Research Guides: FSF (Fashion Scholarships Fund) Case Study 2023: Design & Product Development

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For additional research information try these guides:

Beyond VCU Libraries

Research Tip:

Sources on the web can be great for business research if you choose
the right ones!

- Business magazine websites like Business of Fashion, Forbes, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal & Entrepreneur

- Corporate websites for a public parent company e.g. gapinc.com

- Industry websites e.g. nrf.com (The National Retail Federation) or cottoninc.com.

Arts Research Librarian

Carla-Mae Crookendale

(she/her)

Contact:

cmcrookendale@vcu.edu
(804) 827-0367
Cabell Library, Room 121-L

Subjects: Arts, Performing, Arts, Visual

Design & Product Development Project Brief

DESIGN & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE:

Your objective is to design a collection that combines the existing brand identity with your creative vision for the future design direction of the brand. You must address emerging consumer needs and/or fashion trends. The collection should create a meaningful connection to a specific consumer group and evolve the retailer/brand into the future of fashion. Your collection should be relevant for the future of fashion, designed for 2025. Your vision must reflect changing consumer trends, such as changing buying habits, in this new era of fashion retail. To create a collection that is intrapreneurial, you will undertake consumer research, retailer/brand research, and trend research.

WGSN - Design Resources

WGSN (Worth Global Style Network)
Focusing on the areas and intersections of fashion, style, and commerce, WGSN provides a global view on trends in design. Its archive contains millions of images from the runways, the street, retail outlets, and design sketches.

Find design tools including:

Color, print and graphics forecasts
Color libraries & color palette tool
Original artwork
Design components, and more.

Fashion Snoops - Design Resources

Fashion Snoops
A global trend forecasting agency focused on the industries of fashion, interior design, and wellness. A personal account, using your VCU email, is required to use the CREATE area or save content.

Find design tools including:

Create Palettes, Concept Boards, Planning Boards and more
Image Bank
Graphic Library

Mintel - Trends

Mintel
Full-text market research reports covering US and global consumer markets. Reports analyze market share, segmentation, and trends. Upon first login register with your VCU email address.

Research Tips:

Browse by keywords like 2022 retail, post-pandemic, consumers etc. to find relevant reports e.g.
- State of Retail & eCommerce - US - 2022
- COVID-19's impact on US consumers: Winter 2022
Browse 2022 trends using the 'Trend Drivers' dropdown menu:

Statista - consumer trends

Statista
Statista consolidates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources. Their Market Outlooks provide market sizes, forecasts, and key consumer information for up to 150 countries.

Research Tips:

Browse for consumer trend data:
- Click on Outlook > Consumer Market Outlook
- Find info on Apparel, Footwear, Accessories, Beauty, and more

Design Resources

Fashion portfolio : design and presentation
Call Number: Access Online
Publication Date: 2014
Topics covered include mood/fabric boards development, creation of original and innovative textiles as well as fashion silhouettes and garment details development through extensive research, quick design sketching, fabric manipulation, and draping experimentation.
Colour Hunting: how colour influences what we buy, make and feel
Call Number: NK1548 .C68 2011
The book is divided into three chapters: commerce (sell, buy), aesthetics (make), and well-being (feel). Illustrated pages are followed by in-depth case studies and interviews regarding the use of color for these three purposes.
Beyond Design : the synergy of apparel product development
Call Number: TT497 .K42 2017
Takes students step-by-step through the decision-making involved in the pre-production processes of apparel product development---planning, forecasting, fabricating, line development, technical design, pricing, sourcing, and distribution.
Developing a Fashion Collection
Call Number: TT507 .R44 2016
Focuses on the process of designing a collection, and explores different types of research, fabric sourcing, the key roles within a design team and the many sources of inspiration available to designers. .
Designing Accessories
Call Number: TT649.8 .L38 2012
Important information that any designer will need to know, examining four key items from concept to production: the bag, footwear, jewellery and millinery. The design process is explored by looking at creative product development, from gathering research to generating ideas into key products, construction techniques and the essential tools of the trade used in modern accessories design.