SPRINT BRIEF

In Cultural Textiles, you will explore how patterns around the world communicate identity, stories, and values. You will reflect on your own personal values and transform these ideas into unique patterns. Using simple digital design tools and laser-cut stencils, they will bring their designs to life by experimenting with printing techniques on fabric.

WHAT WE ARE MAKING

WHY WE ARE MAKING IT

Prints designed with AI-collaborator and digitial fabrication that reflect you

To express personal values through pattern and textile design.

Final Project Expectations

Students will use AI tools (Canva, ChatGPT, Craiyon) to refine their patterns and digital fabrication tools such as laser cutting or 3D printing to materialize their designs.

Students will showcase their garments in a lookbook and fashion show

Students will create tote-bags (or any accessory/wearable) featuring hand-printed patterns that reflect their personal values, beliefs, and aspirations

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Studio Skills

Generative AI

Lo-Fidelity Prototyping

Storytelling

Printmaking

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Cultural Research + Reflection

Digital Fabrication

The design process will include those steps:

؜Inspiration

؜Identity Exploration

AI Collaboration

A good example of signals are "the launch of chatGPT" or "the fall of the iconic tunnel tree redwood" and good examples of drivers would be "artificial intelligence" or "climate change"

Then, identify signals (glimpses of the future we already see today) and drivers (what made the signal possible)



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1 hr

First Prototype

Consider what you design could be, sketch, abstract, and come up with drawings that represent you. Work with an AI collaborator to refine the patterns you wish to stamp

Examine precedents and global patterns imbued with cultural meaning

؜Trace your pattern on linoleum/cardboard to make a stamp, test on paper.

SPRINT STEPS

5

Exhibition / Storytelling

؜Share your project with the class and explain the meaning behind it

2 hrs

؜2 hrs

؜10 hrs

؜2 hrs

Digital Fabrication

Bring your design into Xtool or Tinkercad to prepare files for laser cutting or 3D printing.

Pattern-Design

؜First Mock up

3D Printed Stamp

Final Print-Making

AI-Infused

SPRINT Preview

SPRINT MATERIALS

A precedent is a real-world example or project that you can research to better understand ideas related to your work.

1st

Inspiration

؜In the the following slides, you'll find some Cultural Textile precedents - patterns from around the world and their symbolic significance.

1. As a class, we will review the precedents
2. Choose 1 example from the Inspiration Slides (or a culture you find exciting) to research further.

Chinese Lang

Najd

Islamic

Japanese

African

Maori

Brazilian

Mexican

Sketching in design thinking is a quick and visual way to explore, communicate, and develop ideas. It helps designers think through problems, test concepts, and share their thoughts with others—without needing polished drawings. Sketches can be rough, but they’re powerful tools for brainstorming, prototyping, and collaboration.

WARM UP

This is about seeing shapes and ideas, not making perfect art.

1. Take 3 sticky notes and a marker. Listen carefully! We will name 3 objects, one at a time.
2. For each object, you have 30 seconds to draw it on a sticky note.
3. Focus on capturing the shape and main features—don’t worry about details!

2nd

Identity Exploration + AI

؜In the the following section, you'll be exploring your values, beliefs, and identity in order to root your work in imagery that is important to you.

Part 1

1. In the center of your identity map put your name. Then, use spokes emerging from the center to name all of the various aspects of your identity. Feel free to cluster similar identities like "athlete, soccer player, team captain" in similar areas. Choose 8 of the identities that are important to you.

Part 2

1. Take a piece of paper, fold it in to 8 sections. In each section, create detailed colored sketch that reflects a one of the identities that represents you.
2. Share your identity symbols with the class. Give feedback to one another. What do you like about one another's symbols?

2nd

Identity Exploration + AI

2nd

Identity Exploration + AI

؜AI generated symbol that represents students interest in gardening and tennis

Get read to collaborate with AI to help create simplified images that represent your identity.

1. Select 2 of your favorite drawings from the past step. Take clean and clear photographs of each of the drawing.
2. Upload one at a time to Canva's AI tool. Create a prompt that asks the AI tool to make simple abstracted symbols of from what you provide.
3. Consider what the AI tool returns to you. Does it align with your vision, your aesthetics? Do you like what it's produced? If not, refine your prompt and work iteratively with the AI tool to make shapes that resonate with you.

2nd

Identity Exploration + AI

Take your tracing paper and trace over the AI-generated drawing, or sketch a simplified version of your AI symbol on a piece of paper.

Prototyping is the process of turning your sketches and ideas into physical models that you can test and improve. It starts with drawing your concept, then building simple versions using materials to explore how it moves or works. Prototyping helps you test mechanisms (how parts move or connect) and kinetics (how motion happens), so you can find what works and what needs fixing.

3rd

First Prototype

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Block printing involves carving a design into a block of material like linoleum, rubber, or foam. When ink is rolled on top, it lays on the parts that haven’t been carved away, then is pressed onto paper or fabric to create a mirror image, much like a stamp.

