soft goods Archives - Interwoven

Soft Goods Prototyping

Soft goods design is its own special area of the design industry, and soft goods prototyping is similarly unique. At Interwoven Design we specialize in soft goods, so we make a lot of these prototypes. The process we use is particular to our studio, and to demonstrate why we like this method we’ll explain what is special about soft goods prototypes and walk you through the steps. This prototyping method can become a powerful tool even for designers who lack textile and sewing experience.

What is a soft goods prototype?

Prototyping is an iterative process and starts with a combination of 2D sketches and 3D mockups. these first “prototypes” are to quickly asses a design idea and are used to study volume, form, access points and closures. Once the form is starting to become refined we then progress onto a higher fidelity mock-up. this article explains how we go from a paper mock-up to a fully resolved prototype that serves as a model for manufacturing. We call this final model a “high fidelity prototype”. It looks like a new product that is ready to take home and use.

The ability to create a high fidelity prototype from a pattern is the goal of soft goods prototyping.

The goal of the soft goods prototyping process is to develop a pattern that will result in a consistent, high fidelity end-result as well as to create that result to demonstrate the viability of the pattern. A key stage in this process is making a Muslin.

What is a Muslin?

We will use “Muslin” with a capital M to indicate the soft goods industrial design mock up in a basic textile as compared to the basic cotton “muslin” fabric that most often used in this process. A Muslin is a model of the design that has been sewn up in low resolution fabrics, not using final textiles, colors, or hardware. It is a specific stage of the soft goods prototyping process that helps us to test the accuracy and quality of our pattern before using final materials. A Muslin is a tool on the journey to developing a compelling prototype that allows us to work out any issues with the design before moving to final materials. It may or may not be literally sewn in muslin fabric, though it often is.

A Muslin (with a capital M) is a critical tool for testing the accuracy and suitability of a soft goods pattern.

The Brown Paper Pattern-making Method

But how do we move from a drwing and fast mock up to a pattern from which we can cut a Muslin? We use a process called the Brown Paper Patternmaking Method to create our soft goods patterns, a method developed by Interwoven Design’s principal designer Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman. In this method the designer sculpts a full scale model of the desired soft good in brown craft paper, marks it up, cuts it apart, and creates a pattern with it that is then sewn up and tested for accuracy and performance.

We’ll walk through the steps and show some examples to demonstrate the key concepts, but here is the overview of the process:

Create a refined design drawing
Sculpt a full scale craft paper model from the drawing
Add seam lines, grain lines and cross marks
Cut the model apart to create pattern pieces
Transfer the craft paper pieces to pattern paper
True the patterns and add seam allowance
Transfer the pattern paper pieces to muslin
Sew up a Muslin and make any necessary adjustments to the pattern
Sew up a final high fidelity prototype

The Steps

1. Ideate to create a refined design drawing. This process should involve 2D and 3D sketches to develop your design concept. Think about hardware, colors, and final materials as you create this drawing. Your design drawing should be a detailed and refined schematic that serves as a blueprint for the model making that will follow. While some refinement will be possible in future stages, the drawing should be as close to a final design as possible.

A refined design drawing considers the final form, materials, colors, and features of the design.

2. From the design drawing, sculpt a full scale model in brown craft paper with masking tape or painter’s tape. Craft paper behaves a lot like a textile while holding its shape well, which is why we use it for this method. Creating the initial model is the most difficult step of the entire process. If you can get this step right, the rest of the process will flow naturally. Any adjustments that need to be made to the original concept will be made here. Anything represented in your sculpted model will be transferred to the final model, so make sure it is what you want.

Here are a few tips:

Starting from the “base” – sculpt the form of the model so that it looks as close as possible to the finished design – it should be the same scale and shape a your concept
Only use tape you can draw on. Use as much as you need.
Draw on your model as needed to show every detail: curves, closures, straps, pockets, handles, etc.
Refine your sculpture until it is airtight and exactly the form you want.
Edges should meet neatly with minimal to no overlap.

The full scale model in brown paper should be neatly and precisely constructed.

3. Once you are satisfied that the object fits and functions as desired, draw seam lines with a fine tip Sharpie. Be sure to consider how 3 dimensional shapes will be created by joining flat pieces of fabric and draw a seam where the flat pieces join. Think of how a basketball, baseball or tennis ball are made from flat pieces to create spheres. A noter good tips is to look at your own soft goods possessions to see how they are constructed.

Seam lines determine the practical construction of the form.

