The relevance of context and changing times in design practice: towards a changing fashion

industry in Ghana.

Introduction

The clothing and apparel in industry for many years, has attracted the attention of scholars and

policymakers across the world (Aakko, 2016; Aakko & Niinimäki, 2021; Banerjee et al., 2022;

Chun, 2021). Various reasons accounts for this persistent focus on the industry. The textile and

apparel sector are one of the biggest in the world, according to Sundström, Hjelm-Lidholm, and

Radon (2019). It becomes clear that the manufacture of textiles and clothing plays a significant

economic role when one learns more about the industry's numerous facets (Mahmoud, 2017).

For example, it is stated that textiles and apparel provide employment in industrialised

nations, especially in areas where finding alternative employment may be difficult. For instance,

the industry is dominated by small and medium-sized businesses that are located in certain areas

of the European Union that are heavily dependent on this sector. In both industrialized and

developing nations, the labour-intensive apparel sector provides entry-level opportunities for

unskilled labour. Again, among the industries where developing nations stand to benefit the most

from multilateral trade liberalization are textiles and apparel (Commission of the European

Communities, 2003). Also, it is an area where contemporary technology may be used even in

underdeveloped nations for very little initial investment (Yang, Song & Tong, 2017). Due to its

significant influence on a nation’s ability to generate income and jobs, the sector is essential to

the functioning of the global market economy. Indeed, the fashion and clothing sector employs

millions of people and brings in trillions of dollars annually (Black, 2012; Martin & Economic,

2013). For instance, the fashion clothes market generated more than 170 billion dollars and

supported over 181,000 firms directly (Macchion et al., 2015).

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 Players in the textile and apparel industries must foresee market shifts and prepare their

operations appropriately by creating medium- and long-term plans that take into account a new

legislative landscape and shifting business realities (Christopher, Lowson & Peck, 2004).

However, the fact that the demand for fashion items cannot be predicted is a truth that is now

progressively being acknowledged by those who work in the sector and those who research it.

Instead, we must acknowledge that the markets for clothing are intricate, open systems that

regularly exhibit high degrees of “pandemonium”. In these circumstances, management effort

could be better spent coming up with plans and structures that would allow goods to be

produced, shipped, and generated depending on “real time” demand. One of the most important

ways of achieving the above flexibility in the fashion industry is focusing on how to develop

designs, introducing the concept ‘fashion design’ into the industry.

According to Burns (2022), fabric, which offers countless alternatives in terms of

diversity, quality, weight, colour, texture, and pattern, is the important variable in the design

process when it comes to clothing. The manipulation of these materials is a powerful tool at the

disposal of the designer that may be utilized to generate creativity in a design. Fashion design, as

a subfield of design, can be understood simply by combining the term ‘fashion’ with design. The

term is often associated with clothing or garments when used together with design (Aakko, 2016;

Chun, 2021). However, a more profound understanding requires a thorough investigation, as the

notion of fashion adds a whole new complexity beyond its seven-letter word since the process is

not linear.

Concept of design thinking and innovation

To remain innovative within the apparel and fashion industry, Jacques (1992) explained that one

needs to focus on the fashionable or glamorous component. This is because how glamorous a

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textile or clothing looks, is frequently seen as the most surprising and attracts the attention of the

media landscape. Thus, a customer in the fashion sector needs a formative system that integrates

practical, expressive, and aesthetic factors (Lamb & Kallal 1992), suggesting that the end

product must have both aesthetic appeal and practical advantages in order to be deemed

successful (Norman 2003). A clothing designer's objective is to produce clothes that are visually

pleasant by altering design components in accordance with design principles. Fundamental rules

for designers in all professions include design components and principles (Davis, 1996; Pipes,

2003). According to Davis (1996), space, line, shape, form, light, colour, texture, and pattern are

the fundamental design components for clothing, along with harmony, rhythm, contrast,

emphasis, and proportion. As the garment designer produces design concepts, these design

principles and elements are simultaneously applied to a clothes design and then modified (Lee &

Jirousek, 2015). Due to their intricate interactions during the design process, it can be

challenging to determine what kinds of components or concepts needs to be employed. As a

result, the design process is a particular kind of problem-solving that involves a series of simple

phases (Schön, 1983).

