Product concept and technical design

You will need to have a clear concept of your product and a technical design before you think about production.

The concept of your product should align with your brand purpose, USP and target market that you have already set out in the previous week. You should have both a written and visual product concept and description. In this concept description, you should consider addressing the following questions:

• What is the product’s main utility?
• What are the different features or components of your product?
• How will your product perform? What is the quality?
• What benefits does the product have for your customer? Why would someone buy the product?

What is a “tech pack?”

You might think of the technical design (or “tech pack”) as the blueprint of your product. This is what you will send to a pattern maker or your production partner when you’re ready to produce your ideas into a physical product. The more detail you can include the better. Don’t worry if you can’t draw. You can always try to find pictures from the internet to represent your concept. You might also want to find someone who can draw to help you. Your tech pack should include information on:

• One line description of the product
• Measurements
• Material requirements / fabric content
• Colours
• Stitching and seams
• Trims (ie piping, ruffles, buttons, ribbon, lace, etc.)
• Hardware (ie clasps, zippers, buckles, snaps, etc.)
• Labels / Tags
• Your product drawing
• Any additional notes about the design

At this point, the choices you make on the technical design of your product can determine its impact on the environment. The next step will explore some of the ways you could design your products with sustainability in mind.