4. Mark grain lines (north-south lines that denote the grain of the fabric from which the bag will be made) on each of the brown paper model pieces. Add cross marks and labels to each of the pattern pieces. Cross marks will act as guides to rejoin the pattern pieces once you separate them.

Think of a pattern as a puzzle in 3 dimensions, create a guide for yourself so you can put the puzzle together again. Cross marks are markings perpendicular to the seam lines that show where the components created by the seams connect. Give each of your pattern pieces good, descriptive label and be sure not to duplicate label names. You can use photos to capture the construction and make a map of how the pieces fit together.

6. Cut the brown paper model apart. Be careful to cut the seam lines as straight and as neatly as possible. Use scissors or an Exacto knife to cut with precision and using a metal ruler where applicable to also help create clean lines.

IMPORTANT TIP: If your bag is symmetrical only cut the right half of the bag and leave the left half intact. You will be able to “reflect” your pattern to make a perfectly symmetrical pattern from only ½ of your model.

Adding grain lines, cross marks, and component labels ensures that you will be able to recreate the form once it is cut apart.

7. Transfer the brown paper model pieces onto pattern paper. Double check that all of your seam lines are the same length by “walking” your seams on top of each other. This is “trueing” the pattern and ensures that the pattern will fit together with smooth seams when it is sewn up. Seams that are not the same length will not sew together correctly. There will be too much fabric on one side, and the final model will be messy. This can be avoided though careful review at the pattern stage. Be sure to transfer labels and cross-marks to the pattern paper. Once the pattern is reviewed for accuracy, add a seam allowance of ½”.

Cut with clean, careful lines to get the most accurate pattern possible from your model.

8. Transfer your pattern pieces to muslin (or your chosen mock-up fabric) and cut. In the studio, we use wax transfer paper and a tracing wheel to transfer the pattern accurately to the muslin. but you can also cut out the pattern pieces and trace them onto you fabric.

Accuracy and care is needed at every stage of this process to make sure the final result reflects the original model.

9. Sew up a Muslin and assess thoroughly. The Muslin is a test of your pattern, it allows you to resolve any issues before creating the final prototype. On the Muslin, you can add zippers, trims and plastic hardware so you can test how things work and feel. Make any adjustments needed and transfer them back to the pattern.

Once an initial Muslin is sewn and assessed, a second or third might be created to further refine the design. These changes are updated in the pattern.

10. Finally your pattern is ready for final fabric. Transfer the pattern to the back side of the final fabric, cut it out and sew up a high fidelity prototype in final materials. This final model proves the quality and viability of your pattern and it should look like it could be purchased and used immediately.

Once the Muslin demonstrates the viability of the pattern, a high fidelity prototype can be created.

Try it!

While it takes time and attention to use the Brown Paper Pattern-making Method, it is a wonderful way for those unfamiliar with pattern-making to create original patterns that can provide consistently professional results. Do you have a soft goods design idea you’ve wanted to bring to life? Try this prototyping method!

How Does an Idea Become a Product?

Millions of products launch every year but the process behind how they all come to be is often mysterious. How does an idea become a product? What is going on behind the scenes?

In our What is Soft Goods Design? post we shared a broad overview of the product development cycle that we follow for each project at Interwoven Design. In this post, we’ll walk through our specific studio process in detail, breaking down each phase of our workflow to provide insight into how a design studio functions, and how a good idea becomes a great product.

Product Development

Our design process embodies the true nature of collaboration. Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, our fearless leader and the founder and principal designer at Interwoven Design, leads our team to achieve ambitious goals throughout the design and product development life cycle. By approaching industrial design with a start-up mindset we can iterate quickly, constantly informed by user testing and feedback that allows us to create innovative and functional wearable products like the Apex Exosuit.

Interwoven Design Process: Research, Design, Prototype, Manufacture & Launch — The Interwoven Design Process has four main stages: Research, Design, Prototype, and Manufacture & Launch

Design Research & Analysis

We conduct design research and analysis that includes key requirements, physical constraints of the product, marketing objectives, examples of similar solutions, materials inquiries, aesthetics, and preliminary fabric research. Using this research as a jumping off point, our team explores additional aesthetic research, including trend, silhouette, texture and colors.

Brainstorming

Collaborative discussions to brainstorm product features and technical options based on market and technical research can be highly generative. All ideas are then put forward and distilled into a single product goal.

Research

Market research includes observational research, existing products, comparing features, benefits and capabilities, determining how price and performance compare across the current market, and first-hand teardowns of competitor products.

