Technical Designers: What They Need to Know Now and In The Future

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Technical Designers What They Need to Know Now
and In The Future

• Dr. Gindy J. Neidermyer
• Program Director Professor Apparel Design
  Development University of Wisconsin-Stout

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Dr. Gindy Neidermyer

• University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI
• Wisconsins First Polytechnic Institution
• First Malcolm Baldrige Award Winner in Higher
  Education

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University of Wisconsin-Stout

• Program Director
• Apparel Design Development
• Professor
• Quality Analysis of Sewn Products
• Specification Writing
• Functional Clothing Design

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Technical Designers What They Need to Know Now
and InThe Future
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Background of the Study
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Statement of the Problem

• It is not known if existing Bachelor of Science
  apparel degree programs are appropriately
  preparing graduates for current and future
  entry-level positions due to the changes the
  apparel is facing and will face in the future.

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Background of the Study
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Research Questions
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Background of the Study
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Significance of the Study
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Survey Method
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Assumptions and Limitations
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Effective Change Leadership

• Two Types of Leaders
• Two Types of Organizational Change

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Types of Leaders

• Historical Tradition

• Future Agent

• maintain programs based on past experience

• continually strive to meet stakeholders needs
  through techniques of continual process
  improvements

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Types of Organizational Change

• External

• Internal

• Developments of technology, strategy, or practice
  of external stakeholders and their respective
  organizations

• Internal developments that evolve without
  influence of external change
• Product change, employee change, etc.

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Theoretical Framework

• This Study
• used Future Agent Leadership techniques
• merged the changes faced by
• external stakeholders
• with those of
• internal stakeholders
• AND THEREFORE The effectiveness of the
  institution should therefore increase through the
  use of the results

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Gathering Participants

• Requested participation of
• 134 experts
• From garment producing apparel organizations
• Identified HR contacts through ReferenceUSA
• Requested that letter was forwarded to
  appropriate experts
• Minimum of 7 years apparel industry experience

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Request to Participate

• Postal letter contained
• Cover Letter to HR/Panelists
• Letter of Informed Consent
• Information Form for Apparel Industry
  Participants

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(No Transcript)
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Gathering Participants

• Panel of 15-25 not secured through Reference USA
• follow-up phone calls
• Professional contacts of researcher and UW-Stout
  Apparel program
• Identical postal letter package was sent to
  request participation.

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Expert Panel
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Expert Demographics
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Expert Demographics
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Data Collection
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Round 13 open-ended questions
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Round 1into Round 2
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Round 1 into Round 2
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In Round 2
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Round 2
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(No Transcript)
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Round 2 - Organization
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Current Future Technical Design
Themes
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Industry Projection Themes
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Statistical Process
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Technical DesignerCurrent Knowledge Requirements
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of
knowledge, 4 high level of knowledge, 3
moderate level of knowledge, 2 basic level of
knowledge, and 1 no knowledge required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and 1
no knowledge required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and
1 no knowledge required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and
1 no knowledge required
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Technical DesignerCurrent Skill Requirements
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of
skill, 2 basic level of skill, and 1 no
skill required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of
skill, 2 basic level of skill, and 1 no
skill required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of
skill, 2 basic level of skill, and 1 no
skill required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of
skill, 2 basic level of skill, and 1 no
skill required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of
skill, 2 basic level of skill, and 1 no
skill required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of
skill, 2 basic level of skill, and 1 no
skill required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of
skill, 2 basic level of skill, and 1 no
skill required
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7 Year Industry Projections
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Conclusions Recommendations
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Note N13 Scale 1agree 2disagree 3no
opinion
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Note N13 Scale 1agree 2disagree 3no
opinion
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Note N13 Scale 1agree 2disagree 3no
opinion
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Note N13 Scale 1agree 2disagree 3no
opinion
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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7 Year Predictions Overall Conclusions
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7 Year Predictions indicate
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Technical DesignersFuture Knowledge Requirements
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and
1 no knowledge required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and
1 no knowledge required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and
1 no knowledge required
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Technical DesignersFuture Skill Requirements
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
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Comparison of Current Projected Knowledge
Requirements
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and 1
no knowledge required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and 1
no knowledge required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and 1
no knowledge required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and 1
no knowledge required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of knowledge,
4 high level of knowledge, 3 moderate level
of knowledge, 2 basic level of knowledge, and 1
no knowledge required
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Comparison of Current Projected Skill
Requirements
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
78
Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
79
Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
80
Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
81
Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
82
Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
83
Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
84
Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
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Note N13 Scale 5 expert level of skill, 4
high level of skill, 3 moderate level of skill,
2 basic level of skill, and 1 no skill
required
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Projected Changes for Technical Designers
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Conclusions Overall
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Therefore.

• Graduates of apparel programs need to be mature,
  responsible individuals that possess an overall
  understanding of industry processes and
  technologies and possess ability to apply only
  moderately developed skills to daily tasks
  required of specific organizations within the
  apparel industry.

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Curriculum Development
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Curriculum Development
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Recommendations for Replication
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Recommendations for Replication
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Final Thoughts