About My Research

This site serves as a reflection of my graduate thesis work in automotive textile design at North Carolina State University.  I began this site in January 2009 and plan to maintain it until my graduation in December 2009.  I have been in the graduate program at the College of Textiles for 1 year of a 2 year program.  During this first year, I have focused on the automotive industry, design, and sustainability.  Now at the half-way point, I have selected my thesis topic and made plans as to how to approach my research so that my work is complete by October 2009.  In the right column of this blog, I have posted my personal timeline to ensure that I am meeting my deadlines.  Please take time to look through all the information included in the right hand column, especially if this is your first time visiting this site.

The purpose of this site is 3-fold.
1) Most scholars are only given 1 chance to write a thesis, and 2 years to learn how to do so.  Sure there are books on research methods and databases of theses to form a background or starting place for your work, but no one really explains to us exactly what this process is like from start to finish.
2) Over the past year, I have learned beyond my expectations about the automotive industry, past, current, and future.  Throughout my next year of study, I have access to resources that would be coveted by any designer in this industry and plan to uncover valuable correlations between design and success.  I will post many images and articles which I find the most enriching.
and 3) Writing my thoughts and progress where it is publicly available will encourage me to meet deadlines and provide a clear platform to keep my committee informed.

My Topic
I will be examining the history of automotive bodycloth development and aligning this with outside factors such as the economy, increase in mass production, increase in technical standards and regulations, the importance of fashion and color, along with what at this time is an unpredictable number of additional variables.  The ultimate question I aim to answer is if there is a concrete way to measure and predict success in order to save time, money, and resources.

8.09.2009

Motor City, USA

I made it to Detroit!

Last week was dedicated to preparing for the upcoming 5 weeks of interviews that are intended to provide validity and insight for my thesis research.  I had a trial interview with one of my committee members and it felt great!  There were a few minor adjustments that needed to be made to my visual presentation materials and then it was just a matter of printing everything.  Nancy also came back to the states (yey)!  I had a run-through with her and we discussed how many different directions the interviews could go in and how to be time-conscious.  This will definitely be the biggest difficulty of this process.  I am interviewing some of the busiest people in the industry and recognize the value and generosity of their time.  It is crucial that I guide the discussion efficiently in order to achieve the goals of this research and make the best use of their time as well as my own.  I'm sure its obvious, but I am very passionate about my research.  I think this will be a very entertaining, and perhaps enlightening process for all involved.

Last night we went to a movie and dinner in Royal Oak- which looks very different when its not in the snowy negative temperatures.  We walked for a bit and ended up at a BBQ and Blues restaurant with a live band and walked outside to find a vintage Ford on the curb.  Nothing too out of the ordinary, but a great photo op.
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