Planning & Design Concepts

The planning phase is a collaborative and internal effort to initiate the product development process. From a detailed definition of the product scope to the initiation of the creative design process, this includes concept creation, color development, materials research required for the full product, and silhouette sketches for both the apparel (as we do a lot of products that are worn on the body) and industrial design.

Product Scope & Management

Defining the scope is a collaborative effort to create the product vision, finalize the list of product requirements, and establish a product roadmap wherein every required feature is tied to a user need.

Concept Development

We provide textile (apparel and soft goods), product and technology design solutions guided by research. Multiple solutions are presented at this stage. This phase includes preliminary fabric research and the establishment of a product technology platform for the client brand as well.

Alpha Prototype

We create a series of ideation sketches and alpha (first round) prototype mock-ups for conceptual solutions. These proof-of-concept prototypes are created quickly and consist of looks-like and works-like models to promote rapid iteration. The goal is to test and iterate as fast as possible to get to the best solution.

Ideation Sketches

We provide refined conceptual designs that have been selected from the sketched concepts. Detailed drawings of each of the selected designs are presented in multiple views and rendered with a high level of detail.

Alpha Prototype Mock-ups

Two to three proof-of-concept alpha prototypes of the conceptual designs are developed. Materials are identified and low fidelity alternatives are used where needed. Each subsystem is prototyped independently with each iterated upon two to five times until it meets the chosen requirements. An aesthetic prototype can be created if requested by the client.

Beta Prototype

We make a collaborative effort with the client to choose the final subsystem implementations to be used in the beta (second round) prototype. The final product offering is determined and the final design is triggered. This final stage is often where the most difficult decisions are made between functionality, cost, and aesthetics.

Prototype

This phase involves the development of a fully functional and looks-like pre-production prototype that matches the list of requirements. It involves two to three iterations of design, development, testing, and redesigning, depending on the product and client needs. CAD files are created for rapid prototyping, preliminary mold making, and pattern making.

Production Hand-off

We coordinate the hand-off of the design and prototypes to an internal product development or production team. We can also work directly with a manufacturing partner to facilitate the transition from high fidelity prototype to mass production.

Manufaturing

As the work is in progress through manufacturing, I will remain available to give on going support the product through its final stages of development and consult with respect to whether what is being sourced, manufactured and delivered is in conformity with the specifications and of suitable quality.

On-going relationship

We maintain an ongoing client relationship throughout product manufacturing. This relationship can include any or all of the services listed here. Ongoing relationships are structured as a monthly retainer agreement.

Services

o Project management with manufacturing partner
o Continuing design innovation (R&D)
o Company technical advisor

So…that’s it!

So, that’s how an idea becomes a product, at least in our world of industrial design. Do you have an idea for a great product that you’d love to see brought to life? You just might want to reach out to us! Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for design news, multi-media recommendations, and to learn more about product design and development!

What is Soft Goods Design?

Interwoven specializes in soft goods design but… what are soft goods, anyway? And what is soft goods design? We’ll walk you through how to define and identify soft goods and some of the important design considerations behind our favorite products to make.

So…what are soft goods?

Soft goods are a growing market in the US, with influencing factors that include the rise of homeownership and the general rise in consumption witnessed since 2020. The largest market players are driven by innovation (that’s us!), eco-friendly business practices (that’s us, too!), and product line expansion (we do that!).

The dictionary definition of soft goods is:

“goods that are not durable —used especially of textile products”
~ Merriam-Webster

The term was first used in 1798 during the industrial revolution. Soft goods are primarily made with soft, non-rigid materials, though rigid materials can be incorporated into the design as well. Their characteristics tend to include comfort, cushioning or impact resistance, wearability, ergonomics, and aesthetic appeal. Think of your most beautiful and treasured belongings: how many of them are soft?

The materials that make up soft goods include not only textiles but paper, foam, rubber, gels, and other yielding or flexible materials. While they may last for decades, they are still understood as having a limited lifespan due to the gradual wear and tear on the non-rigid material components.

a warehouse worker wears the Apex Exosuit and lifts a box — The HeroWear Apex Exosuit by Interwoven is an example of a soft goods design.

a model wearing the apex exosuit holds a large box — The Apex Exosuit, like many soft goods designs, blends hard and soft components for comfort and performance.

If this definition may seem broad and somewhat vague, that’s because it is. The open description reflects that soft goods are a large category, encompassing a wide range of products. Some people think first of functional apparel when they think of soft goods but this is not the primary usage in the industry. Many soft goods incorporate solid or plastic components like backpacks, bags, tents and other sporting equipment, and medical devices. The easy way to think about it is that soft goods are made primarily with ‘soft’ materials, but it’s only useful once you’ve understood the deeper definition.

