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.

9.25.2009

A little culture on the side

For my last face-t0-face interview, I traveled to the beautiful city of Asheville, NC. I started at the Folk Art Center, which is part of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and located on Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Guild is an educational, non-profit organization founded in 1930 for the purpose of creating a network and market for mountain craftspeople. Today, Guild membership stands at more than 900 artisans selected by a jury for the high quality of design and craftsmanship reflected in their work.
The Folk Art Center exhibits traditional and contemporary crafts of the Appalachian region and sponsors educational demonstrations and programs. While I was there, an area weaver and a woodcrafts man were sharing their talents with demos. The Center also houses the century-old Allanstand Craft Shop, which is one of the nation's top craft retailers and carriers the world of Guild artisans.

[Source: Southern Highland Craft Guild brochure and website.]

My lovely guide (my interviewee), also took me to the historic Grove Park Inn. Not only was this resort and spa one of the most lovely I've ever seen (and like none that I've ever stayed at), but they also are home to an amazing and world-renowned Arts & Crafts gallery, store and studios. I highly recommend a visit for anyone who passes through this area.

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