HanesBrands | Project Gamer

Aidan Lim, Anh Bui, Jan Ray Jison, Steven Key

Our team, sponsored by Hanesbrands, was tasked with creating a performance level gaming garment for both the professional eSports player and the average gamer that provides posture and wrist support without losing its comfortability. We first did extensive research of products marketed as gamer apparel to see what customers were buying. During ideation, we brainstormed ideas and split them into three subcategories: the hood, the body and the arm. With advice from our sponsor, we decided to focus on adding wrist and back support to our final garment.

As we began prototyping, Assistant Professor Gloria Hwang helped us modify the original Champion gaming hoodie pattern to incorporate our new design. This involved changing the underside panels of our garment to include a more breathable and wicking material to provide more comfort to the gamer. We also tested each aspect of the hoodie to make sure our design decisions were justified. Looking into arm and wrist compression, we did testing on fabric elasticity and pressure testing to compare it to other products on the market. We next looked into comfort and breathability, which included moisture management and air permeability testing to prove the fabric construction we chose.

Our team has learned a lot about the design process from idea to prototype to final product. Through our testing and evaluation process we learned how to interpret results and present them in a more approachable way. Being engineers and technologists, we had no background in the design side of textiles, so it was important to always be open to learning a new skill for the project.