1. State of the art, project management and documentation¶

Research & Ideation¶

Photo Courtesy of Darlene Eberhardt-Burke, Fabricademy 2026

This was a bit of a struggle for me starting the process. I do not know a thing about GitLab or even Markdown but hope to learn more confident as I try and maintain my website and information in it. I will build and maintain my Fabricademy documentation website using a GitLab-hosted repository and a MkDocs (Material#) documentation framework. I will document each assignment in Markdown, organized supporting media in structured folders (e.g., assets/images), and published updates through a consistent Git workflow (commit/push). GitLab served as the version-controlled hub for my files and enabled web publication through an automated build/deploy process, allowing my documentation to remain organized, trackable, and continuously updated.

References & Inspiration¶

I was inspired by Dima Hejab, Fabricademy 2025 alum. Dima frames fashion not just as garments but as experiential, reactive textile art and how clothes respond to the environment, change with light or temperature, or interact with the wearer.

Photo Courtesy of Dima Hejab, Fabricademy 2025

I have been at North Carolina Central University for 20 years. During this time, I have done tons of research such as producing 20 Fashion Design Competitions, engaging in research such as thermochromatic research and also working with youth summer camps on innovation design with unconventional products. These are some of the activities that has inspired me to be a part of the Fabricademy.

Poster from 2023 Fashion Design Competition

Photo Courtesy of Darlene Eberhardt-Burke

Thermochromatic Research I was tasked to create project using thermochromatic ink. For this project, I partnered with our women's tennis team. From this, when the student was playing tennis in the sun, North Carolina Central will show through the uniform.

Trashbag Challenge I have always used unconventional products in a conventional way. I have trash bag challenges with students from my class and also used it with youth in STEAM summer camps.

Documentation workflow¶

My Process for Using GitLab and the Web IDE

1. Logging into GitLab and Opening My Project¶

I begin by logging into GitLab and navigating to my Fabricademy project repository. Once inside the project, I review the file structure to orient myself. I typically see files such as mkdocs.yml and a docs/ folder, which tells me where my site content lives.

2. Understanding My Project Structure¶

Before making edits, I make sure I understand the layout of my repository: • The mkdocs.yml file controls my site navigation and structure. • The docs/ folder contains all of my documentation pages written in Markdown. • Inside docs/, I store images and media in an assets/images folder so everything stays organized and uses relative paths.

This step helps me avoid broken links or missing images later.

3. Opening the Web IDE¶

To edit my site directly in the browser, I click Web IDE from within my GitLab project. Once the Web IDE loads, I use the file tree on the left to navigate through my documentation files.

4. Editing My Documentation Pages¶

I open the Markdown file I want to update (for example, a weekly assignment page) and begin editing directly in the editor. I use Markdown formatting to structure my content clearly: • Headings to organize sections • Bold text to highlight key points • Links and images using relative file paths

This allows me to document my work in a clean, readable, and professional way.

5. Uploading Images and Media¶

When I need to add images or files, I upload them directly into my assets/images folder through the Web IDE. I then reference those files in my Markdown using relative paths so the images display correctly on my live site.

6. Committing My Changes¶

After finishing my edits, I save my work by creating a commit. I write a short, clear commit message that explains what I updated (for example, “Add woven tile documentation and images”). This helps me track changes over time and keeps my project organized.

If required, I create a new branch and submit a merge request, but when allowed, I commit directly to the main branch.

7. Checking the Build Pipeline¶

Once my changes are committed, I check the pipeline in GitLab to make sure the site builds successfully. A successful pipeline confirms that my Markdown, images, and navigation are working correctly.

8. Reviewing the Live Website¶

After the pipeline finishes, I open my Fabricademy website and refresh the page to confirm that my updates are visible. I review formatting, images, and links to ensure everything displays as expected.

9. My Weekly Workflow¶

Each week, my process stays consistent: 1. Open my GitLab project 2. Launch the Web IDE 3. Update my documentation page 4. Upload images or files as needed 5. Commit my changes with a clear message 6. Confirm the pipeline is successful 7. Review the live site constantly

Step 1 Personalizing my website¶

Replace the text below to customize your site¶

site_url: https://class.textile-academy.org/2026/darlene-burke/ repo_url: https://gitlab.fabcloud.org/academany/fabricademy/2026/students/darlene-burke repo_name: fabricademy/2026/darlene-burke

Step 2¶

Theme: # The name of the theme, needs to match your requirements.txt file name: material

# Material theme options: For the theme, green is my favorite color so I wanted to create some sort of variation of green. I looked through the color palette and chose the color lime with a pink accent.
palette:# primary: lime accent: pink

Step 3¶

For the font, I usually like a more script like font but wanted something cleaner to read especially for a website. Therefore, I have chosen Montserrat through the website below. font: # See available fonts from https://fonts.google.com/ text: Montserrat text: Poiret One code: Roboto Mono ...