Imagine making a garment that changes colour or reacts to sound with your every move. It might seem like science fiction, but Associate Professor Kate Hartman’s new book brings it to life.
Make: Wearable Electronics, Second Edition, empowers readers to dive into the world of wearable technology with projects that can be crafted at home. The hands-on guide features photos, insights and examples from OCAD U students, faculty, and alums with step-by-step instructions.
“We’re living in a moment where wearable technologies have become a part of our everyday lives – they live on our wrists and heads, tracking our activities and transporting us into virtual worlds and augmented experiences, “says Hartman. “The more permissive we become in allowing technology into our personal spaces, the more carefully we must consider how it is designed and used… now is a good time to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and create and hold space for diverse perspectives.”
Published by Make:, a renowned publishing company specializing in DIY projects, technology, and maker culture, the book teaches everything from choosing the right materials for a wearable-electronics project to explaining how components can be combined to create dynamic costumes and fashion.
No stranger to developing wearable electronics, Hartman has been working with e-textiles for more than 15 years and is the founding director of OCAD U’s Social Body Lab, a research and design team dedicated to exploring body-centric technologies in the social context.
In 2022, the Lab brought their expertise to the stage, collaborating with Tapestry Opera to design wearable technology prototypes that were integrated into the performers’ costumes for their production of R.U.R. A Torrent of Light.
In addition to teaching at OCAD U, Hartman is also an adjunct instructor at the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) and director of ITP Camp at New York University.
OCAD U caught up with Professor Hartman to discuss her latest book:
- What inspired you to write this book? Especially a DIY book, aimed at people who may have never tried to make wearable technology?
- This book is an invitation to those who I might not meet otherwise to learn, play, and create in this area. Making wearable technology projects is a highly interdisciplinary practice. It offers an on-ramp for creatives who might not think of themselves as being interested in electronics or coding, as well as access points for the more technically minded to explore a more creative context. I hope this book engages readers from unlikely backgrounds, interests, and levels of experience.
- Why do you believe wearable technology is so important in today’s world? How can it improve the everyday lives of people?
- Wearable technology can be lifesaving, such as in healthcare or safety applications. It can also be useful, fun, playful, or expressive, such as in fashion, costume, entertainment, or productivity applications. But sometimes, it is unnecessary, disruptive, or causes us to overly scrutinize ourselves. I'm not a strong advocate for wearable technology. Rather, I advocate for people learning about, with, and through wearable technology.
- How do you ensure that the projects are accessible for beginners?
- Some books show you exactly how to build a particular project. Make: Wearable Electronics is not one of them. Instead, this book provides the building blocks that will enable you to bring your own ideas to life. How-tos are small sections of specific step-by-step instructions for a particular process or technique. Experiments are open-ended prompts sprinkled throughout the book that invite you to play with the concepts, tools, and techniques introduced. Galleries are included at the end of each chapter to demonstrate each chapter’s topics as applied to real-world projects by artists, designers, makers, and researchers—an excellent source of inspiration!
- If wearable tech had no limits, what kind of futuristic garment or accessory would you love to create?
- As an artist, I am passionate about garments that can shift or transform our interactions with others. Wearable tech holds the potential to change the way we relate to ourselves and others. In the past, we have explored kinetic and shape-shifting garments, such as Monarch and Nautilus. I’d love to create garments that allow us to shapeshift in very subtle and elegant ways to build upon existing body language and invent new forms of interaction.
- As a professor, how has your experience with students influenced the way you approach teaching wearable tech in this book?
- The beautiful thing about the practice of teaching is that no matter how much experience you accrue, it continues to challenge how you think and how you communicate. What works well for some learners doesn't for others, and the way we learn changes as the world changes around us. The contents of this book are derived from my teaching experiences at OCAD U, NYU, and workshops around the world, and more specifically by questions and insights from students I have encountered along the way.
