Beauty, style, colour, fit Aesthetic attributes: Expressive beauty above average Tactile experience Comfortable materials Values: Product’svalueshavetomeetconsumer’spersonalvalues Not only quality, functionality and aesthetics are important attributes; the values behind the product are also important to consumer satisfaction. Clothing choices must connect strongly with the wearer’s self-image, identity and values. Wang and Wallendorf (2006) have argued that consumers with high materialistic values seek novelty and evaluate their possessions more often than consumers with lower materialistic values. They also highlight that materialistic consumers have less appreciation for deeper person–product relationships that develop during longer use situations. Consumers’ materialistic values may also connect with social status-related elements in garments and possessions. Consumers with lower materialistic values may have greater appreciation for the personal meanings attributable to the product that emerge during long-term use (Wang & Wallendorf 2006). Consumers with high environmental and ethical interests place high importance on being able to find environmental value behind a product. These consumers respect credence quality attributes – local and ethical production, eco-materials and long garment life spans – and they want to see these attributes and environmental values in the products they purchase. The value aspect is most important and consumers’ value expectations should be fulfilled to create deep product satisfaction (Niinim?ki 2011).
Fashion Design for Sustainable Satisfaction
How can a designer offer sustainable satisfaction to the consumer and how can s/he propose a prolonged use time of the product to the consumer? Firstly identifying the attributes associated with satisfaction and including them in the design is the most important strategy. Secondly identifying the determinants that lead to dissatisfaction helps the designer to avoid these elements in design and concentrate on design for
sustainable satisfaction. The previous section described the satisfaction elements in clothing:
-good intrinsic quality; -good functionality; -aesthetics;
-values in the product, in manufacturing or the company’s values.
The easiest way to offer product satisfaction is to increase the product’s intrinsic quality and inform the consumer accordingly. However the clothing satisfaction process is complex and not easy for a designer to control. Table 2 presents the temporal dimensions in clothing satisfaction, combining those elements and attributes that enable satisfaction to emerge or even create person-product attachments in the field of clothing. These are the elements that a designer should try to embed in design if s/ he is aiming for proactive fashion, deep product satisfaction and extended use time of the products.
Table 2: Elements of proactive sustainable fashion design
PAST Meaningful memories Meaningful associations, which create person-product attachments PRESENT Good functionality Aesthetical dimensions Enjoyable experiences during use High intrinsic quality Product utility Connection to self, identity Product meets consumer’s personal values Wearer’s own effort and achievement FUTURE Continuing satisfaction with the product Product or service fulfils consumer’s changing needs New elements in design New experiences with the product The following section presents several design approaches to deeper person-product satisfaction in the field of clothing. With these design strategies the designer can aim to achieve proactive and sustainable design.
Fashion Design with Meaningful Uniqueness
Products carry symbolic meaning, which consumers use to construct their own personality and identity. Consumers use products to express themselves and want
association with the characteristics, uniqueness or values symbolised by a product (Norman 2005). If products are easily personalised, the opportunity exists to connect the product more deeply with consumers’ identity construction and to create deeper product satisfaction and an emotional attachment through the person–product relationship (Chapman 2009). This opportunity enables the product to be more meaningful to the wearer, making possible an extension of the product’s lifetime.
Design services are one opportunity to address consumer satisfaction by deeply connecting the design outcome with a consumer’s personal needs. By using digital technologies that enable individual design or measurements, meaningful uniqueness can be designed. Furthermore, unique design and “made-to-measure” services offer improved product satisfaction by meeting a consumer’s individual needs and preferences better thanmass-manufactured garments. The company NOMO Jeans offers computer-assisted made-to-measure jeans by using a 3D scanner (Nomo Jeans). Jeans are made individually according to each customer’s measurements. The customer can also choose the cut, colour, effects and details of his/her jeans.
An enterprise can also base its function only on consumer orders. The designer can create their own collections, produce a couple of sample collections and enable consumers to specify all orders and measurements on an individual basis. Garments can then be created based on each wearer’s measurements, thus enabling him/her to experience greater satisfaction. This design and manufacturing strategy may also help producers avoid the problem of overproduction. Small enterprises could offer their collections in small shops carrying a sample collection and obtain orders directly from consumers, allowing them to avoid extra production.
Designer Anna Ruohonen creates long lasting and high quality fashion (Anna Ruohonen). She has created a timeless collection called Black Classic, where the designs are permanent but itis possible to order them in seasonal colours. Garments are manufactured only according to customer’s order and according to each customer’s individual measurements. This strategy helps to avoid overproduction. Moreover the good fit of the clothing helps ensure deeper garment satisfaction.
Co-creation
One possibility for creating deeper person–product attachment is through a consumer’s own efforts during the design or realisation process. A sense of personal achievement is strongly connected to a positive sense of self (Norman 2005) and allows the product to begin to be more important to the wearer. The consumer’s own achievement through a “made by me” approach to design creates positive experiences through the sense of effort and the opportunity to realise her/his own creative skills.If the user builds the product herself/himself, s/he acquires a deeper knowledge of the product and, therefore, has the ability to repair the product (Papanek 1995). Kit-based design and halfway products give the consumer a more active role in the realisationprocess.
One option for including the consumer in the design or manufacturing process is to offer her/him an opportunity to make decisions during the process. Consumers have shown an interest in taking part in the design or manufacturing process by using the Internet (Niinim?ki 2011). If the design is based on a modular structure and the consumer is allowed to make her/his own choices – even from a limited selection – in creating a unique style, this process gives consumers new power and a more active role.
Opening fashion field is one way to offer the consumer more active role. Lastwear is a company that offers ready-madegarments, halfway clothing (kit-based) and patterns of their fashion designs (Lastwear clothing company). They also invest in quality and offer a guarantee on their garments, which is a good way to ensure product satisfaction.
Giving
consumers
more
power
is
also
possible
by
offering
environmentally-related options. Consumers may be allowed to select a manufacturing location and different materials – and be provided with corresponding prices – enabling them to express their values through their choices. For example, many consumers, especially those who consider themselves ethical consumers, would like to buy locally manufactured garments even if they are more expensive (Niinim?ki 2011).