Week Five, Ninth Blog

It’s been an interesting couple of days of the week so far, were a lot of practical part of the process has kicked in gear.

Although it has been time consuming and a handful trying to complete the activities, and earlier during the week, the material for the jacket, I had placed a order for arrived, so I was able to start with the real materials.

 

I believe I might need some experts input along the way for some guidance, as I don’t have much experience in sewing.

As part of the next phase, part of the branding and packaging phase, which I looked at while waiting for the materials to be delivered,

I prototyped a hanger out of wood for the jacket. 

 

Over the long weekend my goal is to have the final product well under the way, as after the following week I need to focus on the communicate phase of the project and the presentation for the final piece. 

Week Four, Eighth Blog

The last couple of days of the end of the week, has been a slow and unproductive as I’ve been waiting for my materials for the jacket to arrive and also the lazar cutter has been booked so has been hard fitting and getting stuff done for the studio assignment. I spent a couple of nights coming up with the design of the brand logo, to print of the hanger to be displayed in stores with my final product.

But I have managed to get the hanger cut and MDF seel the wood, and will do a pre coat and colour coat in the spray both the following day.

I have also spent some time doing portfolio work over the couple of days.

But have been occupied by other class work at the same time.

I’m hoping my materials arrive A.S.A.P so I can start with my assignment since I need to get started with the work. 

Week Four, Seventh Blog

The Monday morning conceptual presentation went quite quickly, and was able to convey the purpose of the product for urban cyclist. Through the use of a presentation and also prototypes, demonstrating the visual aspect. 

I feel as if my next steps to moving forward in this project and the time I have sourced out for this assignment, I need to get hold of the materials I have attended to use for the jacket and start making and testing out the jacket ideation part, and get extra material so I’m able to make tonnes of prototypes and get a hold of the skill and technique required to boost that into a quality product, towards the final product.

The next couple of days I will get out and get a hold of the materials to use for the up coming week. I feel this part of the workload will be challenging but at the same time it could be fun and a great learning curve for me as a designer.

I’m feeling pumped about this aspect of the project and cant wait to get started on this practical part and get gear into this work! 

 

Week three, sixth blog

Its come down towards another end of a week, cutting down slowly towards the due date of the studio assignment. Were I have strongly focused on the conceptual aspect of the project, and also got a chance to use the sewing machines to refresh my ability on the machine where this gave me a chance to also try feed different conceptual materials through the machine and experiment with the textiles available.

This aspect allows me to communicate the conceptual design ideas though another use of media and along side with the drawings to back up the design idea.

As the following Monday, a small presentation is held were three ideas need to be presented for feedback which will allow me to develop my idea and communicate a final prototype. With the investigation of further material research were I saw a possible potential material for the jacket aspect.

This image below demonstrates a small experiment done to test out the waterproof concept of the material.

 

I’ve taken the drawings further and also thought about the sorts of colour that could be incorporated to compliment the jacket and the colours also available in the materials that will be constructed as part of the jacket. 

I’ve taken the drawings further and also thought about the sorts of colour that could be incorporated to compliment the jacket and the colours also available in the materials that will be constructed as part of the jacket. 

Week Three, Fifth Blog

As I had mentioned on my last blog, and using the next up coming days to focus on the development stage of the ideate phase, I have come towards the refinement aspect of developing my product and adding the finer details of my jacket for comitial cyclist.

 

As these conceptual ideas are developing I thought it was time to take these ideas, and apply the real materials towards the ideas and drawings and see how this aspect will become a usable product in the final prototype.

After the Mondays studio lesson, collecting a list of industrial distribution based on textiles, I set aside the following day too visit a few of textile places and was able to grab small samples of the material and look at the colours also available in that concept.

 

I also dropped into a local spotlight store and got some additional pieces of accessories that I might possibly use in terms of constructing the jacket on the prototype, which allows me to also practise on the sewing machine with that material sample I’ve collected. In the next following days in the studio.

 

I’m looking forwards this side of the project, were I get too start constructing the product, as this aspect id where the fun and practical part of the project begins, but slightly nervous about the idea of sewing as I’m not the most confident person on the sewing machine and I feel as if during the next day I will go purchase a pattern so I have a template to work with when I start producing the final garmen

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Week Two, Fourth Blog

 

Over the past couple of days I’ve focused directly on conceptual ideas, and getting all those initial designs that have popped out during the investigate and generate phase of the design aspect, were also exploring a range of media to express these ideas.

It was a great lesson on Wednesday morning, where the small group of people that are focusing on the cycling aspect of the project, could have a discussion based on the information collected and also looking at the types of textiles that could be suitable as part of materials which can be usable as part of the clothing range. Also saw some interesting and inspiring books available in the fashion books with the types of trends in the later eras, which could be related towards the direction I’m heading towards in this project.

The goals leading towards the end of the week are to develop more detailed drawings of the conceptual ideas and also look at the materials available as part of the practical research need to making this final prototype to convey this model.

Week Two, Blog three

Finally the mid semester, two-weeks break is over, which was a great time to rest and also harvest out initial ideas for the new project based of cycling for the Avanti Company. It also gave me time to gather practical based research, were I was able to gain knowledge and a better understanding about the activity I will be designing around. 

For Mondays lesson, it was an almost initial deadline of reporting back to the peers, based on the pieces gathered over the two weeks, and what direction I would be leading towards.  The brief is strictly a focal point directing towards the product trying to be conveyed based on health, safety or well being for the ‘Get off the couch’ project.

Since I’m doing the Avanti urban cycling area, I’ve decided to focus on the clothing aspect for a design opportunity that needs to be addressed as part of a design development, which I had observed that was quite necessary. 

As from beginners observation I saw and also felt how uncomfortable it was to wear tight fitted clothes, especially if you’re out of shape, which must be a put off if cycling around public areas.

Also paying a visit down to one of the Avanti store, there wasn’t clearly a clothing range for casual or recreational cyclers.  Since they target along the pro cyclers, where this is quite discouraging for newly cyclers.

During the next couple of days and week, my main focus is to start on the ideate phase and also along side do research as part of the up coming practical side of prototyping concepts.