GCE AS/A2 Product Design: Textiles AQA Subject Content
SECTION B: DESIGN AND MARKET INFLUENCES
Development of Technologies and Design
The effects of major developments in textiles technology:
We have come to expect more from our clothing and other textile products. New textiles are
being developed all the time – mostly to try to improve the performance of existing
products, therefore to keep the consumer buying new products – maximising sales and
profits. Read more about the effects of new developments in Section B, Chapter 1
p.118. And p.213 Modern and smart materials
Some examples of major developments are:
Fibre production
E.g Organic cotton, Spider silk, Lyocell, microfibres, nanofibres,
Non-traditional fibres sources such as leaf hemp/pineapple/seed etc.
More on new fibres in Textile Innovation Book.
Yarn production
Blended yarns such as Lyocell and Lycra. Heat treatments on yarn to
give texture such as crimping or bulking.
Fabric production
Biomimetics – fabrics that imitate nature, read page 96 of Textile
Innovation book, examples are;
Fastskin by Speedo (fabric for swimwear that acts like shark skin)
Stomatex (fabric that imitates the way the surface of a leaf breathes and
regulates temperature)
Super Microft (fabric that imitates the self-cleaning surface of the Lotus
leaf)
Anti-gravity fabric (imitates the feet of the Gecko lizard that can climb up
walls or hang off ceilings like Spiderman!)
Garment production Mass production and automated systems mean that clothes can now be
made very quickly and cheaply. Manufacturers can respond quickly to
demand (QRM= Quick Response Manufacture) Many made overseas.
Finishes
E.g. Bio-stoning or resin treatments (such as Teflon stain resistant)
Colour application
Printing techniques such as; dye sublimation and digital printing mean
higher definition of colours, higher quality print.
Higher colour-fastness of dyes.
Decoration
CAD embroidery techniques – quick, efficient, consistent quality.
Main effects for consumers are:
 Higher performance of products
 Higher levels of comfort
 Better quality products
 Cheaper products – but we buy more than we need
 More choice of products – easily available
 Increased safety especially for high-risk sports etc
 Easy-care clothing
Main effects for manufacturer are:
 More efficient systems – lower wastage, lower expenditure
 Increased sales and profit
 Less workers needed – again lower expenditure
 Safer practices in factories
Negative effects are:
 More products = more use of resources = adverse effect on environment
 Encourage people to regard products as ‘throwaway’ or ‘easy-come, easy-go’
 Less employment – bad for economy
Ethical issues - Increased expectation of cheap clothing puts pressure on manufacturers to
pay low wages to workers who make the clothing.
The work of past and present textile designers:
You must have an awareness and understanding of the influences of past design on current
design. Influences on design include; street culture, music, media/films/tv, world events.
Read more in Textiles at the Cutting Edge, Chapter 2 p. 134 -146– Influences on the
development of products
You do not need to know all of these in great detail. Pick one and read up on it – use google
images etc. Some examples are:
Design movements Dates
Features
The Arts & Craft
Late 19th
William Morris – led this movement. Was a revolt
movement
century
against the industrialisation of design, revolt against
(1880’s)
the over decorated products of previous Victorian
onwards
era. William Morris designed wall paper and fabrics,
loved simple design, flowing shapes based on
nature.
Art Nouveau
Late 19th
Followed on from Arts and Crafts – decorative style
century,
based on simple natural forms, curved lines, shapes
(1890’s)
of climbing plants and vines. Gustav Klimt is Art
onwards
Nouveau artist, check out Art Nouveau ironwork on
Paris underground and Art Nouveau posters
The Bauhaus
1919 - 1933
A school of design founded by architect Walter
Gropius. Students encouraged to have modern
approach – use modern materials to ‘combine form
and function’. A move towards designing products
that could be mass produced.
Art Deco
1920’s/1930’s Highly modern and elegant for the time. Based on
geometric shapes and zig-zag patterns. Used for
interiors and architecture. Great couturiers of Art
Deco era were; Poiret, Chanel, and Schiaparelli.
