design process Archives

From Sketch to Shelf: The Industrial Design Process in 6 Steps

Bringing a product from an idea to reality is an exciting journey—one that blends creativity, technical expertise, and user-centered thinking. In the world of wearable technology, great design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about crafting solutions that seamlessly integrate into people’s lives. From the first sketch to the final product on the shelf, every step in the industrial design process plays a crucial role in shaping a wearable that is functional, comfortable, and market-ready. There are a lot of ways to break down the design process, and they all have their uses: the double diamond, the design thinking cycle. Search ‘design process’ and you’ll find endless diagrams and breakdowns. In this Insight article, we’ll walk you through the key stages of industrial design, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how innovative products come to life.

Step 1: Research & Discovery

The journey of creating a standout product starts with diving deep into the world of research and discovery. This initial phase is all about truly understanding the problem at hand—getting to know the needs of the users, the latest trends in the market, and how competitors are shaping the landscape. By mapping out these elements, designers can pinpoint where opportunities for innovation lie, crafting solutions that stand out in a crowded market. This phase is about more than just solving a problem; it’s about creating something that resonates with users and is perfectly positioned to make an impact.

Interwoven SABER military exosuit — *The SABER Military Exosuit*

A key part of this research involves ethnographic studies and interviews with the target user community, which allow us to step into the shoes of the users. Through ethnography, we spend time in the real world with the people we’re designing for, understanding their habits, behaviors, and challenges. We did extensive research for our SABER Military Exosuit to understand the key tasks and body positions required of the soldiers who would be wearing the suit. This research was critical to understanding how to create a suit that would move effectively with the user. It’s a deeply immersive way of discovering what truly matters. Later, we’ll use these insights to develop testing protocols for our prototypes, ensuring that the design is not just functional, but also intuitive and user-friendly.

Step 2: Concept Development & Ideation

Once we’ve gathered our insights, it’s time to bring ideas to life through concept development and ideation. This stage is where creativity thrives, as designers explore different possibilities for form, function, and aesthetics. Sketching and early visualizations allow us to experiment with various design directions, refining the product’s overall look and feel. The goal is to create something that not only meets user needs but also resonates emotionally, balancing beauty with functionality. Sketching is a big part of every project we do at Interwoven Design, a great example being the Breg CrossRunner Knee Brace. We were open to many strategies for meeting the project requirements, and we sketched dozens of ideas before moving on to the prototyping stage. Every sketch brought us closer to finding the ideal design that would work both in concept and in reality.

Interwoven Sketch and prototype of the Breg Knee Brace — *A sketch and prototype for the Breg Knee Brace project by Interwoven Design Group.*

To refine our ideas further, we use mood boards, storyboards, and collaborative brainstorming sessions. Mood boards help convey the visual direction, pulling together textures, colors, and inspiration that guide the aesthetic choices. Storyboarding helps illustrate how users will interact with the product in real life, showcasing key moments in the user experience. Throughout this process, we collaborate closely with engineers, material scientists, and stakeholders to ensure feasibility. This interdisciplinary approach ensures the designs are not only innovative but also practical, considering technical limitations, material possibilities, and market needs from the outset. When working on our projects, which often involve collaborating with engineers, we find that integrating interdisciplinary teamwork from the outset helps refine concepts, making sure we’re not only dreaming big but also designing something that can be successful in the real world.

Step 3: Prototyping & Iteration

With the initial concepts solidified, the next step is to bring those ideas into the physical world through prototyping and iteration. This is where sketches and ideas begin to take shape in low fidelity mockups, allowing us to visualize proportions, details, and mechanics in a more tangible way. Whether it’s through 3D printing, foam models, or soft goods mockups, these prototypes give us the opportunity to test ideas early on, making it easier to spot potential issues with form or function before committing to more complex production processes. We create dozens—in some cases far more than dozens—of prototypes for every project. The Whitecloud Medical Utility Bag is a great example of this; we created a broad range of soft goods prototypes to experiment with how we could fit a specific set of tools and objects that nurses need at all times. Early prototyping is a crucial stage that allows us to keep iterating quickly and efficiently, staying agile throughout the design journey.

As prototypes are developed, user feedback becomes a vital component of the refinement process. Testing prototypes with real users provides invaluable insights into how the product feels, operates, and resonates in everyday use. Functional assessments help determine whether the design meets its intended purpose, from ease of use to durability. Based on this feedback, the design undergoes continuous refinement, adjusting features, ergonomics, or materials as needed. This iterative cycle ensures that the product evolves to better meet user needs and aligns with both aesthetic and functional goals before moving into the final stages of production.

Step 4: User Testing & Validation

Once the prototype is ready for real-world interaction, the next step is user testing and validation. At Interwoven Design, we consider user testing and validation to be an integral part of prototyping and ideating. User testing is crucial for ensuring that the design not only meets user expectations but also performs seamlessly in everyday use. By testing the product with a target group of users, designers gather valuable feedback on comfort, usability, and overall user experience. This hands-on testing helps identify any areas where the product may need adjustments—whether it’s improving ergonomics, simplifying functionality, or enhancing the user interface. In our Firefly workwear project, we had warehouse workers wear prototypes during their work day to observe the quality and durability of the jacket’s reflective coating. It’s all about making sure the design feels intuitive, comfortable, and effective in real-world scenarios.

