Hello Creative,
Below, we will discuss a few simple ways to finalize a garment design. Let’s ensure your designs are easy to understand and ready for the next stage of product development. There are many ways to communicate your design, and the following are some simple ways to finalize a garment design that will make the development stage more efficient.
Inspirational Images
The tip for finalizing your garment design is sketching and collecting inspirational images that showcase your ideas. Inspirational images are one of the best things you can do to ensure your design is what you envision. Use your creativity to draw out details that will show your pattern maker how you want your new design to look. You can do this using media such as pencils, paints, markers, or a computer. You can also collect inspirational images from the web. Pinterest is a great platform for this. Collect images that show the type of fit and fabric your design should have. Additional images can show details such as closures, stitching, or pocketing types. These images help communicate your vision for your style. As an apparel pattern maker and product developer, I always appreciate when designers are prepared with both sketches and inspirational images.
A mood board is a simple ways to finalize a garment design
Reference Samples
In my professional opinion, another helpful, simple ways to finalize a garment design are reference samples. A reference sample is an item that represents the fit, style, or shape of your design. You can have a button or zipper as a reference to communicate the type of closures you want your item to have. If you are designing a dress, you can bring a dress that fits similar to what you want your design to be. These reference samples will be helpful during your design meetings and review times with your dress pattern maker. You can discuss all the details that make your design unique.
Design Notes
Many of Bay Thread’s clients are not comfortable sketching or drawing. If you cannot sketch out your ideas, you can write them down on a notepad. List the things you want and also the things you do not wish to have. It may be easier to describe the type of sleeve your design will have versus drawing it out accurately. Make notes about the length of the dress will allow your pattern maker to instantly understand the look you are envisioning. Adding these notes alongside your inspirational images will create a clear visual, instantly!. This is a creative process, be creative!
Design notes along with your images are a simple ways to finalize a garment design
Apparel Pattern Making
Once you have finalized your designs, you are ready for the next step, the development stage. You will need to start searching for a pattern maker, a helpful pattern-making post. A pattern maker will review your design notes, images, and reference samples before creating the first sewing pattern. First sewing patterns allow you to move into sample sewing, a very EXCITING process!
Some will say that you need a design tech pack, we say SKIP IT! Most design tech packs are missing a lot of information and can lead to unnecessary work, which equals more of your budget. We like to help you save money so you can invest in new collections and expand your brand. Design tech packs can be helpful if done with extreme accuracy, we find it’s best to skip them to ensure the design is developed properly.
The design processes should be fun, so go for it. Don’t let your shaky sketches get in the way. The design tips will help you feel more confident sharing your design vision! To learn more about garment-making services, schedule a consultation, and we will have a one-on-one session to answer all your questions and explain the apparel production processes in detail.
If you have a question or want to learn more about a specific challenge or problem you are facing within the fashion industry, leave a comment, and we will create a blog post to help.
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