Explore how addressing SDGs in textiles helps in fulfilling higher-level needs (e.g., safety, self-esteem). Activity: Analyze how different textile practices (ethical, sustainable) fulfill various levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Create a visual representation of how textiles support different needs. 4. Conclusion and Reflection Objective: Reflect on the learning and apply it to real-world scenarios. Activity: Students present their findings from activities and discussions. Reflect on how they can apply what they’ve learned to their own textile choices and designs. Homework: Write a reflective essay on how the SDGs can be applied to personal textile consumption and design choices.

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