Design Intervention: An Artistic Strategy (A Strategy) to Minimize Text Fading and Metal Commemorative Plaque Theft in Ghana

The Commemorative Plaque Industry thrives at the hands of the local craftsmen in Ghana. Techniques, methods, tools, and materials used as handed to them by their previous masters have remained the same over the years. As a result, plaques produced had peculiar problems such as text fading, degrading the actual effect of the plaques. Additionally, metals once widely used for making plaques devoid of text fading in the industry seem to have lost their relevance due to metal plaque theft, rust on metal plaques, and the continuous rise in metal prices. This research uses descriptive, experimental, and case studies of the qualitative research method to examine the problems associated with locally produced commemorative plaques. A total of hundred (100) artisans, including metal scrap dealers, and plaque buyers, were selected for the study. Direct observation and face-to-face interviews were conducted with the local craftsmen, art lecturers and students, scrap dealers, and plaque buyers who were purposively sampled for the study. The study revealed that existing materials like ceramic and aluminium could be integrated innovatively to produce commemorative plaques devoid of text fading;a corrosion-resistant text could be made using anodized or coated metals used in smaller quantities to reduce costs while also making them unattractive for theft and lastly, silicone sealant was found to be a viable option for permanently inscribing text on porcelain bases. The results clarify and underline the necessity to grow the local plaque industry in terms of plaque production as another essential basis to assure high-quality plaques with no text fading that will survive for generations to serve their intended purpose.

Festival Elements: A Source of Inspiration for Contemporary Fashionable Products

Festivals are intrinsic aspects of the culture of a group of people and allow displaying interesting crafts and elements such as fabrics, symbols, folktales, and paraphernalia. The dynamism in the culture is vast but unexplored as inspiration for the creation of products. This created the need to explore the possibility of designing contemporary print and products from these crafts and elements from two festivals (Aboakyir and Gologo) using Adobe Photoshop in the design process. This phenomenon necessitated the consideration of this project which was undertaken by employing the design-based practice coupled with observation as an instrument. Elements related to the festivals were identified and using the design process, print designs were developed and further simulated on different products. This practice seeks to promote the cultural heritage of the people to a wider populace and the world at large. It is recommended that the Traditional Council should have a museum or gallery for keeping the artworks used in their festivals for archival purposes.

Use of the Appropriate Fabric for Cloth Face Mask: A Necessity in the Fight against COVID-19

The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created a global health crisis that has had a deep impact on the way we perceive our world and our everyday lives. The call for the wearing of face masks as one of the ways of curbing the disease has resulted in the proliferation of cloth face masks on our markets. In the desperation to cash in on the season and make money at all costs, some manufacturers use inferior fabrics to produce face masks. Some of these fabrics do not meet the basic performance requirements of cloth face masks. This study was therefore carried out to research into the appropriate fabrics that will be suitable for the production of cloth face masks in terms of comfort, breathability and protection. To do this, 1225 participants were conveniently drawn for the study. The main research instrument employed for the study was the survey approach in which well-structured questionnaires were administered to solicit information from the participants. To determine the reliability and validity of data, the Cronbach’s Alpha test was conducted. Data were analyzed using the Stata statistical software to perform a multinomial logistic regression to estimate Odds Ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs. A multinomial logit model was constructed to determine the nominal variables. A major finding of the study was that people’s choice of fabric for cloth face masks is determined to a larger extent by their professions. The study also revealed that cotton, silk and linen possess good properties for the production of cloth face masks. Based on the findings, the study concludes that cloth face masks made from two-layered fabrics or three-layered fabrics are the best in terms of comfort and full protection of the wearer. It is recommended that the outer layer should be made from cotton and the inner layer made from linen, cotton-polyester blend or silk.

Technological Innovation: An Assessment of Operational Practices of Small and Medium Textile Enterprises in Ghana

Fundamentally, technology is the key to achieving a competitive advantage. Novel and advanced technologies and manufacturing systems have turned the attention of labour-intensive firms towards technological attractiveness. In the textile industry, advancements in technology and products are massive. The study sought to assess the extent to which managers of Small and Medium Textile Enterprises (STMEs) are taking advantage of the technology available in textile designing, production and marketing space, as there is a growing interest worldwide to boost the innovative activity of enterprises, especially technological innovation. The study is quantitative research. A multi-stage sampling procedure involving convenient, purposive and stratified sampling techniques was employed in this study. A sample size of 300 was drawn from the 80 SMTEs. The study discovered that most of the textile enterprises in Ghana mostly use computer-generated designs, manual screen printing and digital embroidery technologies in their production. The study also established that SMTEs continually resort to traditional advertising techniques rather than contemporary marketing and advertising mediums for marketing their products. In view of this, SMTEs should seek more knowledge regarding innovative contemporary marketing strategies to increase patronage.

