Ibis paint to improve digital design skills, creativity, and visual communication in vocational fashion education: a systematic review

Digital tools are increasingly used in vocational fashion education to support technical design skills, creative exploration, and the communication of design concepts. This systematic literature review synthesizes 25 studies mapped in the submitted manuscript and reported through a PRISMA 2020 flow diagram. The review examines digital fashion-design practices, creativity, and visual communication, with Ibis Paint X treated as one application-specific case rather than the sole theoretical focus. The synthesis indicates three connected processes: application skills support the production and refinement of digital illustrations; creative thinking supports originality, flexibility, and elaboration; and visual communication depends on how clearly the resulting illustration conveys design concepts. Evidence directly concerning Ibis Paint is concentrated in a small group of studies, while other publications address broader digital design, artificial intelligence, and vocational learning. One reported one-group study involving nine students showed an increase in mean scores from 51.1 to 91.1, but its design and small sample do not establish a causal effect. The review therefore proposes a conceptual pathway linking technical execution, creative development, and visual message clarity. The findings support teaching that combines guided application practice, iterative design exploration, and assessment of both process and visual outcomes.