Call for Design Exhibition

The International Symposium on Wearable Computers invites submissions of original works of wearable technology for its 2011 Juried Exhibition. Submissions may comprise any type of wearable technology (electronic, mechanical, textile, garments, etc), and designers are encouraged to submit works of practical technology as well as works of art.

Designers are asked to submit an illustrated design statement, detailing the work's concept, motivation, technological functionality, and execution. Detailed images must illustrate the text. Submissions will be evaluated by the jury panel for their following design elements: concept, use of technology, execution, and communication.

Accepted works will be exhibited at the ISWC 2011 conference, in San Francisco, CA, June 12-15, 2011 . During the conference, the jury will select 3 prizewinners: Best Concept, Best Execution, and Best in Show.

Submission Deadline : March 25, 2011

Please download, print, and place or distribute the Design Exhibition Poster.

Submission Guidelines

Designers are asked to submit an illustrated design statement, detailing the work's concept, motivation, technological functionality, and execution. Detailed images must illustrate the text. Submissions will be evaluated by the jury panel for their following design elements: concept, use of technology, execution, and communication.

Please submit your document as one compiled PDF file. Please begin your entry submission with a centered title in bold and 12 point font (Arial or Times Roman) followed by a single column document in 10 point font (Arial or Times Roman). The document should begin with an abstract of the work not exceeding 400 words and in italicized 10 point font (Arial or Times Roman). The body of the submission should not exceed 2 pages of written text. Please include a references cited section at the end of the submission. List and number all bibliographical references in 9-point Times, single-spaced, at the end of your paper. When referenced in the text, enclose the citation number in square brackets, for example [2-4], [2, 5], and [1]. You may include images with captions and figure numbers within your written text or as an appendix. All printed material, including text, illustrations, and charts, must be kept within a print area of 6-7/8 inches (17.5 cm) wide by 8-7/8 inches (22.54 cm) high. Do not write or print anything outside the print area. Your submitted PDF should not exceed 8 pages or 5MB. Please do not include any names or institution affiliations within you submitted PDF.

Please title your PDF file as the title of your submission. Email your submission to iswc11.designexhibition@iswc.net. In the subject line of your email entry please start with: ENTRY - Your Project Title. In the body of the email please include your contact information, a list of the authors of the submission in the order they will appear in the exhibition, and the PDF submission.

Evaluation Criteria

• Concept: How novel is the concept or application? Has it been done before? Is the approach novel? The work should exhibit depth of understanding and insight.
• Technology: How innovative is the use of technology: have advances been made in the use of standard tools for a new purpose? Have new technologies been developed? What does the technology bring to the wearer or the viewer in the wearable environment?
• Execution: How professional and polished is the finished product? Have appropriate or novel construction techniques been implemented? How have standard hardware components been adapted for the wearable environment?
• Communication: How well have the concept, novelty, and use of technology been communicated? Is the idea and process evident in written and visual materials?

Design Exhibition Jurors for 2011

Lucy Dunne, University of Minnesota, Assistant Professor, Apparel Design Program
David Goodrowe, SCAD Associate dean, School of Design
Sean Moore, Academy of Art University, Director of Graduate Fashion
Aaron Weast, Sr. Engineering Manager at Nike Digital Sport
Josh Marinacci, Developer Evangelist with HP Developer Relations

Jury Judging Process

Phase 1: Exhibited works

• Applicants submit digital copies of illustrated design statements.
• Applications are reviewed by jury panel.
• Jury members evaluate each submission and score it in each articulated evaluation category.
• Accepted works decided by jury discussion, with tabulated scores as reference tool.
• Accepted artists must transport work to conference, with A0-size poster for exhibition. Poster to contain similar information as design statement.

Phase 2: Assignment of Awards

• At conference, jury evaluates exhibited works—physical artifacts and explanatory posters.
• Jury evaluates each work using evaluation worksheet, each juror selects 1st, 2nd, 3rd choices for three awards—Best in Show, Best Conceptually, and Best Execution.
• Jury votes tabulated, jurors discuss and decide final three awards.

Examples of prior entries

Lucy Dunne from the University of Minnesota presented Shiver 1 and 2 at ISWC 2010, an exploration of subtle haptic and kinetic effects in two responsive garments. Each garment responds to touch by reacting with a visible and perceptible tactile vibration response. The flowers of Shiver 1 respond to being touched by "touching back" -- each flower startles when the stamens are bent. When the sleeve of Shiver 2 is stroked, a gentle quiver propagates diagonally through the feathers of the skirt.

Textile Interface Swatch Book designed by Nicholas Komor, Clint Zeagler and Thad Starner of Georgia Tech.

Interactive Pleat Dress designed by Nicholas Komor, Clint Zeagler and Thad Starner of Georgia Tech.