Classifying virtual reality-based collaboration environments: practical insights for application in fashion design

Virtual reality (VR) technology offers great potential for design collaboration by enabling designers to enhance the collaborative exploration process. However, few studies have provided practical insights into the use of VR-based collaboration environment (VRCE) in the field of fashion design. Therefore, this study explored the main features of VRCE solutions currently available and classified their major types in order to develop a deeper contextual understanding of the use of VRCE for fashion design collaboration. The VRCE solutions were collected from various media channels and finally classified into three representative types: virtual meeting and design planning, three-dimensional virtual prototyping, and design review. Consequently, the findings emphasised that the VRCE is useful for general design collaboration. Yet, to more efficiently process the use of domain-specific information and design process required for collaborative exploration of the fashion design concept development, additional technology functions that integrate with the fashion design process should be developed.