CrEATe : Can Interactivity and Creativity Benefit the Dining Experience?

What is your vision of textile futures?
Interaction, specifically between people and material objects.

What is your project about?
The Great Lovers and seeing what they get up to on an interactive tablecloth that reveals risqué images when warmed. It is a study in improving the dining experience through a creative and interactive play.

What inspires you?
Laughter and a naughty sense of humour. Making creativity available to the masses.

Why are you doing this project? What does it mean to you?
To give print an emotional depth and a narrative. This means that I am able to discover new areas of inspiration whilst developing my techniques.

What is ‘future’ about it?
The project develops the themes of emotion with interactivity. In the long term this will develop into new avenues of creative interest such as enhancing interactive roleplay between the consumer and the product.

Which materials and technologies have you used?
Thermochromic ink, pressure pads, sound devices, reactive and pigment printing onto cotton and felt, wood, digital printing, ceramics.

Natalie Hand
Natalie received her BA in Textile Design from Central St Martins College in 2004. During this time she worked with a number of companies including Jacob Schlaefer and Milliken. After graduation she was accepted onto the MA Textile Futures course at Saint Martins College. Natalie’s work has been featured in June Fish’s Designing and Printing Textiles (2005).

Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to the AHRC for making it possible for me to do this course and all those that know how to giggle.

Sponsored by:
AHRC, The Textile Institute