ANDREA
BILGRIEN
HEALTECH
This project was focused entirely on consumer-centered design. As a target market, I initially wanted to focus on long-term hospital patients or individuals with long-term treatment of some kind. To narrow down this target market, I chose to focus on burn survivors.
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This was a semester-long project in my Technical Design class. The class was chosen to partner with Cotton Incorporated in order to explore the possibilities for cotton in technical apparel. Working with Cotton Inc. gave us the opportunity to learn about developments in technical textiles as well as have access to the fabrics for our projects.
Project Purpose:
The purpose of this project is to provide a means for which burn survivors can effectively recover and treat superficial wounds while also providing a means for mobility and tactile comfort. In addition, it was important to provide them with garments that was not only physically comfortable, but also visually appealing.
Compression Garment:
The final garment has a magnetic zipper down the front to help those with dexterity issues get dressed by themselves. There are three rows of hook and eye tape down the side of the bottom half of the garment. This allows the wearer to wrap the bottom portion of the garment around themselves. This helps the wearer as they gain weight, they can adjust the bottom wrap according to how much compression they need. There are also zippers at the wrist opening to allow the wearer to get the garment on more easily. The garment is made with PurThread Cotton. The purpose of using PurThread cotton is the benefit of the antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial properties help fight infection and prevent bacteria from forming. This garment is also machine washable.
Jacket:
The jacket is designed to acompany the compression garment. Burn survivors have a difficult time regulating their body temperature which is why a lightweight layer pairs perfectly with the initial recovery garment. In addition, it is important that the jacket is wearable even after recovery because of the way burn survivors become emotionally attached to the garments that take them through the recovery process. The main fabric of the jacket is a comfortable cotton doubleknit and features a magnetic zipper across the front for easy closure. The hood is removable for versatility and there are hand warmers attached to the sleeve openings that act as an extention of the compression garment.
Tech Pack:
Final Garments:
