Penryn Campus Library. 10:38 a.m. There seems to be a common confusion among Sportswear Design students in terms of our new project ideas. Communication appears to be the only logical way we could solve this problem. Just chatting to people has been proved to be in fact an amazingly helpful technique, called ‘Conversational Thinking‘. So what we all do is just quickly improvise what looks like a sketchy interview with everyone from the group in order to find more about ourselves and our brands, to discover our own personalities and interests that we would like to communicate through the products we design.
I quickly brainstorm several ideas, feeling quite stuck at first, but after a while, as everyone else is preparing for an interview, everything slowly becomes clear. I am now aware of a word that could describe what my brand is all about- PERSONALITY on every level- comfort, uniqueness, colors, love for the product, quality, durability, usefulness. I also want my pieces to communicate my message, a certain feel of cheerfulness, something exotic and different, something that I am and my products will be.
So I tell all of that to my coursemates. They smile and nod, make quick remarks and listen carefully. So do I. It looks like we have some new ideas over here, and finally, a big part of the exploration process is listening what others have to say about their brands. The way they think and the things they say, their different perceptions and objectivity are a crucial factor in discovering what exactly my brand is going to be.
I now have a clear image of my designs. I can visualize my prints on a jacket, part of myself put into a piece of clothing, I can see myself in my products, and I know this time it is going to be more personal than ever.
Image Sources: afroklectic; kampalafair.com; playbuzz.com; yogi-moni.tumblr