Developing a garment design model through a user-centered design approach

This study aims to develop an applicable process model for fashion design based on a user experience-driven design thinking approach, grounded in the expectations and needs of female users. The five-stage design thinking model developed by Stanford d.school was adopted, and the research process was conducted within a user-centered framework. The design focus of the study was the women's blazer jacket. Employing a qualitative phenomenological research design, the study group was formed through purposive sampling and consisted of 30 female users who met the predetermined criteria. The participants were divided into two groups according to their clothing styles: Group 1 (G1), consisting of women who do not wear headscarves, and Group 2 (G2), consisting of women who wear headscarves. Each group included 15 working women-five academics, five lawyers, and five office employees. Data were collected through semi-structured interview forms prepared in line with the sub-objectives of the study and analyzed using content analysis and grounded theory with the MAXQDA 2024 software. Based on the findings, original designs were developed for both groups. Pattern construction was carried out using the Lectra program, and three-dimensional virtual prototypes were created in CLO 3D, followed by user evaluations. Selected designs were produced physically and reassessed visually by the users. The findings indicate that the blazer jacket is perceived by users not only as a functional garment but also as a symbolic communication tool that supports professional identity, status, and self-representation. While comfort and ease of movement emerged as fundamental functional requirements in both groups, preference criteria varied according to usage context and representational expectations. Functional values such as modularity, versatility, and combinability were dominant in G1, whereas symbolic values including modesty, professional visibility, power/self-confidence, clarity, and a masculine stance were more prominent in G2. The user-centered process model developed in this study demonstrates that involving users throughout the design process and conducting multiple evaluation stages largely aligns design decisions with user expectations. Accordingly, the study proposes an applicable and repeatable user-centered garment design process model that reveals latent needs through user data and translates them into concrete design solutions. Keywords: Design Thinking, User Experience, User-Centered Design, Fashion Design, Blazer Jacket.