Personal protective equipment and the associated protective clothing are undergoing a transformation. Miniaturized, textile-integrated computers are opening up new possibilities for functional design. Equipped with context-sensitive and actuator functions linked to sensor networks, intelligent protective clothing—similar to a driver assistance system in a car—takes on the observation and signaling of hazards in a work environment. Christof Breckenfelder is developing a methodological approach for the design of these mobile protective assistance systems. The advantages of the sociotechnical implications of clothing are elaborated and validated using the example of an intelligent firefighter's protective glove.