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Categorizing Product Meaning: an Investigation Into the Product Language of Clothing and Fashion

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Dagmar Steffen [email protected] Categorizing product meaning: an investigation into the product language of clothing and fashion Abstract demonstrating their social position. The increasing Product semantics is well anchored in design fields differentiation of town population required distinction such as industrial and interface design on the one hand and delimitation, and clothing was an appropriate and on the other semiologists, sociologists, socio- medium for this purpose. Thus, the beginning of the psychologists and even anthropologists have been idea of fashion was established [2]. Clearly, clothing, analyzing the semantics of clothing and fashion from fashion, and accessories construct and communicate the viewpoint of their own disciplines. Nonetheless the identities and values of groups to members of textile and fashion designers are still educated to design other groups and also to the members of one’s own in a rather artistic and intuitive manner. In order to group. Furthermore, they serve as self-portrayal and provide a theoretical foundation, that can be applied in consolidate the self-perception of a person. textile and fashion design practice and that reflects the Since the dimension of communication and meaning is concerns of professionals this paper presents a model more pronounced in clothing and fashion than those for description and reflection of product meaning in of most other consumer goods, this field has been the fields of clothing and fashion. the subject of investigation by a number of disciplines. Currently, we can find publications by sociologists Keywords [3], socio-psychologists [4], anthropologists [5], and Product Language, Product Meaning, Textile Design, semioticians. [6] They approach the topic from the Fashion Design, Design Education. perspective of their disciplines, resulting in a theory of the social and psychological functions or in a study 1 Introduction of semiological accounts and production of meaning Clothing and apparel fulfill practical functions and in this in clothing and fashion. Barnard’s book Fashion as respect they are used for protecting the body against communication is fairly comprehensive on these inhospitable climates as well as for reasons of modesty matters, we will come back to this later. Altogether, and attraction since ages. At least as important as this body of literature has insights that are valuable for protection and modesty are, of course, the semantic textile and fashion designers. Nonetheless it does not or communicative functions of clothing [1]. They serve reflect the perspective and concerns of professional as a non-verbal medium by which meanings and values design practice, since guidance for design practice is are produced and exchanged. Already in the Middle not the original aim of the authors. Ages, the aristocracy used clothing as a means for Design and semantics of form and movement 73 In contrast to other design fields, textile and fashion • The design semiotics approach by Susann Vihma design did not develop a theoretical approach or (University of Art and Design Helsinki, Taik, Finland) a model that sheds light on the kind of information is based on semiotics by Charles S. Peirce and applies or meaning denoted and connoted by clothing and the representational concept of index, icon and symbol fashion and its interplay with the means of design such to design and visual culture [10]. as material, form, shape, and color in a systematic • The product expression model by Josiena Gotzsch manner. Without an appropriate theoretical concept (Grenoble Ecole de Management, France) uses the that is applicable to design practice, textile and theory of product language as a starting-point for fashion designers are dependent on an intuitional a further analysis in product expressions of company comprehension of the messages and meanings of identity, user identity and product identity [11]. textiles. There are two arguments against the notion Despite the different philosophical concepts and that this traditional approach to work, which is based epistemologies the above-mentioned approaches share on intuition and artistic creativity will be sufficient in the objective to position communicative functions and future. First, the growing segment of smart textiles and the meaning of products in the center of reflection. smart clothes are a challenge for textile and fashion All of them consider semantics or semiotics to be “a designers, since they offer additional functionality. basic concern if not the basic concern of designers”, as This requires interdisciplinary teamwork with engineers, Klaus Krippendorff puts it. [9] Furthermore they make a methodological approach and substantial arguments an effort to offer design professionals terms and models for design decisions [7]. Second, an analytical approach that are applicable and useful in design practice. to design has proven to be beneficial in other fields of Being confronted with the need to make a choice design education, since it makes the teachable contents between these distinct concepts, the Offenbach more comprehensive. Nevertheless, the aim should theory of product language and also its derivative, be to combine artistic and intuitive design methods on the product expression model were chosen. There are the one side and a theoretical model that reflects and three reasonable arguments for this decision. First, the supports design practice on the other. theory of product language uses a concept of symbol that takes a broad view. According to the conception of 1.1 Various semantic or semiotic concepts Langer, symbolic transformation is the essential activity In order to provide a theoretical foundation for textile of human minds and it penetrates all profound issues and fashion design education, at the Lucerne School of of a culture [12]. Symbols are meant to be “vehicles Art and Design a research project has been conducted, for the conception of objects”, which are embodied in that scrutinized various established concepts in the field all kinds of cultural expression and refer to no specific of product semantics in regard to their applicability to category of content. The meaning of symbols is not design practice. fixed, but comprises the wide spectrum of connotations • The theory of product language was developed by and associations, which come to someone’s mind while Jochen Gros (Academy of Art and Design Offenbach, looking at an object. Since in everyday life clothing Germany) from the philosophical concept of sign and and garments are an important bearer of meaning and symbol by Susanne Langer as well as foundations of communicate, among other things, current and short- psychology of perception and Gestalt theory. In the lived topics and contents, Langer’s concept of symbol design discourse as conditioned by science in the mid meets these conditions quite well. 1970s this disciplinary and humanistic approach to Second: as well as the higher-ranking level of abstract design theory was part of a paradigm shift [8]. theoretical terms, which derive from Langer’s philo- • Product semantics represents a constructivist sophical concept, the theory of product language approach by Klaus Krippendorff (University of comprises a subordinated level of specifying terms, Pennsylvania, USA) and Reinhart Butter (Ohio State which give the various categories of product meaning University, USA), developed from concepts of the a structure. They are directly applicable to the semantic philosophers Ludwig Wittgenstein and Giambattista analysis of specific products. Furthermore, new terms Vico as well as psychological concepts by James J. that reflect the latest development in practice can be Gibson [9]. added to the framework. In other words, this level of 74 Design and semantics of form and movement specifying terms represents the junction or intersection between “theory” (the realm of abstract terms and concepts) and “practice” (the realm of the embodiment of terms and concepts in the shape of physical objects). These specifying terms can be used for retrospective analysis of preliminary drafts and final products. They can equally be used in a prescriptive manner for design- briefings that define design criteria. Third: the specifying terms help us to find, categorize and analyze the various kinds of information and messages, which clothing and fashion communicate. They can be used as a sort of taxonomy of the communicative functions of products. In this respect, Fig. 1. Conceptual model of the Offenbach theory of product the use of specifying terms supports design education, language (Gros 1976). since they induce design students to reflect upon the possible dimensions of expression and meaning of product language they enable the nature of a product products, including their own designs. In order to clarify or the product category to be identified. Furthermore, how the theory of product language is adapted from indication functions conciliate between technique and the field of industrial and product design to the field of human beings: they visualise and explain the various clothing and fashion, I will describe this in more detail. practical functions of a product and how it should be used. Thus, they play an important role concerning 2 Theory of Product Language recognition, usability and the self-explanation of products. Basically, this conceptual model makes a distinction If the user is not able to operate a product properly, this between the practical functions of a product on the is often due to insufficient
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