Exploring Heat as Interactive Expressions for Knitted Structures

Abstract

This article describes a practice-based research project in which design experiments were conducted to explore how knitted structures can be designed with particular emphasis on various interactive heat expressions. Several heat transformable structures, able to both sense and react to human touch, were developed in the textile collection Knitted Heat. The designed textiles serve as references to reflect further on the role of interactive textiles as materials for potential designs. Specific scenarios defined by shrinking, breaking, stiffening, texturizing and warming expressed by the textile transformations exemplify and discuss their potential as complementary for other design processes.