Consequently, over the past 10 years, the phrase “design thinking” has acquired

popularity in a variety of situations outside of those often associated with designers. The

essential point is that societies striving to bring about change and businesses trying to innovate

may both benefit from the ways professional designers approach problems (Kimbell, 2011).

Scholars (Gobble, 2014; Kimbell, 2011; Martin & Euchner, 2012) have attempted to elucidate

the concept of design thinking. To Kimbell (2011), design thinking constitutes how fashion

design differ from or resembles design practice. Another author described design thinking as a

human-centred approach to solving problems. He added that in developing a product, design

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thinking first considers experiences and needs of real people other than hypothetical market

segments, as an avenue for insight and inspiration (Gobble, 2014). Comparable to complicated

challenges, design thinking is a complex behaviour inside a complex setting that is difficult to

break down into separate sub-problems (Visser, 2009).

Design thinking, according to Brown, is a practice that combines the sensibility and

techniques of the designer with what is technologically possible and what a workable business

plan can translate into customer value and market potential (Brown 2008). Brown emphasizes

three fundamental tenets of the design thinking approach. These include

(i) Developing environments and things is just as important as designing design systems

or tackling complex issues like services. This concept holds true for the conventional

strategy as well. Though systems and services have been mostly ignored in design

thinking research up until recently, it is crucial to note that both are now becoming

more relevant for the client and, consequently, for the designer.

(ii) Disruptive innovation is the main objective of design thinking in order to achieve a

competitive edge on the global market.

(iii) Because it is human-/user-centred, design thinking relies heavily on subtle techniques

like observation. For instance, Brown claims that design thinking is beneficial for

everyone, not only those working in the so-called creative sectors or in product

design. Instead, it is frequently most effective when used to solve abstract, complex

issues, such as enhancing hotel guests' experiences, enticing bank clients to save more

money, or creating an engaging story for a public-service campaign (dust jacket, back

panel) (Brown, 2009).

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The most common understanding of design thinking is that it is a cognitive style rather than a

collection of particular competencies. It is acknowledged that design thinking is a method of

deliberation and problem-solving that has been honed by designers but which, in theory,

anybody can learn and use to a variety of contexts. As the use of design approaches is shifted

from producing physical objects to resolving difficult problems and managing processes and

services, design thinking represents an expansion of what has historically been seen as the

domain of designers. Design thinking, which is founded on designers' original techniques of

problem-solving, is described as a formal approach to promoting creativity by utilizing the

designer's intuition and methodologies (Eklund et al., 2022).

Design thinking has various importance in innovation, particularly, the fashion industry.

First, it aids in the understanding of design as a placed, local accomplishment involving a variety

of players. And recognizes the functions that objects play in forming practices. While taking the

designer's role as the primary agent out of the picture. With this strategy, the disembodied,

ahistorical design thinking is replaced with a contextual, dependent collection of behaviours used

by designers and people who interact with designs (Kimbell, 2012). According to Martin (2009),

design thinking is the way of thinking that permits progress through the knowledge funnel, and

businesses that master it will have an indestructible, long-term competitive advantage. The

benefit that results from the design-thinking companies' consistent focus on the innovative

system design will ultimately spread to a larger global audience. The innovations that change the

world will come from these businesses because design-thinking businesses are unique in their

willingness to take on the challenge of continually reinventing their operations. These assertions

therefore holds that a successful process and result are guaranteed by the designer's ability as a

design thinker. If promoted into the appropriate context, the design thinker has assumed the job

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of a general problem solver and manager who will provide new outcomes. Designers who

embrace design thinking, according to Brown (2009), adhere to a variety of methodological

stances and behave in a manner that may be seen as best practice. Petersen et al. (2016) contend

that fashion thinking has the capacity to reveal fresh perspectives on both social and cultural

processes as well as tangible products.