Pop and Op Art
1960’s
Popular Art – styling based on using everyday
objects in an artful way, eg Andy Warhol’s Campbell
Soup paintings. Bold, contrasting colours. Roy
Lichenstein used comic strip images in art. Op Art
used optical illusion as art form, e.g. black and white
squares, circles etc.
Innovative Designers of the 20th
Century
Choose at least 2 to research further.
You need to know key innovative
products that have been produced by
that designer supported by background
information. You will need to select key
information on silhouettes, fabrics,
components, colours, shapes,
influences, historical references, possible
local or world events, possible links with
art or design movements, other creators
working at the same time.
Chanel, Paul Poiret, Schiaparelli, Dior, Pierre
Balmain, Mary Quant, Yves Saint Laurent,
Pierre Cardin, Andre Courregés,
Ossie Clark, Calvin Klein, Vivienne
Westwood, Givenchy,
Zandra Rhodes, Emilio Pucci, Gaultier, Issey
Miyake, Katherine Hamnett, Philip Treacy,
Paul Smith
Design in Practice
Product life cycle
analysis
Disposal/environmental
issues
Read more in Textiles
at Cutting Edge p.293
onwards.
Fashion Cycles
Industry development
cycles from colour, fibre
trends and predictions
to products.
Read more in Textiles
at the Cutting Edge
p.6 onwards
Designers and manufacturers look at the life cycle of products to
identify how well a particular product is doing and decide when to
replace it. Most products go through 5 stages –
1. Introduction - a new product, perhaps introduced by style
leaders/catwalk designers, new ideas. At this stage the
product is only worn by style leaders/trend setters paying
high prices for exclusivity
2. Growth – the product becomes more popular, the style
becomes better known, may be simplified and will cost
less, worn by style followers.
3. Maturity – the product is at it’s peak of popularity, styles
are readily available and worn by average consumer at
paying low prices
4. Decline – the product has passed it’s peak of popularity,
is can be picked up in the sales by bargain hunters!
5. Replacement – the product is obsolescent and no longer
likely to sell at all. New styles/products are coming in.
We have to consider whether it is necessary to constantly
produce new products which use resources and have an impact
on the environment. Should designers try to convert our ‘throwaway’ society into something more sustainable? REFUSE,
REUSE, REDUCE.
The time that it takes for a product to complete it’s life-cycle
varies by what type of product it is. In the fashion industry there
are three categories as follows:
Fad – fad products catch on well and peak quickly, e.g. hot pants
in the 1970’s or Jeggings.
Classic – practical, easy to use products that are always
needed, e.g. tights, duvet covers.
Standard – most fashion products follow a standard cycle lasting
about 2 years, e.g. pencil skirts, tunic tops
New products are developed using a design process, similar to
how you design and make your own products for Textiles. The
design cycle for a one-off designer dress for a catwalk show
would be as follows;
1. Start with a predicted colour trends, fabric, fibre trends
2. ideas would be researched
3. a moodboard would be created
4. working sketches, pattern and toile development
5. fitting of toile on model and production
6. finished garment shown in Autumn/Winter or
Spring/Summer catwalk show
A mass-produced item would follow a different design cycle:
1. identify a need
2. market research and analysis
3. development of concept
4. prototype pattern and sample made and tested
5. pattern templates made and graded for different sizes
6. marker making (lay-planning)
7. production
8. distribution and marketing
Influence of trends from
fashion, cultural and
media sources.
Fashion is influenced by many things – designers may get
inspiration from
 street-style; developed by teenagers initially but picked up
by designers – e.g punk, grunge
 other periods in history; also known as revivalist fashion,
e.g 50’s skirts, 80’s shoulder pads
 modern media, tv, films. E.g men’s kilts from film
Braveheart
 New technologies, fabrics and processes which give
designers opportunities to create innovative products, e.g
Gore-Tex
 World events. E.g environmental concerns, recession
Importance and
purpose of trade fairs
Trade shows are held all over the world to showcase the latest
fibres and fabrics. Suppliers have stands at which designers,
merchandisers and buyers can browse and find inspiration. For
example, Premiere Vision which is held twice a year in Paris.
