For this evaluation task, I have selected the master thesis “Digital fashion for sustainable change a strategy for digital fashion at Tommy Hilfiger” by Charlotte Joliijn Hoekstra. The thesis was submitted in March 2021 at Delft University of Technology for the completion of the masters degree in Strategic Product Design. The evaluation considers the following criteria:
- Level of Design The thesis is well designed and comprehensive owing to its employment of color coded layout and clearly structured chapter marking. The reading flow is easy and the overall appearance of the thesis is appealing. Graphics and statistics are also designed in a uniform way, which contributes to the cohesive appearance of the work.
- Degree of Innovation
The topic of the thesis is quite innovative and new, especially for the time of publication. There research topic of digital fashion is not yet extensively researched in academic context at time of writing. Additionally, the concrete and precisely narrowed down scope of the thesis makes it a useful case study and an important reference basis for further research in this area of study. - Independence
The thesis demonstrates a high degree of independence and effort on the part of the researcher. The outcomes are tangible and underline the amount of independent research that was conducted for the paper. - Outline and Structure
The structure is extremely reader friendly and clear. The researcher provides a table of contents that includes an executive summary as well as a reading guide in the beginning of the text. The thesis is then divided into five main areas, titled “Discover”, “Why”, “How”, “What” and “Conclude” which each of the sections being color coded and further divided into subchapters. This is extremely helpful for readers in guiding their reading experience of the paper. - Degree of Communication
The degree of communication high, the manner of communication is effective and the research topic, though extensive, is well communicated. The author manages to relate the basis of the topic and the background information needed to understand the most important aspects of the research in a clear and understandable manner, enabling even readers who are unfamiliar with the research area to understand the thesis. - Scope of the Work
The scope of this work appears to be quite extensive and becomes evident primarily in the discussion of the research objectives, the scope of the deliverables and the research methodology. The researcher employs various methodological tools, such as the Vision in Product design method on the design side and scientific research methods current state of the art evaluations and focus group research. The paper consists of 85 pages including the bibliography and title page, and I would evaluate this as a quite extensive scope for a paper at this level. - Orthography and Accuracy
Orthography and accuracy are on an appropriate level. No obvious mistakes in orthography, grammar or mistakes of any kind in the writing could be detected while reading the thesis. - Literature
The author cites 44 sources, which I would classify as a number on the lower end of the scale especially in relation to the extensiveness of the work. However, the novelty of the topic and the limitations in existing research justify this quite low number of referenced works. The cited references are varied and diverse and draw from different categories of sources. Overall, the literature is satisfactory but could be slightly more extensive.
Overall Evaluation
Overall, this thesis is very well written, has a clear and appealing layout, an excellent reading flow and demonstrates a high degree of innovation. The slightly low number of literature sources is compensated well by the extent of independent research conducted by the author. In the Austrian grading system, I would grade this thesis as a 1 (very good).
Source:
Hoekstra, Charlotte. „Digital fashion for sustainable change: A strategy for digital fashion at Tommy Hilfiger.“ (2021).
