Here I tested the bag in different locations and wore it whist skateboarding.

Week 5 – 28/1/19

Card Model

I also made a model from card and paper to look at the from and what the pocket may look like once constructed.

Calico Model

One of the fashion students made a Calico model to visualise the bag before cutting up and assembling the bag from our reflective fabric.Making

One of the fashion students sewed the main part of bag together and the the external pocket.

The straps were the attached as well as the straps being embroidered.

 

Week 4 – w/c 21/1/19

Sharing Concepts

After ideating and sketching multiple concepts of bags which could be worn by a skater on the upper body/torso, experimenting with multiple different forms and sizes, we all got together and showed our designs.  We explained specific features, such as pockets, zip placements and ways the bag could be adjusted to fit the user.  Each of us were able to give verbal feedback, pointing out aspects that we liked in terms of ergonomics as well as aesthetics, but also comment on and query design features.

Combining/Choosing an Idea

Once we had looked at everyone’s designs, we picked one of the fashion students designs, which was similar to one of mine, it had compact storage compartment and multiple straps to hold it close to the user’s body.  This design also followed the current fashion trend of cross body/bum bags, as these are becoming ever more popular and almost an essential to a street-wear outfit.

The bag concept was in the form of a small rectangle with a zip located on the front of it, which was located on the upper torso of a person’s body.  Connected to the small storage compartment were a series of three straps, one going from the shoulder to the waist, one around the waist attached to the bottom of the shoulder strap, and another horizontally across at the bags height.  These would ensure the bag would stay flush to the user’s body and not move about when the user moving, for example when skating.

I liked the overall simplistic form of the bag, it being based off a rectangle, however I raised the issue of the corners of the bag, as they had not been rounded off, this would pose a potential risk of the user stabbing themselves on the corner if they twisted their body or landed awkwardly on the bag.  To prevent this, I suggested rounding the corners slightly, which prevent this, but also would not take away for the distinct form.

Zip

To access the storage the other students suggested putting the zip on one side of the bag as it would not take away/break up the bags consistent and clean aesthetic.

Pocket

I felt like the bag needed something on the outside, rather than it just being a flat shape, as one of my designs had a semicircle pocket included in it, which seemed to make the design more interesting.  I experimented with different pocket forms at different angles and came up with a rectangular shaped pocket that which gradually sloping sides, adding this to the design would not affect the ergonomics of the bag as it still is somewhat flush and so would not add/create another risk.

Print

As there were now two main parts to the bag the main compartment and the pocket, we thought about using two different prints one for each part.  The textiles student came up with two different patterns, one a floral print and the other a repetitive triangle print.

Week 3 – w/c 14/1/19

Ideation Concepts

Over the winter break I conceptualised multiple different products in Supreme’s style, which they do not currently sell, these ranged from useful out and about items that a skater would need such as a fold up wallet for skate tools and a container for metal cutlery to more ridiculous items similar to what supreme has sold in the past, such as a bucket, which would not be much user to a skater, other than to be used as a storage bin.  Doing this made me understand which features and their placements make a Supreme product, a Supreme one.

Cutlery Tube

Here I designed a tube for skaters to keep reusable (metal) cutlery in which has a screw cap, as skaters are likely to be out and about and so will often buy food from take always where disposable cutlery is on offer.  However, this is not very sustainable as getting a new set of cutlery each time creates waste.  With this product the user would be able to put a knife, fork and spoon in this tube for transport.  Once the cutlery has been used they would be put back in the tube, preventing the user from making their bag dirty from any food left on them as well as cutting themselves on them when in their bag.

Wallet

Here I designed a traditional style wallet with a variant of the Supreme logo.

Tool wallet

In the same style as the wallet, I designed a fold up wallet for transporting skate tools and keeping them all in one place.  This takes the form of a square, which is not irregular shape, and so can be put into a bag or a pocket easily without a struggle.

Presentation

Also, the product designers of the group had to produce a presentation documenting all the research we had done over the past weeks, showing the target market, our mood boards and our concepts.  When presenting I was able explain the different segments Supreme has in terms of their products, and how some prioritise form and aesthetics over function, like the Supreme fire extinguisher.  Here we also saw a presentation from each of the other brands, the main one of interest being Palace as it is in the same market as Supreme, they produce skate and street wear.  They tend to have the same attitude regarding branding, either having a full logo on a relatively plain product or having purely a ‘P’, similar to Supreme’s ‘Sup’ branding.

Briefing

We were then informed on our brief, which is to conceptualise, design and develop a bag.  Here we are able to go down any route relating to bags, such as designing a backpack, bum bag or duffel bag.  The main things we have to consider are: the context of use of the bag, the target market’s needs and Supreme’s brand DNA.