This fashion and textile trade show is the ultimate in the
industries trend forecasting and innovative design events.
Lifestyle analysis
Analysing consumer lifestyles means examining the way people
live rather than where they live or their age, income or
occupation. Lifestyle analysis is based upon a person's activities,
interests and opinions. People of the same age, income, and
occupation, who live in the same area, purchase a wide variety
of goods and services. Knowing more about your potential
customers' lifestyles will help you understand them and thus,
serve them better.
Target Market groups
Read more in Textiles
at the Cutting Edge
p.151 & p.286
A product will be more successful and therefore more profitable if
it is aimed at the needs and wants of a particular market
segment. Consumers can be divided up by age group, gender,
level of disposable income and end-use.
Marketing and Advertising
Read: Textiles at the Cutting Edge p.277 Chapter 3
The marketing function:
The aim of marketing is to influence potential customers to buy your product. Advertising and
promotion will give a message about how your product is better, more unique than others – it’s
USP (Unique Selling Preposition)
Marketing and
branding of new fibres
and other textile
products
Importance of
labelling, packaging
and corporate
identification
Often done through campaign that addresses the consumer
directly, e.g. use of swing tickets showing the fibre brand logo and
giving information on the performance of the fibre,
e.g. Lycra, Modal, Tencel. This adds perceived quality to the
garment and attracts the buyer.
Develop instantly recognisable ‘style’ this promotes reliability,
quality and hopefully develops a ‘band loyalty’ with consumers.
Most textile products do not require much packaging other than
swing tag.
Advertising and
promotion of textile
products (range of
media)
Range of media includes;
Media
Disadvantages
Advantages
TV
Complete the box
Radio
Internet
Magazines
In-store
Newspapers
The marketing mix:
product, place,
promotion, price.
Product: Is your product or service totally unique? Unless so, it's
likely that someone else is servicing your potential clients already.
Is it new / different / unusual / designed to fill an identified need?
Does your product answer a problem customers may have or fulfil
a need
Price:Are you less expensive, or more expensive than the
competitors? Some people will not buy the cheapest, assuming
that cheap means inferior.
Promotion:To some people, image is everything and they would
rather pay five times the price for something with a designer label
or a quality reputation than pay less for an unknown brand.
Visual merchandising
Different retail
markets and points of
sale
Place: Place represents the location where a product can be
purchased. It is often referred to as the distribution channel.
Including actual stores and internet stores.
Visual merchandising is promoting the sale of goods by how they
are presented in store. Visual merchandising starts with the store
building itself. Many elements can be used by visual
merchandisers in creating displays, including colour, lighting,
space, product information. Fashion retail shops will place
particular ranges very carefully – e.g. colour ranges together,
particular produts placed to entice the customer into the store and
spend.
High street independent department stores and boutiques, multiple
retailers multiple department stores, chains mail order, websites,
interactive media.
Role of new technology in marketing and sales of textiles products:
Virtual reality product
simulation
Mutli-national textile
companies and global
marketing
Identifying socioeconomic groups,
demographic trends,
niche marketing.
See Textiles at the Cutting Edge p.184 – bottom of page
onwards.
Companies that are globally recognised for example; Lycra,
Teflon, Tactel, Nike, Adidas.
See Textiles at the Cutting Edge p. 129
Done through Market Research (See p. 281)
The role of professionals within the textiles industry:
Buyer
Merchandiser
•
Responsible for anticipating the demands of the retail
market – what and how many products the consumer is
likely to buy in the coming season
•
Works for the retailer and orders the products from the
manufacturer
•
Attend fashion shows and trade fairs
•
View collections in designers and manufacturers
showrooms including abroad
•
Buying the wrong styles in the wrong quantities will be a
costly mistake
•
Works with the buyer and will oversee the layout of the
shop floor
Oversee stock control and distribution to different
branches to maximise sales
Responsible for how goods are displayed to maximise
sales – stories, ranges, guides customer around the store
Can be the sales assistant responsible for
display of stock on the shop floor
•
•
•
Fabric technologist


Garment technologist
Visual merchandiser
•
Technologists work on the development of products,
improve production efficiency and quality, and liaise with
those involved in the production process.