Interwoven Firefly workwear jacket — *The Firefly workwear garment* *by Interwoven Design Group.*

Alongside user feedback, long-term wearability and durability are evaluated to ensure the product stands up over time. This involves rigorous testing to assess how the product holds up under everyday wear and tear, as well as ensuring it meets regulatory standards for safety and compliance. Based on the data collected, the design is refined to address any issues that arise, ensuring that it not only delights users but is also safe and reliable. This iterative process guarantees that the final product is both functionally sound and compliant, offering an exceptional experience that users can trust and enjoy over time.

Step 5: Technical Design & Sourcing

With a refined concept in hand, the next step is transitioning from idea to a manufacturable product. This phase focuses on engineering the design for production, ensuring that all aspects of the product can be realized efficiently and at scale. In this step, we generate all of the technical documentation to allow the manufacturer to understand every aspect of the design. In our Even Adaptive Lingerie project, we created additional technical design documentation to support the patent application for the custom clasp we designed.

Material sourcing is also important at this stage. The right materials must be chosen for both their functional properties—such as strength, flexibility, and weight—and their aesthetic qualities. Along with material considerations, wearability testing and durability assessments are conducted to guarantee that the product will stand up to everyday use while maintaining comfort and performance. These evaluations help refine the design, ensuring that it’s not only visually appealing but also reliable and practical in real-world conditions.

Collaborating with suppliers and manufacturers is a key part of this stage. Designers work closely with these partners to optimize production processes, ensuring that the design can be reproduced with consistency and efficiency. This includes refining techniques for assembly, tooling, and quality control, while also exploring opportunities to reduce costs or improve sustainability in the construction or in the manufacturing process. By maintaining an open dialogue with manufacturers and keeping an eye on potential production challenges, we can ensure that the design moves smoothly from the drawing board to the final product, ready for the market. This phase solidifies the design’s viability, ensuring it can be brought to life with precision and quality.

Step 6: Production & Launch

As the product nears completion, the focus shifts to the final stages of production and launch. This phase begins with finalizing manufacturing processes, ensuring that all production methods are optimized for scale and consistency. Quality control measures are put in place to maintain high standards throughout the production run, from material checks to final inspections. The goal is to ensure that each unit meets the exact specifications, preserving the integrity of the design and delivering a product that matches the vision set out at the beginning of the process.

Simultaneously, preparations are made for the product’s mass production, taking care to balance efficiency with design integrity. It’s essential that the product remains true to its initial concept, even as it moves into full-scale manufacturing. While this is happening, the marketing team works to build excitement for the launch, developing a compelling product narrative that connects emotionally with consumers. Product storytelling helps create a connection, communicating not just the features and benefits, but the values and story behind the design. This connection builds consumer trust and generates buzz, ensuring the product’s success in the market from day one.

Bringing it All Together

From the initial spark of inspiration to the final product launch, each stage of the industrial design process plays a critical role in creating wearable technology that not only looks good but works seamlessly in the lives of users. Every step—whether it’s research, prototyping, or technical design—helps shape a product that balances creativity, functionality, and user experience. A thoughtful, well-rounded design approach ensures that the product is not only technologically advanced but also user-friendly, making it easy for customers to integrate it into their daily lives with confidence and excitement.

At Interwoven Design, we believe that the best designs come from collaboration and a shared vision. We invite you to work with us to bring your ideas to life, whether you’re looking to refine an existing concept or develop an entirely new wearable tech solution. With our expert design and product development process, we’re here to guide you through every step, ensuring your product stands out in the market while meeting the highest standards of usability, functionality, and sustainability. Do you have a project you’d like to see come to life? Reach out!

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The Dual Identity: Navigating the Roles of Artist and Designer

The line between artist and designer often blurs, marrying two distinct yet complementary identities in the creative world. Both roles thrive on innovation, imagination, and a deep understanding of the human experience. That said, their purposes, approaches, and impacts often differ. This duality presents a fascinating interplay of challenges and opportunities for those who navigate both worlds, raising an important question: how can the distinct roles of artist and designer complement one another to create meaningful work? Here at Interwoven, we are especially interested in how the identity and approach of the artist can enhance our work as designers. In this Insight article we outline the key aspects of the artist and the designer, noting where they align and where they converge, and discuss the challenges and benefits of a dual identity.

Understanding the Core Roles

To appreciate the dual identity, it’s important to explore the foundations of these roles and how they differ in intent and execution.

The Artist: A Voice of Expression

Artists are creators of culture, crafting works that communicate ideas, emotions, and critiques of society. Their work stems from a deep well of personal expression and exploration, often unbound by external limitations. Artists revel in ambiguity and invite their audiences to interpret their creations freely. A painting, sculpture, or installation may not serve a direct functional purpose, but its power lies in its ability to evoke emotions, provoke thought, and inspire dialogue.

Think of artists like Frida Kahlo, whose paintings delve into personal pain and identity, or Jean-Michel Basquiat, who used his art to challenge racial and social inequities. Their work is timeless, not because it solves a problem, but because it captures the human experience and prompts an emotional response from the viewer.

The Designer: A Problem Solver

Designers, in contrast, take a more structured approach to creativity, aiming to solve specific problems or improve an experience. Their work must meet functional, aesthetic, and practical requirements, often operating within constraints like budgets, material limitations, deadlines, and client specifications.

Designers create for utility and accessibility, ensuring their products or solutions align with the needs of the audience. The work of Dieter Rams, with his “less, but better” philosophy, exemplifies this ethos. Every curve, button, and material choice in his designs is intentional, aimed at enhancing usability and delighting the user.

Points of Intersection

Despite these differences, artists and designers share several key similarities that can serve as bridges between their practices, or as common territory for those artist designers who wear both hats and live in both worlds.

1. Creativity as a Core Driver

At the heart of both roles lies a deep well of creativity. Whether an artist is sketching a concept for a mural or a designer is iterating on a prototype, both rely on imagination and out-of-the-box thinking to bring their visions to life. They are both admired for their ability to think differently, to see what has previously been overlooked, and to present the familiar in a way that makes it feel new.

2. Mastery of Tools and Mediums

Artists and designers often share tools and techniques, though their applications differ. Both might work with digital software, physical materials, or even artificial intelligence to explore their ideas. The difference lies in intent: while an artist might use 3D modeling software to sculpt a conceptual piece and the intent to make a political statement, a designer might use the same software to perfect the ergonomics of a new chair to meet the needs of a niche user group.

3. A Deep Understanding of Human Experience

Both artists and designers connect with people, albeit in different ways. Artists aim to provoke emotion, spark curiosity, or challenge perceptions, while designers focus on improving daily lives through functional and user-friendly creations. In either case, the human experience is central to their work, and deep empathy and insight are core skills.

Contrasting Mindsets

The differences between artists and designers are often most evident in how they approach their work and the mindset they bring to their practice:

1. Purpose vs. Process

For artists, the process of creation can be as meaningful as the final product, or even more so. Many artists begin their work without a predefined goal, letting their intuition and emotions guide the journey. Designers, however, are inherently purpose-driven, working toward a clear objective: solving a problem, fulfilling a need, or meeting a client’s expectations. This objective is typically approached with a consistent process, pre-defined and used, at least to some degree, across challenges.

2. Constraints as Catalysts

Constraints play very different roles in these disciplines. Designers thrive on limitations—time, budget, materials—which often inspire innovative solutions. Artists, in contrast, may set their own constraints, such as working within a particular medium or theme, but they often enjoy greater creative freedom.

3. Audience and Feedback

The relationship with the audience also differs significantly. Artists typically create with a broad, undefined audience in mind, inviting subjective interpretation. Artists are also free to create with a single, specific audience in mind, a pitfall for designers. Designers cater to a specific user base, relying on research and feedback to refine their work and ensure it meets practical needs.

The Power of Synergy

The intersection of art and design offers rich opportunities for innovation and expression. By blending the two disciplines, creatives can elevate their work, creating pieces that are both functional and emotionally resonant.

Zaha Hadid’s architectural masterpieces stand as a prime example of art and design coexisting harmoniously. Her structures are not just functional spaces but also sculptural works of art that transform urban landscapes. Similarly, Virgil Abloh’s approach to fashion blurred the line between streetwear and high art, using Off-White as a platform for cultural commentary and design innovation. In product design, companies like Apple have embraced this duality. The sleek, minimalist aesthetics of their products reflect artistic sensibilities, while their intuitive functionality speaks to rigorous design principles.

Artists who adopt design thinking bring intentionality and structure to their work. For example, when an artist creates a public mural, they may consider the surrounding environment, community needs, and the logistics of scale—elements rooted in design thinking.

Designers who embrace an artist’s mindset can imbue their work with deeper meaning and originality. By allowing room for experimentation and intuition, they push the boundaries of conventional design, creating products and experiences that resonate emotionally.

The Challenges of Duality

Balancing the roles of artist and designer comes with a unique set of challenges. The freedom and introspection of artistic expression can often feel at odds with the structured, outcome-driven nature of design. Artists may feel constrained by the demands of functionality, client needs, or market trends, while designers might struggle to embrace the unstructured, exploratory process that defines art. This tension can lead to creative friction, where satisfying both the emotional depth of art and the practicality of design becomes a difficult balancing act.

Another challenge lies in audience perception and reception. The open-ended, interpretive nature of art might conflict with the clarity and direct usability that design often requires. A creative work that tries to blend both may risk alienating audiences—being too abstract for functional purposes yet too utilitarian to evoke profound emotional impact.

The duality can also create internal conflict for creatives who wear both hats. Switching between the roles of artist and designer requires significant mental flexibility. An artist may need to step away from personal expression to meet a design brief, while a designer must sometimes abandon the comfort of structure to embrace uncertainty. Navigating this mental shift can be draining, particularly when projects demand the coexistence of both mindsets simultaneously.

Collaborations can add another layer of complexity. When artists and designers work together, differing priorities and communication styles can lead to misunderstandings. Artists may prioritize originality and autonomy, while designers may focus on functionality and user feedback, potentially leading to compromises that feel unsatisfactory to both parties.

Finally, external pressures, such as commercial viability or societal expectations, can exacerbate these challenges. The art world values risk-taking and personal authenticity, while the design industry often prioritizes scalability and consistency. Striking a balance between these external demands can stretch creatives thin, requiring them to manage not only their dual identities but also the expectations of their audiences and stakeholders.

The Benefits of Duality

Embracing the duality of being both an artist and a designer opens up a world of creative possibilities and offers a unique edge in the creative industries. This fusion enables individuals to approach their work with a balance of emotional depth and practical problem-solving, combining the imaginative freedom of art with the structured logic of design. By blending these perspectives, creatives can produce work that is not only visually compelling but also highly functional, creating solutions that resonate on both aesthetic and practical levels.

This duality encourages innovation by allowing for a broader exploration of ideas. Designers can push the boundaries of convention by borrowing an artist’s willingness to experiment with form, texture, and abstraction. Meanwhile, artists who embrace design thinking can make their work more accessible and relevant by considering usability, audience needs, and real-world applications. This synergy often leads to the creation of groundbreaking work that bridges the gap between personal expression and universal appeal.

Another significant benefit of duality is the ability to foster emotional engagement in practical contexts. A designer who thinks like an artist can infuse their work with narrative and meaning, elevating a product or space beyond mere functionality. Whether it’s a beautifully designed object that tells a story or an interactive experience that evokes an emotional response, the combination of artistic storytelling and design utility creates a powerful connection with users.

Duality also cultivates versatility, allowing creatives to navigate diverse types of projects and roles. From designing user-centered products to crafting emotionally resonant campaigns, the ability to shift seamlessly between these identities makes individuals more adaptable in a rapidly evolving creative landscape. It also enables collaboration across disciplines, as dual practitioners can serve as bridges between artistic and design-focused teams, fostering richer, more integrated projects.

Finally, duality nurtures a deeper personal fulfillment in creative practice. By incorporating both the introspective, expressive aspects of art and the purpose-driven, problem-solving nature of design, individuals can experience the satisfaction of creating work that is both deeply meaningful and broadly impactful. This holistic approach allows for the cultivation of a dynamic, multidimensional creative voice that stands out in today’s saturated market.

What Designers Can Learn from Artists

Designers can greatly enhance their work by adopting certain practices from the world of art. One of the most valuable lessons is the power of embracing ambiguity and intuition. Artists often dive into the creative process without a clear end goal, allowing their instincts and emotions to guide them. This openness can help designers break free from rigid constraints and explore unconventional solutions. Additionally, artists prioritize storytelling and personal expression, which can inspire designers to infuse their projects with deeper meaning and narrative. By viewing their designs as not just functional objects but also as opportunities for emotional connection, designers can create work that resonates on a human level. Exploring abstraction, experimenting with mediums, and challenging traditional norms—hallmarks of artistic practice—can lead to innovative breakthroughs in design.

Conclusion

Navigating the dual identity of artist and designer is both a challenge and an opportunity. By embracing the strengths of each role, creatives can unlock new dimensions in their work, enriching their practice and leaving a lasting impact.

In this convergence lies a powerful truth: art and design are not opposites but companions, offering unique lenses through which to view and shape the world. Whether through a masterpiece that moves hearts or a design that changes lives, the synergy of these roles continues to drive humanity forward—proof that when art and design meet, magic happens.

A Q&A with Color Expert Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman

Spotlight articles shine a light on designers and design materials we admire. We ask designers about their work, their design journey, and what inspires them. In this issue we speak to Interwoven’s founder and principal designer, Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, a design consultant and educator with expertise in wearable technology, functional apparel, and soft goods design. In addition to her work at Interwoven, Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman is a co-founder of SEArch+, Space Exploration Architecture, a professor of industrial design at Pratt Institute, and worked for over 20 years as a corporate Design Director for premium athletic brands, including Champion, Fila, and Nike. She is the author of Smart Textiles for Designers: Inventing the Future of Fabrics and speaks internationally on design and innovation. She also recently launched a handmade ceramics company. She is passionate about color and it shows in everything she does. We asked her about her color design process, the cultural context of color, and how to be an advocate for color.

Portrait of industrial designer Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman — *Photo courtesy of Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman.*

Q: When do color considerations come into the design process for you?

A: I want to back up because I think it’s got to be said that I absolutely love color. It’s my favorite part of the design process. So when I think about integrating it into my process, it’s more like my process starts with color. Not only does it define the context but it also can set the mood, it can determine your very first impression of the product or environment or whatever it is you’re experiencing. Color is almost on a gut level. The first reaction that you have is going to be in response to the color, the texture, and the materials, they’re intertwined.

When I think about color, I start with a mood. I think, What is the mood that I want to feel when I’m looking at this product or this room or this environment? Once I have the mood, I start thinking about the colors that inspire that emotion, and then I start to analyze. If it’s a product for a client, I ask, Is this going to hit the right demographic? Is this going to communicate the right look and feel? But all of that stuff comes after the first initial emotional reaction to the color.

Q: What role does cultural context and user demographics play in your color palette development process?

A: Cultural context is core to the development of a product. It’s important because you want a product to be successful. When I was design director at Nike and I was developing the color story for a product, I would determine where and in what market that product was being sold. Even just in the United States there are micro markets. What should the palette be for a group of stores in the south of the United States? How is that different from the Pacific Northwest? How is that different from the New England region? Everybody has a different take on what feels culturally appropriate in that area, and you have to understand these nuances so that you can build a color palette that will answer to all of those different demographics. And this is not just in the United States, it’s global. In the Far East, there’s a different sort of flavor to color. It could be as fundamental as the quality of light. Depending on how close you are to the equator or how the Earth is rotating, the quality of light can really make a difference in the way that you perceive color. It can also be influenced by the vegetation in the area. Parks look different when you’re near the equator than they do when you’re in New England, so your idea of a green palette is different. All of these things play into determining the colors that people are going to be most receptive to.

Q: Could you walk us through your process for researching potential color directions for a project?

A: There’s research and there’s inspiration. I’m a big believer in using forecasting in my research. I don’t just randomly pick a gray, the classic black-gray-white pop-up color palette. I start by thinking about the colors that have been most popular in the past three to five years. Forecasts predict trending color for anywhere between one and three years out. Where do they see color going? What do I see when I look at retail product? Each one of those is an area of research. There’s the color forecast. There’s historical reference of color progression. And then there’s the context of what is happening currently in the market. I take all of those things into consideration, then I mix it with inspiration. The inspiration is: what do I personally love? What am I trending towards and in terms of the colors that I’m finding interesting? Then I meld those two together and plunk it into the cultural context of where I think the product is going to be.

Q: How do you balance insights from color forecasting with insights from landscape surveys, design constraints, and client preferences to determine a color direction for a product? How do you weigh the importance of each element of the decision?

A: The hardest thing for clients—when they’re thinking about color and don’t really have a lot of experience with color—is being comfortable with risk. Most people that are launching a product want it to be successful, so they tend to be conservative on the color front and they’ll want it in the most basic colors. That’s why there are so many products that are white or black or gray, because those are the most basic. I like to tell a story around color. I build evidence for a narrative of why these colors are good. That evidence can be successful products that have used color, and it may be a more risky approach than the client might have imagined. If I do a good enough job telling the story, they’ll take a chance. A really good example of that is the pop of yellow we used for HeroWear. I knew that they wanted a black and gray product and I thought, That’s not going to stand out in the marketplace. Then I thought about all the different pop colors that might be suitable. I realized that the best way to tell that story was around how that product is built for safety and how safety is associated with yellow. I started doing research into the particular type of yellow, hunting for a yellow that I thought would be brand appropriate for them: friendly and sunny but not necessarily danger-related. That’s how we developed that yellow color that we suggested for the HeroWear Apex Exosuit.

Q: What methods do you use to communicate color choices effectively with clients or stakeholders who don’t necessarily speak the language of color?

A: I spend a lot of time building the palette. I’m constantly looking at color and really thinking about how to develop it. Then the narrative is important, but showing examples of how the color could be used on particular products is critical for people to understand how a color palette could be applied. So there’s the development of the color palette, then there’s the narrative around the importance of that color palette, but the most important thing is the practical application; how that color palette can be applied to that particular product. And ‘product’ might be more than just the physical product. It could also be the branding and the marketing. Showing applications becomes a concrete way for the client to understand how we would want to use the color.

If I just showed a color palette, which is boxes of color with descriptions underneath, it’s really hard to understand what that means. Most people are literal, they see a box of color and they imagine the product painted that color. I need to show them a vision of just a hit of pink on the lining in this particular piece, so it will be a surprise when the client goes to put it on or take it off. It builds on the narrative but also shows the context of how the color would be applied. That’s critical for the client to understand not only how the color palette was made and why it’s important, but also how we are going to use it. That gives them the comfort level to maybe take a color risk that they wouldn’t necessarily have considered otherwise.

For example, when we were asked to come up with a number of color combinations for a cooler product, I thought about a dark combination, a light combination, and a neutral combination. A combination for a person who drives a big pickup truck, a combination for someone who’s going to the beach in the Hamptons…colorways that would be appropriate for all of these different user contexts. When we showed them to the client, they responded quite well to three or four of the different colorways. I think that’s the most important thing, to show how the color would be used.

Q: What considerations do you take into account when designing for accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring that color choices are inclusive for all users?

A: That’s really a great question. Color is understood on a spectrum, and everybody understands color in a different way. When we talk about inclusivity, we have to think about people who are hyper color sensitive—and I would say that I fall into that category—as well as those who are less color sensitive, as well as those who are color blind, and can’t see much in terms of the contrast between red and green. That’s an especially difficult color combination for people who are color blind, and there are a surprising number of people who are color blind. For most people who aren’t in the creative profession, it’s not something that affects them except when they have to go pick out their clothing in the morning. But there are a surprising number of designers who are color blind. One of the things I try to do is have a sense of contrast. When somebody is less color sensitive, they really rely on the contrast between the colors as much as they do the color shift.

The question is, how can you create products that speak with elegance and feeling and still have enough contrast so that people of all different abilities can process the surface and texture and composition of that product?

Q: To what extent is your hyper sensitivity to color ingrained as opposed to something developed over time as a designer?

A: I think I was born this way. I can share an anecdote. When I was maybe six, my mom was putting new wallpaper up in one of the rooms of her house, and she needed to match a paint color to the wallpaper color. She called me over to help! Rebeccah! It is something that people can develop but I definitely feel like it’s also something that has to be inherent to some degree. It’s physical. It’s about the way the cones in your eyes are built. I know that I am in the very small percentage of people who process color in high detail. Another anecdote: Pantone can come to your office and test the color sensitivity of all the designers. When I was design director at Champion, we had the entire design staff tested for color so that we would know who could approve the lab dips. I only got one wrong and that’s because I did the entire test that was supposed to be done in 20 minutes in 5, because I was too busy and I didn’t have time.

I think that applying color to a product is risky, and if you aren’t confident in your ability to choose colors that speak to multiple people and address a cultural context in the right way, it’s harder for you to be an advocate for that risk. In general, people think color is risky. The number one thing I hear from people is, I’m so afraid to use a color. Part of that comes from confidence. Yes, I think I was born with the ability to process color at a high level, but also, I think I learned how to apply color with confidence. That is something you can learn whether you feel like you’re good at color or not. You can learn to feel good about using color. You can learn to be confident in your color choices.

It can be hard for people to overcome fears around color, and that can create a bias against specific colors. There are some particular colors that I really don’t like very much, but then I always seem to find a way to use them. Invariably I can find a context in which I actually would kind of like that color. I don’t really like blue cheese…but there have been times when blue cheese tasted pretty good.

Q: How do you think about balancing time-tested or trusted colors with new, trending colors?

A: Think of it like a layer cake. Your foundation always has to be in these classic colors. No one feels at risk with black, white, gray, and navy. And maybe, if you’re talking about clothing, some sort of neutral color. Think of that as the base of the layer cake. Then the next step up is the colors that you would pair with those colors (other than each other and navy or white). What would be something else that you could pair with one of those colors? That would make the palette feel still accessible but not too risky. And then, what are the right pops of color that you want to add to that palette? The pops don’t have to necessarily be literally bright colors but they could be, or they could be interesting or unusual in some other way. The pop color is not a color that’s going to last for 10 years in the marketplace, but maybe it’s a color that will last a year or a year and a half in the marketplace. You layer these on top.

So you have this layer of the foundation colors, then you have a mid layer that’s going to be core colors that you can see lasting in a product for three to five years, and then you have the pops that will last one to two years. Then you think about how you are going to mix them in a way that will create a sense of comfort. Let’s say the navy gives the comfort of having something neutral, and you add an interesting secondary color that is still understandable while making that navy look a little fresher. Then you add the pop of something really unusual so that you can stand out in the marketplace.

I use this approach regardless of the product category. Most of the products that I’ve designed in my career are consumer products, so I tend to think of the end consumer using it, and then some of the products that we design are B2B. But even if they’re B2B and they’re wearables, then a person is eventually wearing it, so still it’s ending up with the consumer. Across product categories it’s a way to keep freshness in the product without it feeling like just another basic thing. You want the product to be able to stand out but you also want to give people this comfort level so that they don’t feel like they’re going to stand out. Not everybody, of course, because there are bold types and crazy influencers on Instagram that like to be photographed with their orange hair and their green sunglasses. But the majority of consumers don’t want to stand out to the point where people are staring at them. What they want is for people to almost do a double take and say, That looks kind of nice. Wow. You’ve got something new on. So the idea is to create interest that creates newness without alienating people.

Q: What advice do you have for designers looking to improve their color skills?

A: The advice that I would give people who are trying to figure out how they can expand their use of color is for them to just start. They should make notations to themselves about the things that they’re attracted to. I personally love to look at fine art because fine artists never think about color any other way than in abstraction. It’s another element to create their composition, whether it’s a sculpture or a painting. It’s there for a purpose, not to create a product. I look at the pieces of fine art that really speak to me and I think about the super unusual color combinations they feature and how I react to them. I take a thousand million photographs that have to do with color and how it’s used. I suggest that people look at a lot of things and take a lot of pictures to look back on what really spoke to them. Then, once they have a series of photos, they can see, Look, I went to the Whitney and I photographed 20 things. Of those 20 things, nine had this pink in them. Then they can start looking around, seeing where else they observe that pink.Or green, or blue, or whatever it is. Once you have an observation like this about yourself, you’ll start to wonder if you can use that color that is interesting to you in some way, and then you can start building a color palette around it.

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Crafting Comfort: Exploring the Footwear Design Process

The footwear design industry stands out for its blend of creativity and technical precision. Unlike many other design fields, it requires a deep understanding of both aesthetic appeal and functional considerations. Footwear designers are up against unique challenges, needing to meet ergonomic and visual needs while creating a product with a notoriously hard (and, consequently, often short) life ahead. As consumers, we want shoes that look great, speak to our personal style, serve our needs, and feel comfortable. Ideally, we want shoes that do all of this regardless of the category or use case, and we’ve all encountered shoes that don’t quite hit the mark. In this Insight article we will share some key considerations of footwear design and outline the footwear design process from concept to creation.

Top view of shoemaker making shoe on the table in workshop. — A designer adds design details to a footwear prototype. Photo via iStock.

Key Considerations in Footwear Design

Footwear design encompasses various essential factors that merge both artistic and technical elements. Like clothing design, it involves shaping, texturing, coloring, and balancing proportions. However, it also delves into intricate engineering aspects. Here’s a breakdown of the key components of good footwear design:

Functionality and Comfort: Achieving the right balance between function and comfort is paramount. This involves tailoring the design to suit different occasions—be it formal, casual, or athletic wear—while ensuring ergonomic support and wearability.
Fit and Anatomy: Central to footwear design is considering diverse foot sizes, shapes, arch support needs, and biomechanics. Utilizing tools like 3D molds helps designers to craft designs that accommodate varied anatomical features and movement patterns.
Material Selection: Choosing suitable materials for different parts of the shoe is crucial for both aesthetics and durability. This includes decisions regarding the lining, insole, outsole, padding, and upper portions, with options ranging from leather and fabric to mesh and suede. The material selection also plays a large part in the sustainability of a footwear design.
Construction Techniques: Determining the appropriate construction methods—such as stitching, bonding, and molding—is vital for ensuring structural integrity and longevity based on the design’s requirements. As the construction techniques available are constantly evolving as new technologies are developed, this is an exciting area for innovation in footwear design.
Aesthetic Appeal and Style: Crafting visually appealing designs that resonate with fashion trends and brand identity is a core aspect of footwear design. This involves conceptualizing and refining sketches, prototypes, and design elements such as color, texture, shape, and detailing.
Ethical and Sustainable Practices: With increasing emphasis on environmental consciousness, integrating ethical and sustainable practices into footwear design is critical. This includes using eco-friendly and recycled materials, adhering to ethical labor and manufacturing standards, and exploring cruelty-free options like vegan materials.

The Footwear Design Process

Designing footwear is a multifaceted process that merges creativity with technical expertise. A team of specialists come together to bring the concept to life. Drawing from the insights of seasoned designers, let’s explore the journey of a shoe design from concept to creation.

A designer marks a last. Photo via iStock.

Step 1. Inspiration and Research: Before diving into the design process, it’s crucial to draw inspiration from various sources and conduct thorough research. Whether it’s personal experiences, emerging materials, or market trends, this stage sets the foundation for unique and innovative designs. We like to look for inspiration on Pinterest, Instagram, and Directive Collective. As shoes are tightly aligned with fashion, we also review WGSN for trends and forecasting in fashion, determining the desired launch date for the shoe and confirming the most promising trend directions for our project. It is also common to review trends in car design to inform footwear.

Step 2. Conceptualization and Definition: Once inspired, designers define the concept that will guide the entire design process. This concept serves as a reference point for every aspect of the footwear collection, ensuring a cohesive aesthetic and mood. This typically involves narrowing down the major category of footwear. On the spectrum of lifestyle to performance, where does it land? Is it for men, women, children, or is it unisex? Does it target a niche user, like being designed for a specific sport? All of these questions help to determine the purpose of the shoe and where it will be situated in the market.

Step 3. Style and Selection: With the concept in place, designers identify the style and characteristics of the footwear, considering factors such as form, design details, and production techniques. Selections are made regarding shoe shapes, materials, and design elements to align with the defined concept. This part of the process likely involves narrowing down the potential directions discovered in the trends and forecasting research. While there are a broad range of style and color trends active at any moment, choosing a specific palette and style direction helps to keep a design or collection cohesive. Often this step involves creating a mood board that will unite the design team in the vision for the design.

Step 4. Design Development: Building upon the chosen style, designers translate conceptual ideas into tangible designs. Sketches and technical drawings are created to visualize every detail of the shoe, ensuring consistency and coherence within the collection. We generate an abundance of ideas and edit them to identify the concepts that most closely align with the goals outlined in steps 2 and 3.

Step 5. Pattern Making and Cutting: Highly skilled artisans meticulously create patterns based on design drawings, taking into account factors like material properties and measurements. Patterns are then cut from selected materials, with attention to detail to optimize material usage and quality. A last – a mechanical form shaped like a human foot – is finalized. This is the template of the foot that will be used for the design going forward, and the quality of the last used will make or break the success of the shoe.

Step 6. Assembly and Prototyping: Pattern pieces are assembled by skilled craftsmen, stitching them together to form the full upper of the shoe. This assembled upper is combined with components like toe and heel stiffeners, insoles, and outsoles to create the prototype shoe.

Step 7. Prototype Assessment and Adjustment: The prototype undergoes thorough assessment by designers and artisans to evaluate its visual and technical aspects. Adjustments are made as necessary to ensure the prototype aligns with the original concept and meets quality standards. Variations might be created to finalize decisions around design details and test color combinations.

Step 8. Iterative Refinement: If adjustments are required (and they often are), the prototype is remade to incorporate agreed-upon changes. This iterative refinement process continues until the shoe meets expectations in terms of aesthetics, comfort, and functionality.

Step 9. Finalization and Production: Once the prototype is approved, the shoe is ready for mass production. Patterns are scaled for each required size, ensuring consistency across the range. With the technicalities ironed out and designs finalized, the shoes are ready to be brought to market.

Step 10. Brand Identity and Storytelling: Throughout the design process, a strong concept and cohesive vision contribute to the development of a brand identity. The relationship between designer and artisan, as well as the technical expertise applied, imbues the final product with stories and conversations that resonate with consumers. While the concept defining in steps 2 and 3 is powerful for a consistent internal understanding of the design, the storytelling step is about translating that vision for the consumer.

Footwear designers must navigate a complex process that involves concept development, material selection, prototyping, and production, all while keeping abreast of market trends and technological advancements. The industry’s focus on sustainability and ethical practices is increasingly becoming a defining feature, influencing everything from material choices to production methods. Overall, the footwear design industry is characterized by its innovative spirit, attention to detail, and the ability to merge artistry with practicality to create products that not only look good but also perform well. The footwear design process involves a blend of creativity, research, technical skill, and iterative refinement. From initial inspiration to final production, designers navigate a complex journey to bring their vision to life, creating shoes that not only look beautiful but also tell compelling stories to those who wear them.

Nature-Inspired Design: A Biomimicry Primer

Biomimicry, the practice of drawing inspiration from nature to develop sustainable technologies, is a transformative approach to design. Co-founder of the Biomimicry Institute and biologist Janine Benyus defines biomimicry as the “conscious emulation of life’s genius.” It is about intentionally learning from living organisms to address human challenges while considering the earth’s finite resources. Biomimicry enables the creation of innovative products, processes, and systems by offering a shift in perspective and the discovery of novel solutions to complex problems.

Other terms for design approaches leveraging biology for solutions include nature-inspired and bio-inspired design. Biomimicry stands out for its emphasis on learning from living systems to achieve sustainability. There are hundreds of examples of inspiring projects that use biomimicry to solve problems in a novel way. In this article we introduce the key principles of biomimetic design, outline a methodology for a biomimetic approach to design, and share some tools to get started.

Function First

Unlike designs that merely take the form of nature or reflect a love of nature, biomimicry is focused on learning from how nature performs various functions. This means looking deeply at behaviors in nature to understand how different organisms survive in their preferred environments. In the world of biomimicry, an adaptive function of an organism is called a biological strategy.

When beginning a biomimetic design project, it is critical to identify the function needed to address the issue. The designer asks what their design needs to do, rather than identifying the category of product they are making or considering the form first. They abstract the function in order to translate it into a question they can ask of nature. If their design needs to climb vertical surfaces, they turn to nature and ask, “How do organisms in nature climb vertical surfaces?”

Thinking in systems

There are often many solutions to the same problem in nature, and part of the art of biomimicry is identifying a biological strategy that suits the context of the design project. Identifying conditions of the strategy that align with the conditions of the human design problem ensures strong potential for a biomimetic solution. This context-based approach aligns with a push for systemic thinking that underpins biomimicry as a design method.

Both nature and civilization run on complex systems, and issues that arise are often due to system failure. Solving these issues requires the consideration of the system as a whole, and designers are encouraged to address any design problem with a systemic mindset. Systems have boundaries, sub-systems, or system components, and super-systems, or systems in which the system is embedded. Thinking in systems allows the designer to see that any issue is really a constellation of issues, revealing many potential points for intervention.

The Biomimicry Design Spiral

The Biomimicry Institute has developed a widely adopted methodology for biomimicry, the biomimicry design spiral. The spiral outlines six steps to use nature as a problem-solving guide. While they appear in a specific order, most teams find that they jump around over the course of the design process, revisiting steps again and again. Below is a summary of the steps. See the Biomimicry Toolbox for more details on the process.

Define the challenge

The Define step is much like the early phases of any design process, and involves researching the issue to identify the goals for the project. What will the design DO? Whose problems will it address? What is the context of that problem? Articulating the desired impact of the project clearly is a crucial first step.

Biologize function and context

The Biologize step is about identifying the key questions that will ground the next research phase. These questions ask, “how does nature do X?” In the biologize step, the designer develops a series of these ‘ask nature’ questions that pertain to their issue, reflecting on analogous behaviors displayed by organisms throughout nature.

Discover biological strategies

The Discover step is about gathering information to answer the questions developed in the previous step. The designer researches widely and creatively to learn how nature has solved the problems best aligned with their design problem. The institute’s Ask Nature tool is a great resource for this stage, as is reading scientific literature.

Abstract design strategies

The Abstract step is about breaking down the biological strategies found in the Discover phase to identify the specific features and mechanisms that make them successful. This is an especially challenging step in the process, and involves deeply understanding the biological strategy such that it can be abstracted or translated into a design strategy. Sketching and drawing diagrams can help with this. The designer reframes how the strategy works without biological references.

Emulate nature’s lessons

The Emulation step is essentially where the design ideation finally happens. This is where the designer translates the abstract strategy into a concrete solution. Typically many avenues would be explored in this phase, and the designer would ideate in many directions to exhaust the possible applications of everything they have learned in the biomimicry process so far. This is a good time to revisit the original design question and verify that the design function identified at the first stage of the process is still at the heart of the project.

Evaluate fit and function

The Evaluate step is about verifying the strength of the design solution. This includes determining how effectively it addresses the target issue as well as assessing whether or not it is regenerative, sustainable, circular, and otherwise behaves like a solution in nature. Thinking systemically is useful throughout the process, and especially critical here. Prototyping to validate the solution is important at this stage, even if at a low fidelity. Creating storyboards to outline how the user interacts with the solution can help identify strengths and weaknesses. Getting feedback from experts is also recommended.

Sustainable Innovation

The challenges of our planet need fresh, innovative thinking. Proponents of biomimicry acknowledge that nature has been solving problems with elegant simplicity for millennia. In this methodology, nature plays the role of an endless well of brilliant solutions waiting to be identified and harnessed for a better future. Sustainable innovation is difficult, but a worthy challenge to designers everywhere. Biomimicry is unique from other bio-inspired design approaches, and a powerful tool in a designer’s toolbox. With a focus on understanding and emulating nature’s strategies, biomimicry offers a pathway to creating designs, materials, and technologies that align with the complex living systems of our planet, supporting a life-friendly world. For more information on learning about biomimetic design, check out biomimicry.org and learnbiomimicry.com.

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