Smart Clothing; from Problem-Solving to Knowledge Generation

As a paradigm, design thinking has not accurate definition yet and could make sense during practical design activities. In addition, Sophisticated technology-driven products with high volume of unknowns, which considered as “wicked problems” have proposed to be solved by applying Design Thinking. Main purpose of this research is to investigate the design thinking role in such projects from problem-solving to knowlegde generation. At first, the opportunities and challenges in the design development process of smart clothing design project-as a wicked problem- surveyd through a descriptive-analytical method. Then as a case study, a practical smart clothing design project and his design thinkig dimentions discussed in detail. The findings of this article suggest design thinking as a systematic, creative and human-centered thinking beside treating as core research and managing design activities, could be the source of knowledge generation. The genarated knowlegde here includes redefining and shaping the problem, determine the level of technology integration, design issues, user requirements models and workflow; which in addition to facilitating the design solving process and reduce design errores, can be a true example of generalized problem solving And decision making pattern. Such approach to design thinking for wicked problems- Research through Design- pointed out the general knowledge of design activities(including the problem, methods and processes) is unknown at first phases, and the Generative nature of design thinking undertake this task, in other words design problem or brief will complete in parallel with solution.