Complete test on the fabrics to be used for products.
A clothing/textile technologist carries out a range of
technical, investigative and quality control work on
clothing and textiles, ensuring that products perform to
specifications.
It's visual merchandisers who decide how a store and its
products are presented, covering everything from designing
and creating layouts and window displays to ensuring a
consistent visual style in-store that maximises sales. Windows
are dressed nationally and internationally to look the same (or as
similar as possible according to space available) – so that all
shoppers are seeing the same designs where ever they are in
the country or world, depending on seasons and local
differences.
The role of a visual merchandiser - A mix of creative flair and
commercial awareness is vital, but the role also requires
excellent team working and communication skills, because
promoting new stock and managing brand standards requires
regular liaison with other departments.
This is not just about dressing mannequins, it requires
intelligence, creativity and the innovative use of themes, props,
light, music and colour to establish an environment that triggers
the impulse to buy. At the heart of visual merchandising is the
fact that consumers want to be entertained, and demand
inspiration and excitement as part of their shopping experience.
Retailers who achieve this are rewarded with loyal customers
and better-performing stores. Those that get it wrong invariably
lose out! Merchandising is important throughout the whole
store – from the window, the floor displays, clothes rails,
right up to the point of sale! Every bit of space will be
telling the story!
The role of the designer:
Read Textiles at the Cutting Edge: p.147-150
Job Description
Fashion designers work on the design of items of clothing and
fashion ranges. Some may focus completely on one specialist
area, such as sportswear, childrenswear, footwear or
accessories. They produce designs for the haute couture,
designer ready-to-wear, and high street fashion markets.
Developments in technology mean that a design can be on sale
as a finished product in the high street within six weeks.
Depending on their level of responsibility and the company they
work for, designers may work to their own brief or be given a
brief to work towards, with specifications relating to colour, fabric
and budget
Areas of fashion:
The main areas of work for fashion designers are:
High street fashion: this is where the majority of designers
work and where garments are mass manufactured (often in
Europe or the Far East). Buying patterns, seasonal trends and
celebrity catwalk influences play a key role in this design
process. It is a commercial area and heavily media led.
Ready-to-wear: Established designers create ready-to-wear
collections, produced in relatively small numbers.
Haute couture: This requires large amounts of time spent on
the production of one-off garments for the catwalk - which are
often not practical to wear - usually to endorse other brands and
create a ‘look’.
Typical Work Activities
Tasks depend on the market the designer is working for, but
core responsibilities include:


creating/visualising an idea and producing a design by hand
or using computer-aided design (CAD);
keeping up to date with emerging fashion trends as well as










general trends relating to fabrics, colours and shapes;
planning and developing ranges;
working with others in the design team, such as buyers and
forecasters, to develop products to meet a brief;
liaising closely with sales, buying and production teams on
an ongoing basis to ensure the item suits the customer,
market and price points;
understanding design from a technical perspective, i.e.,
producing patterns, toiles and technical specifications for
designs;
sourcing, selecting and buying fabrics, trims, fastenings and
embellishments;
adapting existing designs for mass production;
developing a pattern that is cut and sewn into sample
garments and supervising the making up of these, including
fitting, detailing and adaptations;
overseeing production;
negotiating with customers and suppliers;
managing marketing, finances and other business activities,
if working on a self-employed basis.
Experienced designers with larger companies may focus more
on the design aspect, with pattern cutters and machinists
preparing sample garments. In smaller companies these, and
other tasks, may be part of the designer's role.