The relevance of Context and Changing times in the design thinking and innovation

process

The concept of design thinking and innovation as discussed above, suggests that an individual

needs to take into consideration persons they are designing for, and the social environment

within which they find themselves. The theory of time and space generally recognizes the

importance of changing times and contexts for the interpretation of events (Wallerstein, 1998).

Time in this sense, could be understood in different ways - as passing, duration, measure,

moment appropriate for an action or change. Thus, different forms of time represent different

frames for interpreting social events (Šubrt and Titarenko, 2020). While Space is often

interpreted in the relational perspective. This understanding of space stresses on the order of

relations formed by interacting subjects. And the frame, in which we place an event, determines

how we see and think about space and time (Šubrt and Titarenko, 2020). 

In line with the above, it has been argued that when creating a piece of clothing, a designer takes

numerous factors into account. A clothing designer considers the viability of manufacturing,

which involves the technical structure of a garment and the cost of production in addition to

designing an aesthetically acceptable physical shape for the garment, based on a specific

demography and body form (Lee & Jirousek, 2015). Lee and Jirousek, (2015) therefore revealed

that to satisfy their clients' aesthetic needs, a clothing designer must also live in the same

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environment as them. Similarly, an earlier argument by DeLong (1999), emphasised the aesthetic

qualities of clothing design from the perspective of the viewer, including the wearer and the

observer, who experiences and provides the varied aesthetic response that results from the

dynamic interaction of form, that is, how clothing is formed by an arrangement of lines, shapes,

textures, and colours on a pre-existing body form; the viewer, and contextual factors such as the

physical surroundings and personal/cultural background (DeLong, 1999). Besides, clothing

serves as a powerful medium for expressing one's identity and reflecting the distinctiveness of

each culture (Entwistle, 2015). These communal or cultural ideals are what distinguishes the

fashion of one group from another (Eicher & Evenson, 2014). This was corroborated by the

study of Choi et al. (2022) who found that the three aspects of clothes that are closest to oneself:

self-stability, self-response to others' opinions, and clothing-related to self-esteem, correlate with

uncertainty avoidance and indulgence. Their finding suggests that one may infer a group's

clothing consciousness by understanding their cultural values.

In recent times, Williams (2018), fashion is the result of activities that are economic,

industrial, cultural, and aesthetic, and reflects the tastes and concerns of all socioeconomic

groupings. Therefore, fashion includes the creation, production, marketing, consumption,

maintenance, and disposal of clothing, garments and other objects worn on the body. These

describe both the individualized and broader societal aspects of fashion. As such, an individual’s

quest for recognition, acceptance, and belonging, our wardrobe plays a reciprocal role. It is a

means of expressing to others how we feel about ourselves in the context of a particular period

and location. It has to do with blending in, sticking out, or both. When worn and viewed,

according to Richard Sennett, clothing serves as a clue to the wearer's true identity. Fashion

designers now have a function beyond producing clothing with a monetary value in that they are

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the ones who create these tremendous forms of self-expression. The fashion industry operates in

this way (Williams, 2018). In African countries, such as Ghana, Rovine (2019) revealed thayt

African fashion designers' work offers deep insights into the ambiguous yet potent manner in

which artists interact with tradition. African designers need to be aware of the links that fabrics,

themes, and clothing have with long-established local cultures and other symbols of heritage.

While some designers use obvious visual allusions to communicate their relationship to tradition,

others include references to this cultural category deep inside the design process where they are

imperceptible to the untrained eye (Rovine, 2019).