Discussing our Research and Designs

Once we had been given our brief we showed the other students in our group what we had been working on by showing the PowerPoint presentation and some of our sketches, they also showed us what they had been working on and what route they had taken, which was to look at designing a set of underwear inspired garments.  We also discussed current trends and that bum bags and side bags are very fashionable at this moment in time, especially in the street-wear scene.  We then chose to base the majority of our designs around this as it would be keeping up with current fashion trends.

Week 2 – w/c 10/12/18

Mood board

To see the range of products that Supreme sell, the product designers of the group went onto the internet and started to collect images of current as well as previously sold products.  Here we were then able to see the exact range of items that Supreme sell, ranging from t-shirts and coats to mirrors and inflatable kayaks.  We then laid them out and used sticky notes to list the environments/places where these would be typically used, i.e. on the street, in a bedroom.

Gaps in their Market

We then made a list of products which Supreme don’t make, then expanded this by thinking of other products which were closely related or more specific.  This then demonstrated to us what types of products were missing form their market.  We also started to think about Supreme’s competitors, such as Palace, Obey and Vans.

Reoccurring Forms

Next collectively we organised the images on the mood board, which we had sauced off of the internet, into different categories, the top left being made up of aesthetically loud and bold prints, slowly going down the page the items of clothing become more casual and more like what you would typically see in a high-street shop.  In the centre towards the top are a selection of their bags for different situations. In the top right are a set of useful outdoor products, such as bike helmet, sledge and thermos collaboration flask.  As you go down the page the products become more novelty like, such as a stepladder and a fire extinguisher, and then ridiculous, such as the brick in the centre.  We then used tracing paper and drew over the forms and shapes used in their products, we then annotated these to see what forms make up Supreme’s style.  We found distinct lines as well as a clear logo, either a full or a cut-off as well as repetitive motifs made up Supreme’s distinct styling.

Context of Use

This week we also started to think about what environments our products would be used in and concluded that we wanted our products to be used in a multiple, ranging from a bedroom to the street, where conditions are harsher.

Rapid Ideation

Within every group with a different brand we had to come up with multiple adjectives to describe our brand and then had people draw a set of products based on these.  This was interesting as it let us see how people interpreted these adjectives and incorporated them within their designs.

Week 1 – w/c 03/12/18

Introduction to Field

This morning we had a lecture on what our next project is, here we will work with two other disciplines: Fashion Design and Textiles, to develop a product and learn a new set of skills from each course.  It was in this talk where we were briefly informed on what we needed to complete in order to submit for this brief, a sketchbook, a set of developed models and a group presentation.  We were also made aware of what the other disciplines would be completing, allowing us to see how we could utilise different parts of the other subjects.

Ice Breaker

After the talk had finished we then got into our field groups, consisting of roughly 6 people.  Here we got to know the other students that we would be working with on this project and got to know them.  After this me and the other product designers in my group gave a tour of the facilities which we were able to use and explained how to use some of the machines.  The other students then did the same, showing us their own studio spaces as well as some of their work and the machines which we could use.

Style/Brand Discussion

After having a tour of the facilitates which we would be able to make use of later in the project, we started to talk about our brand Supreme.  We discussed the brands style and features.

Understanding the Brand and its Identity

Metaphor Gestalt

After briefly looking at some of the products which Supreme market and sell, me and the other product design students in my group, as well as the textiles student completed a metaphor Gestalt.  Here we were given 12 categories, such as colour, fruit and hairstyle, which we had to think of what our brand (Supreme) would be if it was one of these.  This got us to develop more of an understanding of what Supreme is as a brand, in relation to its aesthetic, form and influences.  For example, if Supreme was a building or piece of architecture it would be industrial New York brick apartment, as it is an urban and streetwear brand, which expensive to obtain.

Song Choice

We also had to come up with a song with represented Supreme, and so we chose ‘Boom! Shake the room’ by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince.  We picked this song as it is an old-school hip-hop track, which would have been the type of music those who made Supreme what is today would have listened to.  It also had a rebellious aspect which is a trait typically associated with the skater community, as skating often involves breaking rules in order to skate in certain places.

Persona

To focus ourselves on a set target market we went about filling in a target market persona.  As Supreme’s main demographic is skaters and hip-hop heads, which is stated on their website, we decided for our target market persona to be a skater, named Adam Williams.  He lives in the centre of a city, has a keen interest in his own appeal, works as a shop assistant and has support from his parents to afford/sustain his hobby of buying expensive clothes.  To accompany this, we drew an image to give a rough idea of what he might look like.

Word Association

We then had to come up with multiple adjectives that described Supreme’s identity and style, first the whole class come up with some based on their perceptions of the brand, and then our group who were specifically designing for Supreme added to these.