Environmental
constraints upon
designers –
Eco-Fashion
Working to client
specifications,
designing within
budgets
Simply put, the term “eco-fashion” refers to stylized clothing hat
uses environmentally sensitive fabrics and responsible
production techniques. Eco-fashion clothes can be defined as,
“clothes that take into account the environment, the health of
consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion
industry.” Clothes and accessories that meet such criteria are
usually made using organic raw materials, such as cotton grown
without pesticides, or re-used materials such as recycled plastic
from old soda bottles. Eco-fashions don't involve the use of
harmful chemicals and bleaches to colour fabrics—and are made
by people earning fair wages in healthy working conditions.
Designers need to take into account the resources of the
company for which they work. They need to appeal to the
customer profile which may have a set price point. They need to
work to a set budget, bearing in mind at all times the cost of raw
materials and components and manufacturing processes that will
be needed – e.g. loads of seams, complex construction = more
expensive.
Product Classification (textile product groups):
Designers and Manufacturers often specialise in one or two of the following
categories, ensuring that products are suitable for the identified market.
Menswear
Womenswear
Childrenswear
Workwear
Sportswear
Accessories
Foundationwear
Leisurewear
Formal dress
Furnishings – domestic
and public
Industrial textiles
Performance textiles
Technical textiles
Geotextiles
Page 208
General clothes for men; casual trousers, shirts, jumpers, suits
etc
General clothes for women; casual or smart separates, dresses,
suits etc
Can range from newborn baby clothing through to age 14/15.
Can range from overalls and heavy duty protective clothing or
sometimes refers to office clothing.
Includes clothing for all sports and high-performance active wear
Hats, bags, scarves, gloves, belts etc
Underwear; knickers, hosiery (tights etc), lingerie, bras,
corselettes/girdles etc
Informal clothing to be worn when relaxing; tracksuits etc
Smart, special occasion clothing; dinner jackets, evening
dresses etc
Household soft furnishings; cushions, curtains, upholstery,
carpets. Furnishings for public places; restaurants, hospitals etc
These are textile materials manufactured to meet specific
technical requirements. They are used for functional end-uses in
industry, either as part of an industrial process or incorporated
into industrial products.
These are textiles that relate to a products’s performance in a
specifid end-use. Performance textiles include products used for
outdoor pursuits or sports.
Textiles manufactured for their technical performance and
functional properties rather than for aesthetic characteristics.
They are used for protective clothing, upholstery, furnishings,
buildings, civil engineering, sports products, leisure goods,
agricultural products, medicine and health care.
Permeable membranes made mainly from synthetic fibres, used
in contact with soil or rocks in the construction of roads etc.
Design in the human context
Health and Safety: Read more: Textiles at the Cutting Edge p.44/45
H&S during production
of textile products
Risk Assessment
H&S at work is the responsibility of the employers and
employees. Manufacturers are required by law to follow strict
rules and regulations, based on the Health & Safety at Work
Act 1974. Employees are required to follow safety procedures to
reduce the risks in using materials, machinery and
manufacturing processes.
This means identifying the risks and putting control systems in
place to minimise the risk of injury or accident. Each production
HSE
COSHH
BSI standards for
product testing
Read more in Chapter
2 Consumer Interests
page 266 onwards
task to be performed will have to have a risk assessment carried
out. Risk assessment is also carried out on textile products to
ensure that they do not pose a threat of injury or accident.
The Health and Safety Executive is a government body which
advises employers and employees on all aspects of H&S. It also
sets the regulations that employers must follow.
Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health. The COSHH
regulations require employers to control substances that can
harm workers' health.
British Standards Institution (BSI) is the independent regulator of
standards for manufactured products.
Products must comply with these standards, one to remember is
BS5722 which sets out the flammability performance of fabrics
used in sleepwear and dressing gowns.
Impact of technological development:
Balance between gain
and loss for individual
and community in terms
of ethical, social
environmental and
economic considerations
Values issues and new technology are discussed on page
247 Textiles and the Cutting Edge.
Environmental concerns:
Read up on this; page 293 Textiles at the Cutting Edge