캐릭터를 활용한 유아 일회용 기저귀의 패턴디자인 개발

Abstract

Background In the reality when the low-birthrate is settled down as the universal flow of the world, the baby product market is growing every year. In the baby product market, the infant disposable diapers have been settled down as the necessity for child rearing owing to the convenience and hygiene. Because most of the infant disposable diapers have been qualitatively improved, it is difficult to acquire differentiation in the aspect of functionality or convenience. Thus, this study aims to develop a character that could draw emotional and psychological loyalty from consumers, and then to apply it to the pattern design of infant disposable diapers. Also, this study aims to present the measures for expanding the developed character to the infant-related cultural content industry. Methods After considering the changes and characteristics of diapers in each period of time through literature and then researching/analyzing the infant disposable diaper market, this study developed a character suitable for diaper products. Based on this, this study applied the character to the pattern design of infant disposable diapers and then researched the measures for utilizing the developed character for cultural content. Result This study organized the development history of infant diapers that had never been historically considered, systematized the current status of domestic/foreign infant disposable diaper markets, chose ‘hippopotamus’ as a character suitable for the associated image of diaper products, and then combined it with the character design, textile pattern design, and video content. Conclusion Due to the improved technology of infant disposable diapers, the functionality or convenience of diaper itself is not good enough to achieve differentiation. Thus, this study emphasized the necessity of characters that could perform direct and intuitive communications with consumers for the development of infant disposable diapers. And this study was conducted in total three steps. First, contrary to rapidly-evolving diaper products, there was no theoretical consideration of diapers. Thus, this study organized the history of diapers from ancient diapers to the currently-developed/released diapers in the diachronic perspective. Second, this study aimed to broaden the area where the pattern design could work by developing the pattern design of infant disposable diapers using a character. Third, what is most-importantly perceived in the content industry is character. Therefore, this study sought for the expandability of the developed character to the infant cultural content industry.