This results in co-design and participatory design, which Lee (2008) categorizes into four

groups based on the purpose of design involvement: creation (driven only by designers),

cooperation (driven by designers), emancipation (driven by users), and inspiration (user-driven

alone). This seeks to involve more individuals in the design process in order to consider their

viewpoints (Kensing & Greenbaum 2012). In this sense, according to fashion expert and

sociologist Yuniya Kawamura (2005), fashion has more than just temporal significance as a

social construct; it also has meaning that is manifested in physical things and must be

investigated as a social-material phenomena (Petersen et al., 2016). 

Further, time as initially noted, plays a crucial role in fashion design practice. One

evidential way is to highlight how with time, the ways of designing has been altered and

improved with the advent of technology. According to Black, there is now the use of digital tools

shifting from the use of traditional handcraft. He explained that constructed, draped or fitted

clothing and handcrafted accessories serve as an early conceptualization and enjoyment of the

shift from two-dimensional shape (drawing, cloth) to three-dimensional constructions (Black,

2021). The fashion business has been disrupted by technology for years, particularly fashion

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design software that offers digital design skills for fashion on-demand (the practice of generating

personalized pieces). Designers may digitally sketch ideas, make 3D models, and then order the

production of those patterns. Additionally, designers may give clients distinctive designs thanks

to digital fabric printing. Kazlacheva et al. (2018) for instance, argued that using the innovative

technologies fashion design easier and more accessible, enable students to learn more quickly,

foster their creativity, develop their capacity for creative and visual thinking, and improve their

design skills.

Throughout the years, there have been ups and downs in fashion trends, but they often

tend to reflect contemporary societal development. For instance, when it comes to gendered

apparel, women's fashion beauty standards have evolved and became less rigorous. Because to

the advancement of fashion and changing aesthetic standards, women may now wear trousers

without wearing corsets. Fashion changes as society and morals change. People's own fashion

preferences fluctuate as their identities develop and alter. The evolution of fashion is a result of

the change in identity that aging brings about in humans. Since the very beginning of fashion

history in the Roman Empire and Egypt, fashion has altered tremendously in many ways as well

as growing and evolving with people.

Conclusion

In conclusion, time and space has relevance for design practice. With the importance of space, In

order to protect not just the primary source of creativity but also to be wary of users as design

partners, professional designers should have knowledge of how to encourage a shared design

process with a heightened interest in users and their ideas. Hence, designers of clothing must

redesign both themselves and how they work. By utilizing the artistic, functional, and

communicative aspects of fashion, this entails revising fashion design approaches,

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methodologies, and importantly the outcomes. Co-creation should be the foundation of design

practice in circumstances when roles are less clearly defined and there is direct interaction

between components of the production and consuming process. This position applies knowledge

to the realization of a user-centred design with an eye on sustainability-led behaviours and

practices. It also takes into account implications for and interactions with makers, users, and

others.

The goal, design, and function of a design can be determined by the context of use.

Context anchors your notion in reality and makes abstract issues concrete. Context clarifies

concepts and helps customers see how your good or service fits into the bigger picture. It is

essential to develop a picture of the surrounding environment while creating and explaining

concepts to non-designers in order to cut down on needless inquiries. One of the most crucial

elements of design is context. It provides context for what we observe. When a design's context

is off, that is one of the primary design defects. Due to improper audience communication, the

entire design ends up falling short of its full potential. Thus, space, in terms of context needs to

be considered in design practice. Emphasising on the need to consider different contexts or

settings as a key determinant of design and innovative practices.

Lastly, design practice neds to be informed by changing time periods that is accompanied

by changing preferences of consumers and trends. Hence, those involved in design practice

needs to stay in line with changing periods and the fashion trends it comes with to enhance their

survival in the industry. As well, changing times has resulted in technological advancements that

had digitalised how design is practiced. Thus, there is the need for such tools to be included in

design practice locally, and skilled advanced in that regard. Essentially, design practice needs to

be based on a contingent approach.

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