“Wearable” is a term used in fields such as research, fashion, consumer tech, HCI, gaming, healthcare, performing arts, visual art and design. Despite this broad spectrum of applications, “wearable” design across disciplines shares a common challenge: designing for the human body. In this class, we will explore the unique design conditions of creating wearable technology for human and non-human bodies, conditions which include the fact that bodies are flexible, mobile, dynamic, and diverse. We will utilize physical computing, e-textiles and techniques from fashion design, to create novel wearable prototypes. Simultaneously, through lecture and discussion, we will consider the ethical implications of designing technology for the body and how this field may evolve in the future.
Link to full syllabus as a google doc (NYU only)