‘The Scratch’ Approach in Ulos Revitalization: A Digital Pre-Prototyping Framework for Contemporary Vest Design

Abstract

The revitalization of traditional textiles in contemporary fashion often faces bottlenecks during the initial design phase due to high costs and structural constraints in physical prototyping. This study introduces "The Scratch Approach" as an innovative, low-cost digital pre-prototyping framework for transforming traditional Batak Ulos into contemporary vest collections. Guided by the ADDIE model, this qualitative research gathered insights from fashion industry experts, traditional artisans (partonun), and fashion academics. The empirical data were evaluated using a rigorous six-stage thematic analysis. The findings indicate that while physical prototyping heavily limits design exploration, Scratch effectively serves as an accessible digital sandbox. Through its modular sprite features and customizable visual blocks, the platform democratizes the design process, enabling rapid garment silhouette iterations, step-by-step assembly animations, and texture simulations without the risk of destroying rare, expensive physical textiles. Ultimately, this study provides a validated framework that successfully bridges cultural heritage preservation with modern sustainable fashion demands.