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Research Plan

Dr. Eija Nieminen,DesigniumUniversity of Art and Design, Helsinki

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Points of Departure• E-business in the clothing trade has not been a success• Large errors in sales forecasts • Need for rapid responses• New model of operation and new technologies

• Ubiquitous distributed computing environments• A 3D system for taking body measurements• Virtual try-on systems • Mass customisation• E-Tailor-project / EURATEX• XML-metalanguage for integrating software troughout the logistic chain

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Aims• Boost the efficiency of supply chains and networks of the

textile and clothing industry and trade • Create a new shopping concept applying IT-technologies

and User Centered Design process:• ”Semi-virtual” buying experience: body scanning – virtual

fitting• Mass customisation: best fit / made to measure = instant

delivery / order delivery• More efficient logistics – smaller forecast errors – faster

response to demand• New kind of buying experience – boosted sales – better

visibility for alternative articles – repeat orders possible, etc.

ActionsUniversity of Art and Design Helsinki (UIAH)

Product and Spatial Design • Use of consumer decision making models from economics

• Information gathering from defined target groups with Probes method

• Observation of target groups

• Evaluation of similar concepts

• User centric design process from the gathered information

• Platform based concept design

• Shopping environment design – based on ubiquitous distributed computing

• Usability testing of the concept's interactive prototype

• Scenarios of use from the main features of the concept

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ActionsTampere University of Technology

Fibre Materials Science• Clothing technology expertise • Information gathering for technical implementation of the concepts• Technology research (body scanners, software, best fit/custom

tailoring etc.)• Design of material flow and supply chain • Concept benchmarking

ActionsTampere University of Technology

Institute of Software Systems• integration of existing systems needed in the logistic chain• 3D visualization and virtual try-on systems

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Expertise• Project director: Dr. Eija Nieminen, University of Art and Design Helsinki /

Designium

• Interface design: Prof. Turkka Keinonen, University of Art and Design Helsinki / Dept. of Product Design

• Supply chain and body scanning technology: Prof. Heikki Mattila, TUT / Fibre Materials Technology

• Software systems: Prof. Tarja Systä, TUT / Software Systems Laboratory

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Research Partners

• SOK, Sokos department stores• L-Fashion Group (clothing industries)• Turo Tailor (clothing industries)• Major Blue ( soft-ware for clothing production systems )• Lectra Finland ( body-scanning technology )• Federation of Finnish Textile and Clothing Industries• University of Art and Design Helsinki (coordinator)• Tampere University of Technology

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International Cooperation

• Harvard Graduate School of Design, USA• Professor Jeffrey Huang

• MIT Forum for Supply Chain Innovation• Dr. Shoumen Datta

• North Carolina State University College of Textiles

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Budget and schedule

• 192.000 € for 1.9.02 – 31.12.03• National Technology Agency TEKES 80%• Project partners 20%

01 10 2003Jaana Hyvärinen, Student of Architecture, University of Oulu

Teemu Oksanen, M.A. Student, University of Art and Design, Helsinki

Smart Store

TECHNOLOGIES

TECHNOLOGIESNetwork access / Database

Network access provides a connection between entities wanting to access or exchange data.

A database is a collection of data accessible in a controlled manner.

Access to shared information is what it means for a store to bea part of a chain: every store has the same up-to-date information available. This information could even be shared with other actorin other parts of the world, if profitable. For example, a customer may want to access his information everywhere.

Radio Frequency Identification (RF ID) tags are tags which can be detected by RF sensors.

They are quite small, e.g., easily built into price tags to act as both price tags and garment tracking marker, or attached to smart cards.

TECHNOLOGIESRF ID Tags

The wall displays are big media displays which can show still pictures as well as videos on the screen.

TECHNOLOGIESWall display

The basic function of a smart card is a protected container for limited quantity of information.

Protection is achieved through authenticating the party accessing its contents. Combined with a PIN code, for example, a smart card can also be used for fairly strong authentication of its holder.

TECHNOLOGIESSmart card

A touch screen allows the user to point at something in order to choose things on the screen.

TECHNOLOGIESTouch screen

Web cameras (web cams) are small cameras that can be easily set up to provide a video stream or still photographs to publish on internet.

TECHNOLOGIESWeb cameras

The body scanner is a device to obtain the three-dimensional (3D) body image of an object, here the customer. With the specific software the 3D image can be used to get the body measurements needed when producing a garment.

TECHNOLOGIESBody scanner

Virtual try-on uses computers and displays to let us see ourselves wearing the same garment, preferably on an image of our own body.

TECHNOLOGIESVirtual try-on

Customer tracking can use, e.g., RF ID tags or smart cards. Customer tracking can be used to adjust the shop environment for a customer.

Garment tracking could use RF ID tags attached to every garment as price tag, built-in security tag, or both of these combined.

TECHNOLOGIESCustomer tracking / Garment tracking

Mass customisation can be done e.g. by offering better fitting garments, the actual measurements of the customer are required.The customer can be shown the differences between a best-fit size and the customized garment. It requires a database to hold the measurements of customer and a network access to the manufacturer for ordering. The virtual try-on probably displays more clearly the idea between the customized garment and best-fit garment, which can be shown on the displays or touch screens.

As a counterpart to mass customization, a best-fit size involves finding the size of ready-made garments

TECHNOLOGIESMass customisation

DESIGN DRIVERS

INFORMATION

STORE MILIEU / SELECTION

PRODUCT INFORMATION

IDENTIFY / CREATE NEEDS

EASE DECISION MAKING

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

CIRCULATION

DISPLAYED PRODUCTS

INVENTORY<>STORE/FITTING

MAINTENANCE OF COLLECTION

FUNCTIONAL DETAILS

POST SALE ACTIONS

SOCIAL

HOBBY / LEISURE

SOCIAL INTERACTION

COMMUNALITY

COMMUNICATION

BRANDS/MEMORIES

FAVOURITE CLOTHES

PRODUCTS

QUALITY

BRAND IDENTITY <> PERSONALITY

BRANDS AS TO EASE DECISION MAKING

STORE MILIEU

DESIGN DRIVERS

STORE PROFILE

Physical store with virtual and physical items:• Human and virtual cashier• Physical display (“gallery”) With one of each item and all variations virtual• Physical inventory and virtual inventory (product database)• Physical and virtual information• Physical and virtual try on• Circulation

STORE PROFILE

SUMMARY

INFORMATIONStore milieu – ’Gallery’

RFID tags – Database

Smart card

Product db – Customer db

Virtual try-on

Ubiquitous displays

Customised shop environment

Multimedia

Virtual store

Additional services

Social experiences

CIRCULATIONStore milieu – ’Gallery’

Customised fitting room

RFID tags

Virtual layout

SOCIALMore space and time

for social interaction

Virtual - physical interaction

Virtual store

Chat

BRANDS/MEMORIESAdditional services

Body scanning

Customised clothes

Creating memories by

creating experiences

Multimedia

SUMMARY