A method for designing an absorbent article. The steps of the method are
generating a physical spatial map of saturation of a fluid within an
absorbent in a physical test environment, generating a virtual spatial
map of saturation of a fluid within an absorbent in a virtual test
environment, identifying absorbent-fluid interaction properties for the
absorbent such that the virtual spatial map of saturation approximates
the physical spatial map of saturation, inputting the absorbent-fluid
interaction properties into a virtual model of the absorbent article to
produce a representation of at least one feature of the absorbent
article, evaluating the virtual model of the absorbent article to
determine the performance of the at least one feature of the absorbent
article, modifying the design of the absorbent article in response to the
performance of the at least one feature of the absorbent article
determined from the virtual model of the absorbent article.