Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
FROM MARINE DEBRIS TO DIGITAL FASHION: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN SUSTAINABLE INTERACTIVE DESIGN BASED ON HUMAN-CENTERED INTELLIGENCE
Kunxu DU; Yu ZHANG; Liyao WANG
Type:
Year:
2025
Editor:
Yong Se Kim; Yutaka Nomaguchi; Cees de Bont; Jianxi Luo; Xiaofang Yuan; Linna Hu; Meng Wang
Author:
Series:
Other endorsed
Institution:
Harbin Institute of Technology, China
Page(s):
148-155
Abstract:
In the context of global environmental crises and sustainable transitions, design is increasingly challenged to integrate intelligence and sustainability to foster balance between society and ecology. The United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for concrete actions toward carbon neutrality, waste reduction, and the protection of natural resources, requiring designers to propose innovative eco-friendly solutions. This paper presents Ecocean, a practice-based design project that transforms discarded ocean plastics and fishing nets into sustainable fashion while creating intelligent digital experiences. The project integrates recycled materials into fashion garments of environmental and aesthetic value, complemented by virtual environments and augmented reality (AR) interactions to extend user engagement beyond physical products. Findings reveal three contributions: advancing sustainable fashion through material recycling, enabling intelligent experiences via digital technologies, and achieving an aesthetic synthesis of nature and future visions. While demonstrating the potential of design to reframe the human–nature relationship, limitations remain in terms of user acceptance of recycled fashion and the technological threshold of interactive systems. Nevertheless, Ecocean highlights how practice-based research can support sustainable design education and cross-disciplinary innovation. More importantly, it illustrates how human-centered intelligence for sustainable interactive design can contribute to global sustainable futures by linking technology, culture, and society in new ways.
Keywords:
