Interactive Design for Advanced Manufacturing Processes in Traditional Artisanal Disciplines

Craftsmanship is still alive in manufacturing SMEs (especially in the Italian fashion subcontracting network), even if it is mediated by machines and contemporary tools. We are proposing a product innovation path that uses an interactive design strategy to highlight this skill set. The research aims to identify new design strategies related to production and supply chains through interaction with the tangible and intangible value of high-end manufacturing. We propose an overview of case studies related to this subject: - International case studies: examples of interactive design implementation in the fashion industry using electronic components and high-tech devices. - Italian case studies: 1) interactive design projects on wearable products following international trends (“device-driven”) ; and 2) projects concerning interactive product innovations related to the manufacturing chain (“manufacturing logistics”). The project uses optical diffraction technology - developed from the laser cutting processes in the fashion supply chain - as implementation of the artefact. This technology uses optics with miniature incisions that allow light to pass through digital holographic control structures in which complex visualizations have been engraved in small thin slabs. Through an external light source, the user can project an informational image on an adjacent surface.