Abstract:

Objective Visually impaired groups face difficulties in accurately wearing dining accessories without visual assistance, and the dining accessories are seen with problems such as insufficient splash protection, poor stain resistance, and low stability. In order to solve these problems, this study identifies key barriers of dining accessories and translates them into actionable functional requirements and design points. This study prioritizes operability for independent donning and doffing, resistance to soup and oil stains, stable wear during standing and bending, and comfort with daily aesthetics.

Method A mixed-method approach was used. From April to September 2024, focus-group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted, together with 42 valid online questionnaires and six sets (18 sessions) of real-world dining experiments. Multi-platform market research further informed functional requirements. The Kano model with Better-Worse coefficients was applied to prioritize needs. CLO3D simulation, pattern and darting trials, and prototype garment testing were then adopted to verify structural rationality and feasibility. The prototype bib adopted protective functional materials: a soft, leak-resistant fabric was adopted at the neck and upper chest to block soup leakage, and a waterproof and oil-resistant material was adopted at the chest area to enhance protection against soup and oil splashes.

Results Results show that the main barriers faced by visually impaired groups in dining contexts include difficulties in color recognition and aesthetic coordination, delayed awareness of stains and inconvenient cleaning, difficulty in quickly locating and operating bib structures without visual cues, and restricted personalization and aesthetic expression. Kano analysis indicated that ″easy-to-clean, stain-resistant fabrics″ and ″hook-and-loop/magnetic closures″ were the must-have attributes, and ″convenience of assistive tools″ was a one-dimensional attribute. Accordingly, stain resistance, spilling protection, and convenient donning and doffing were identified as the priority needs. A shawl-style accessible bib was proposed, adopting a curved neckline and rounded edges with a magnetic closure. Users wear the bib by draping it over the shoulders and aligning the curved neckline; the magnetic closure secures it in place, allowing one-handed donning without straps and relying on the bib's own weight for stability. A stable, slightly upturned curve was formed at the chest-abdomen transition, and the upturned edge effectively delays and blocks the downward movement of soup stains and oil droplets, reducing overflow risk. CLO 3D virtual simulation and prototype verification showed that when worn on the front side, the slightly curved front edge helps collect and block spilled soup, while when worn in reverse, the shoulder-strap pocket flap creates a sailor-collar-like visual effect, improving social acceptability for everyday wear. Performance tests showed a soup-stain blocking delay time of more than 3 s, a greater than 40% increase in liquid flow-guidance efficiency, and a 65% reduction in stain overflow area.

Conclusion The research showed that the bib was markedly unstable without added weight (standing 12%, bending 28%, jumping 95%). With increasing weight, stability was improved. With a weight addition of 50 g, standing/bending were basically stable, while jumping still resulted in a 15% drop rate and the fit remained comfortable, whereas with 100 g weight addition, the drop rate fell to 0-2% but slight constriction occurred. With 150 g weight addition, the drop rate dropped to 0%, yet about 60% of users reported moderate discomfort. Considering both stability and comfort, 50-100 g was identified as the preferred range, and 80 g was selected as the balanced value. Overall, the product met the expected targets in protective performance and stability and gained user recognition of its basic functions. This study not only verified the feasibility of the accessible bib design in protective performance and ease of use, but also proposed multidimensional directions for optimization. Future work will continue to balance comfort, functional expansion, and social acceptance, promoting sustainable productization and industrialization.

Key words: clothing design, visually impaired group, accessible design, clothing accessory, bib, dining assistance accessory