FabricBoards: Exploring Crafting Methods for Prototyping E-Textile LED Circuits with Fabric-Based Breadboards

Paper Title

FabricBoards: Utilizing Craft Techniques for Inclusive Prototyping of E-Textile LED Circuits with Fabric-Based Breadboards

Publication Info

• Topic area: E-textile prototyping tools and inclusive design in HCI.
• Keywords: E-textiles, prototyping, breadboards, textile crafts, inclusivity, wearable computing, Research through Design, computational making, accessibility, sustainability.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Traditional electronic prototyping tools like solderless breadboards are rigid and incompatible with the flexible nature of fabrics, limiting rapid iteration and debugging for e-textile circuits. Current e-textile kits rely on bulky tools like alligator clips, which are difficult to use and inaccessible for underrepresented groups.
• Significance: Addressing this gap is crucial for enabling inclusive and intuitive prototyping workflows in e-textiles, particularly for beginners and underrepresented demographics such as women.
• Motivation and related work: Prior work has explored unconventional breadboards and e-textile kits but often relies on rigid materials or component-specific modifications, limiting flexibility and accessibility. Textile crafts have been identified as a promising avenue for introducing women and girls to STEM, but tools that align with textile-native practices remain underexplored.

Solution

• Proposed approach: FabricBoards—a set of fabric-based breadboards designed for prototyping e-textile LED circuits using textile-native materials and techniques.
• Novelty:
  1. Reimagining breadboards to be compatible with sewable/wearable components, challenging traditional designs through Research through Design (RtD).
  2. Introducing diverse textile crafts (e.g., sewing, felting, knitting, weaving, embroidery) to expand the design space and engage underrepresented makers.
  3. Gaining insights from a user study with 18 participants (72% women) to understand beginner experiences with FabricBoards.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Iterative prototyping using textile crafts like machine-sewing, quilting, weaving, felting, knitting, and embroidery.
  • Designing fabric-friendly connectors (e.g., hooks, snaps, Velcro) to replace rigid alligator clips.
  • Conducting a user study with group workshops and individual interviews to evaluate usability, creativity, and inclusivity.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • FabricBoards improved ease of use and engagement compared to traditional tools like alligator clips.
  • Electrical resistance experiments showed reliable conductivity across various textile crafts, with digital embroidery outperforming other methods.
  • Participants designed creative circuits and applications, demonstrating the boards' potential for expressive and functional prototyping.
• Advantage over baselines:
  • FabricBoards reduced visual clutter, improved stability, and enabled intuitive interaction compared to alligator clips.
  • Textile-native materials supported flexible, reusable, and visually clear prototyping workflows.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • User study with 18 participants (13 women, 2 non-binary, 3 men) across five workshops.
  • Activities included prototyping with standard tools, exploring FabricBoards, and ideating new designs.
  • Thematic analysis revealed insights into intuitiveness, engagement, material compatibility, and scalability.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Short-term study limits insights into long-term durability and repeated use.
  • Findings primarily reflect beginner experiences; further research is needed with expert users and complex circuits.
  • Future work will explore advanced prototyping capabilities, material lifespan, and broader demographic engagement.

Summary

FabricBoards reimagine breadboards for e-textile prototyping by leveraging textile-native materials and craft techniques, addressing limitations of traditional tools like alligator clips. Iterative design experiments demonstrated reliable conductivity and usability across methods such as machine-sewing, embroidery, and weaving. A user study with 18 participants highlighted the boards' inclusivity, ease of use, and potential for creative exploration, particularly among women and non-binary makers. While the boards support simple LED circuits effectively, future work will focus on advanced prototyping, long-term durability, and expanding accessibility for diverse user groups. FabricBoards contribute to inclusive, sustainable, and expressive pathways in e-textile development.