1. Follow the steps on the next slide to learn how to convert your symbols into stamps for block printing
2. First on paper, try your best to use your symbols to make a visually satisfying print.
3. Share out to the class to show them your print. Give one another feedback to improve the visual look of the pattern

STEP 1

Place your tracing paper that had your finished pattern on top of the styrofoam board.

1. Trace over your drawing carefully with a pen. Press firmly so the lines leave an impression on the styrofoam.
2. Remove the tracing paper. You should see faint lines on the styrofoam.
3. Redraw the lines directly on the styrofoam, going slowly and pressing deeply to make clear, strong lines for carving. You can try the pointing (dot) technique: Make small, closely spaced dots along the lines of your drawing instead of continuous lines.

3rd

First Prototype

STEP 1

Place your tracing paper that had your finished pattern on top of the styrofoam board.

1. Trace over your drawing carefully with a pen. Press firmly so the lines leave an impression on the styrofoam.
2. Remove the tracing paper. You should see faint lines on the styrofoam.
3. Redraw the lines directly on the styrofoam, going slowly and pressing deeply to make clear, strong lines for carving. You can try the pointing (dot) technique: Make small, closely spaced dots along the lines of your drawing instead of continuous lines.

3rd

First Prototype

STEP 2

If you don’t want paint around your pattern:

1. Cut out the area around your pattern from the original styrofoam.
2. Glue the cut-out pattern onto a new styrofoam square. Now you have two levels: The background layer (new styrofoam square) and the raised pattern layer (your glued pattern).

3rd

First Prototype

1. Trace on foam sheets

2. Apply paint or printing ink

؜3. Carefully apply your stamp to paper first, then fabric

STEP 3

Once you’ve finished making one stamp, you can use it to create a repeating design.

Press your stamp multiple times on your paper, moving it around, rotating it, or overlapping it to make interesting shapes and textures. This way, one stamp can turn into a whole pattern.

3rd

First Prototype

Pattern precedents

Portuguese tile artists often use repeating geometric patterns.

How could you create a pattern like this?

؜Pattern precedents

Traditional Hawaiian quilts use radial symmetry techniques much like a mandala.

How could you create a pattern like this?

Desk Critiques

Group Feedback

Kinds of Feedback

There are three forms of feedback. Understanding these can help us understand the conversations we have with our teams and improve our own ability to react to and use feedback to strengthen our designs.



Reaction-Based

Feedback

Direction-Based

Feedback

Question-based Feedback

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Feedback time!

Teachers are going to move around the class and give feedback to each one of you!

Make sure you have your research, sketches, and prototype.

؜Once you get feedback, create a clearly sketch to show your final design.

High Fidelity prototyping

Digital Fabrication is the process where your ideas become real objects. Once you’ve designed something, you can use tools like 3D printers or laser cutters to bring it to life. The 3D printer builds your design layer by layer in plastic or other materials, while the laser cutter can cut or etch shapes precisely from wood, cardboard, or acrylic. It’s like turning your sketches and digital drawings into real, touchable creations!

4th

Digital Fabrication

From XTool to Laser Cutting:

1. Import your Image.
2. You can use basic shapes and Pen Tool in the toolbar.
3. Click to create your first anchor point on the edge of the shape.
4. Click again to add a straight line segment, or click and drag to make a curve.
5. Follow the Shape: Continue placing points along the outline of your design. Adjust curves as needed by dragging the handles.
6. Close the Path: Connect your last point back to the first to complete the shape.
7. Adjust if Needed: Move points or handles to smooth the lines so your tracing matches the original design.

4th

Digital Fabrication

1. ؜Set Cut or Engrave: Once traced, select whether this path will be cut or engraved, and adjust settings for your material. The Contour will be cut and the inside will be cut too but with a lower power ( so it doesn't cut all the way through)

1. Send the file to the laser cutter and choose your material (wood, acrylic, cardboard).

1. Glue the cut piece onto a thick block of wood or cardboad.

4th

Digital Fabrication

From Tinkercad to 3D Printing:

1. Finish your 3D model in Tinkercad and check it for errors (no floating pieces, all parts connected).
2. Export your file as an STL.
3. Open it in your 3D printer software (slicer), choose material and print settings.
4. Start the 3D print and let the printer build your model layer by layer.
5. Once done, you have a high-fidelity prototype you can touch, test, and refine!

5th

Storytelling

Now you will share your final projects with the class. Talk about your design journey, discuss what the symbols on your piece mean to you, and give one another feedback.

We will be doing a fashion show, take photos of our printed items, and create a lookbook!

5th

Exhibition

Together with your classmates, stamp your patterns on a large sheet of paper or mural space.

Arrange your patterns side by side, overlapping, or in a repeating way to create a collective design.

You can experiment with:

1. Colors – each student can use different paint colors.
2. Sizes – roll lightly or heavily for different effects.
3. Once everyone has added their stamp, step back and admire your collaborative mural.