**Wait, what are soft goods not?**

While soft goods have some overlap with non-durable consumable goods, they are not quite interchangeable terms. Non-durable goods are considered those purchased for immediate or near-immediate consumption with a lifespan of three years or less. These include household goods like laundry detergent and sponges, apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and gasoline. Compare these with durable consumer goods, which include things like vehicles, furniture, and household appliances. At Interwoven we makes a distinction between functional apparel and soft goods, apparel being such a massive category that it is more useful to consider it separately – they are a completely different sector of our business.

While some soft goods are considered durable, the term is more closely associated with non-durable goods. Hard goods are, in comparison, closely associated with durable goods, which include products like tools, appliances, electronics, and jewelry. Hard goods are manufactured with ‘hard’ materials like plastic, wood, metal, stone, and composites. We specialize in incorporating hard materials into soft materials, to make them wearable and functional on the body.

How are soft goods manufactured?

As one can imagine given the size and diversity of the category, soft goods can be made with a wide range of manufacturing processes, and often multiple processes would be needed. These include ultrasonic or heat welding, sewing, knitting and weaving, mechanical fastening, injection molding, and bonding. These processes might join multiple soft materials or a combination of soft and hard materials.

Okay, but how are soft goods designed?

As the market is competitive, with many options available to the consumer, companies look to have soft goods custom-designed to stand out and appeal to their customer base. The design process can vary from one company to another in terms of the naming of the steps, the number of steps done in or out of house, and the time spent on any given step, but the structure tends to be some kind of iterative design cycle. There are often issues around fit and comfort that are specific to the soft goods product category. We can’t tell you how any given designer might do it, but we can walk you through how we do it.

Research

The research stage is about understanding people. The design process begins with determining the most important considerations for the desired product, which involves understanding what those considerations should be and why. This phase often involves observing and interviewing the intended audience about their needs and challenges as well as having conversations with the company about brand identity and project goals. It also includes determining the scope of the project, for example if the designer will be developing packaging and marketing materials as well as the product itself. Great designs empathize deeply with the people they are designed for and put them at the heart of the process.

Design

The design phase is about ideation and conceptualization. Ideation is the generation of ideas or concepts. A typical goal of this phase is to think creatively and generate a large quantity of ideas from which to draw. There are many strategies for both groups and individuals to use, including brainstorming tools and games, sketching, and model-making. Innovation and playfulness are powerful drivers for this stage. This phase is continually revisited to further explore and refine each prototype.

Prototype

a designer corrects a cad drawing — A designer incorporates feedback from a previous technical drawing into the new drawing.

A series of prototypes of the most promising ideas are created to further explore their validity. Each prototype is assessed by the designer and client together to determine what changes might be needed or desired, and a new iteration is prototyped. This process might take months or even years depending on the complexity of the product. Considerations for a textile product might include details like the specific type of material to be used. Should it be knitted or woven? How much stretch does it have, if any? Is it moisture-resistant, insulating? Does it need to meet any health and safety requirements? How much does it cost? Where can it be sourced? Likely several materials will need to be combined, each with their own list of properties required for the application and target price-point. How will they be joined, and what manufacturers are able to do the necessary processes? How will the desired form be constructed? Testing and assessment occur with each prototyping phase.

Manufacture & Launch

the components of the apex exosuit are arranged around a travel case — The Apex Exosuit is a system that has multiple sizes for various components and a traveling case.

a model wears the apex exosuit, showing the back detail — A model shows the fit of the final look-alike prototype for the Apex Exosuit.

After multiple rounds of review a final prototype is approved, at which point the final technical drawings and material selections can be finalized. We create technical drawings and outline the material specifications so the order can go out to the manufacturer. We leverage the new product to capture industry market share.

So…what is soft goods design?

To return to the original question, soft goods design is a specific subcategory in the design industry that specializes in the design of products made with primarily but not exclusively non-rigid materials. It is a major category that makes up a significant part of the US consumer market and is driven by innovation, form, and aesthetics. The design cycle at our studio goes through four phases: Research, Design, Prototype, and Launch & Manufacture.

Interwoven Design is a design consultancy that is positioned at the intersection of soft goods and wearable technology, creating products that function with the body and offer comfort as well as the superb performance that arises through the innovative incorporation of rigid, often electronic and responsive elements. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for design news, multi-media recommendations, and to learn more about product design and development!