Exploitation and Excavation of Land for Clay as Raw Material for Potters in Vume in the Volta Region of Ghana

Clay is a precious natural resource that is used in practically every aspect of life. It has a wide range of applications, including utilitarian and aesthetic items as well as electrical and electronic gadgets. Vume is rich in clay types, which may be found in vast concentrations. In Vume, the commonest way of clay winning is the open pit method. Most clay winners usually abandoned the sites after their clay winning activities without any effort to reclaim it. As a result, the study was designed to investigate the causes of such clay over exploitation and its consequences in Vume. The study employed qualitative research method with phenomenological approach to investigate the problem. The convenience sampling as non-probabilty sampling method was adopted to select six (6) clay winners from two (2) sampling sites of clay winning, making a total sampling size of twelve (12) for this research. The justification was that these clay winners were available at the clay sites and also engaging in unsystematic clay winning activities during the visits by the researchers. The main instruments used for data collection were interviews and direct observation of sites. The study showed that if this rapid clay depletion was not addressed, it would have a negative impact on the pottery and ceramic centers in Vume. The study recommended among others that, there could be proper mechanism to organize clay winners into Small Scale Enterprises and become official distributors of clay to potters in Vume and other industries as well as institutions within the catchment area so that government could get tax revenue from the clay winning activities to develop Vume and the country at large.

Comparative Study of Polypropylene Non-Woven Surgical Mask and Locally Manufactured Woven and Knitted Fabrics Facial Masks

The outbreak of coronavirus has led to an increase in the demand for facemasks globally. Unavailability of appropriate polypropylene non-woven fabrics face masks as a result of inadequate supply to satisfy the growing population has brought about the manufacturing of locally fabrics masks to augment or substitute standard medical class facemasks. The study aims at analyzing airflow of these locally manufactured fabrics to determine possible means of transmitting the virus as well as establish comfort of the user of these masks. Standard polypropylene non-woven, woven and knitted fabrics were considered for the study. Air permeability test was conducted on these fabrics using Frazier Air permeability tester. Depending on the property significant variation in the textile fabrics, polypropylene non-woven is widely accepted for facial masks. Nevertheless, this study illustrates that woven and knitted fabrics have more open structures, which allow a high rate of air penetration and so may require two or three layers to prevent antimicrobial or antiviral potential.

Multifunctional Product Design Concept in Mixed-Media Textile Lampshades

Ghanaian society and the world at large have shown a strong interest in the use of lampshades with evidence from hotels and residential dwellings. Table-top Lampshades direct the rays of light to make sight easier for reading whereas bedside lampshades provide romantic illumination and beautification in bedrooms. This art studio research sought to examine lampshades on Ghanaian market;their qualities, significance, shortcomings, etc. as the basis to design and produce inventive lampshades for private and public use. The study was conducted at an art studio condition using Practice-based research design method. Findings show that lampshades serve functional and aesthetic significance in public dwellings and the hospitality industry. Nonetheless, available lampshades on the Ghanaian market lack the multifunctional property as well as a local touch which arguably makes them misfit in Ghanaian context in terms of usage. The innovative results of the studio-produced lampshades revealed the possibility of creating symbolic and multifunctional lampshades which suit specific space and tradition. The study recommends the adoption of such innovative design approach in the creation of interior design and decoration artefacts for residential and public edifices.

Fiber‑Based Materials for Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries

Neutral aqueous zinc ion batteries(ZIBs)have tremendous potential for grid-level energy storage and portable wearable devices.However,certain performance deficiencies of the components have limited the employment of ZIBs in practical applications.Recently,a range of pristine materials and their composites with fiber-based structures have been used to produce more efficient cathodes,anodes,current collectors,and separators for addressing the current challenges in ZIBs.Numerous functional materials can be manufactured into different fiber forms,which can be subsequently converted into various yarn structures,or interwoven into different 2D and 3D fabric-like constructions to attain various electrochemical performances and mechanical flexibility.In this review,we provide an overview of the concepts and principles of fiber-based materials for ZIBs,after which the application of various materials in fiber-based structures are discussed under different domains of ZIB components.Consequently,the current challenges of these materials,fabrication technologies and corre-sponding future development prospects are addressed.

Correction to:Fiber‑Based Materials for Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries

Correction to:Advanced Fiber Materials https://doi.org/10.1007/s42765-022-00215-x The author contribution statement was incorrect and should have read:“Hao Jia,Kaiyu Liu,and Yintung Lam have contributed equally to this work.”The original article has been corrected.

Advanced Flexible Carbon‑Based Current Collector for Zinc Storage

Carbon cloth(CC)-based electrodes have attracted extensive attention for next-generation wearable energy-storage devices due to their excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical flexibility.However,the application of conventional CC-based electrodes for zinc(Zn)storage severely hinders Zn ion transport and induces deleterious Zn dendrite growth,resulting in poor electrochemical reliability.Herein,a novel oxygen plasma-treated carbon cloth(OPCC)is rationally designed as a current collector for flexible hybrid Zn ion supercapacitors(ZISs).The modified interface of OPCC with abundant oxygenated groups enables enhanced electrolyte wettability and uniform superficial electric field distribution.A prolonged working lifespan for Zn electrodeposition is achieved by the OPCC due to the improved interfacial kinetics and homogenized ion gradient.The as-prepared hybrid ZIS also delivers excellent cycling endurance(98.5%capacity retention for 1500 cycles)with outstanding operation stability under various extreme conditions.This facile surface modification strategy provides a new way for developing future flexible electrodes for wearable electronic products.