Technology disruptions: exploring the changing roles of designers, makers, and users in the fashion industry

Digital technologies are becoming an integral part of today’s fashion industry and starting to disrupt many traditional approaches and leading to a paradigm shift. Consequentially, technology has driven rapid changes in traditional designer and maker groups. This study explores the perception of the changing roles of designers, makers, and users among industry and academic professionals. The findings suggest these groups are expected a much more intimate relationship than before. The designer’s roles are expanding and becoming highly complex and maker is expected to become the educator in working with designers of diverse fields. Future user will be concerned with reconfiguring the traditional manufacturing flow for efficiency and flexibility. Users are also consumers benefiting from low-cost technologies/tools through new business models. However, much disconnect still exists among designers, makers, and users regarding the best mechanism in transitioning to the new industry network or workflow.