Over the years I was lucky enough to work for some of the greatest companies in sportswear. While each brand had its very own way of working, all of them shared similar ways of creative work flow. The sketches below outline the fundamentals of the design process found in apparel industry.
The sportwear industry requires a unique design process that has to acknowledge the commercial facts while pushing the creative limit at the same time.
This process can be broken down into three phases:
This process can be broken down into three phases:
ANALYZE
The first phase is an assessment of the current situation:
The first phase is an assessment of the current situation:
The external factors such as current and future trends, consumer behavior, competitors campaigns and design evolution are important considerations.
Internal factors, such as brand history, short and long term strategies, sales history and sales goals also need to be evaluated.
DEFINE
The previous commercial considerations are defined in the merchandising plan, which should outline the actual needs for a successful seasonal collection. The creative considerations are documented in a inspiration or mood board. With this basic framework in place, the process moves into a new phase: Developing a design guide or graphic toolbox that helps the design team to deliver a cohesive and harmonic design language without losing individual style.
Internal factors, such as brand history, short and long term strategies, sales history and sales goals also need to be evaluated.
DEFINE
The previous commercial considerations are defined in the merchandising plan, which should outline the actual needs for a successful seasonal collection. The creative considerations are documented in a inspiration or mood board. With this basic framework in place, the process moves into a new phase: Developing a design guide or graphic toolbox that helps the design team to deliver a cohesive and harmonic design language without losing individual style.
EXECUTE
The actual design work defines the final phase of the creative process. The design tool box should be used in all ranges. This is where the individual designer incorporates his personal style and design solutions into the collection. Regular cross checks against the defined design direction will help the design team to stay on track and deliver meaningful, authentic and innovative solutions and ultimatively commercial success.
The actual design work defines the final phase of the creative process. The design tool box should be used in all ranges. This is where the individual designer incorporates his personal style and design solutions into the collection. Regular cross checks against the defined design direction will help the design team to stay on track and deliver meaningful, authentic and innovative solutions and ultimatively commercial success.
The execution phase is followed by the sampling and production phases.
