chapter 5 design and realization

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CHAPTER 5

Design and Realization

5.1 Visual Research

5.1.1 Mind Map

The mind map shown bellow is an overview of the problem that arises from the change of

lifestyle affected by the technological progression of our society. The author realized that many of

the current fashionable bags in the market are not built to meets the daily bag requirement. The

design of the bag should evoke the spirit of modern man through its deeper sense of simplicity and

each bag should be a vessel for all men.

Figure 5.1 Compact Modern Men’s Bag Design

Source: The Author’s brainstorm result

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The mobile lifestyle of men requires their bags to perform further and able to adapt to their daily

needs. Providing men with a fusion of functionality and design will support men in living

efficiently and projects a smart living of the future.

5.1.2 Visual Inspiration

5.1.2.1 Fashion Minimalism

Pawson in his book Minimum (1996) defined minimalism by sticking to its most basic necessities

and appreciating the absence of unnecessary features keeping it neat and sleek while not

compromising on function. This literal interpretation of the word minimalism, is literally making

clothes reduced to nothing, everything that is monochromatic and stark are now deemed

minimalist. This term has been abused and undervalued by the general public. This term on

aesthetics should be an approach to modernity not the pursuit of modernity.

Today minimalism is still a movement that continues to lean on futuristic values, with a strong

emphasis on geometric structure and artificiality. Minimalism was bound to undergo this shift, the

old minimalism sees the human body as its primary structure and taking the most natural form, it

trumps rigidity and thrives on fluidity. The author has taken the middle ground where he believed

that minimalism in art and in design are a separate phenomenon. Although it runs in parallel it has

definitely adapt in their own required field. While art is moving towards pop art and contemporary

art, fashion is throbbing towards modernism by using continually growing with the evolvement of

lifestyle and technology. The author has listed three values in minimalism in the earlier passage

which are austerity, anti figurative and accessible.

The subject of minimalism has been radicalized and demonstrated by the Japanese designers in

many fields. They are a true representation of how minimalism is a lifestyle that could be embraced

through a respect of simplicity. This idea of minimalism and simplicity appears in many other

cultures around the world but the Japanese has profoundly display its beauty. The beauty of

minimalism is amplified through so many aspects that is gracefully imbedded within the product

specially through craft; architecture, utensil, art, and fashion. In the Journal of Aesthetics written

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by Saito (2007), this dimension of aesthetic is greatly influence by the Zen culture that heavily

values the plain and simple objects.

Figure 5.2 Japanese Minimalism Movement & Culture

Source: Google Art & Culture

The author was focused on its simple outer shell and giving it maximum capability on the inside.

Through a deeper understanding of the concept, the author was also reminded that minimalism is

much more than the use of single color or single material. It is connected tightly by aesthetics with

a broad spectrum of contemporary development and continuously adapting to the “now”. In

conjunction to the Dark Wonder theme, the Japanese Minimalism plays a role in providing a

guideline of future living through its design perspective. The relationship between the two visual

inspiration would be displayed in the chapter 6.

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5.1.2.2 Dark Wonder & Design Characteristics

“Dark Wonder” as one of the 2018 fashion trends from WGSN takes on how immersed in

technology our live would be in the future. Our dependence on technology is taking the human

existence into a state of limbo between reality and the matrix. This theme is inspired by an

adornment of the mysterious luxuries that the future hold. There is a depth of mystery imbedded

in this theme, a dramatic and otherworldly style, the following paragraphs are the four

characteristic of Dark Wonder taken by the author. The four characteristic in the designs are; Caged

construction, urban urchins, clean clandestine, and night crawler. Each of the characteristic

represents a distinction that act as a guideline to differentiate the theme, inspire and inform. The

following pictures are visual representation of the characters of the the final design of the author’s

brand.

“Dark Wonder” offers an edgy look on the formal and casual mix that would definitely attract the

younger men’s market attention. The elegant look of the night moves towards the everyday design

through upscaling the basics. Using material that offers textures and depth will elevate the basic

design tone. From this theme the author draws guideline to the design. “Dark Wonder” plays with

tactility, enhancing function and aesthetic, with designs range from restrained look to deeply

elaborated luxuries. The author was also aware that the design was closely related to youth culture

and the urban living that reflect a rebellious character of street art. Textured surface, dark color,

bright accents, were integrated into the design to make a loud edgy statement while heavy leathers

and hardware create a tough attitude. The author will express his design by firmly intertwining the

art of minimalistic and the street culture.

The first character is “Clean Clandestine” it is a refined designed that is communicated form its

tough material and a secretive mood. The second is “Night crawler”, this character brings an

elegance in to the design by cooperating luxurious material that comes in a shape of velvet, suede

and a deep jewel tone colors. It is a mesmerizing design movement of the current enhancement of

design by altering shapes with provocative construction. WGSN used the term “Urban Urchins” to describe the mixing of urban style and subversive gothic design that represents the look of dark

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wonder. This direction fused luxury fashion with urban elements while keeping a mindset of

upscale men’s bag.

Figure 5.3 Dark Wonder Design Characteristic

Source: www.wgsn.com

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Beside taking the theme “Dark Wonder”, the author also took a direct inspiration from the current

trending men’s bags in the market. WGSN provided a forecast from the street fashion around the

world and the current designs created by the respected fashion brands. The author realized that the

key to relevant design was to know exactly what the market wants and where it is currently moving.

The design forecasted by WGSN was closely connected in terms of design characteristic. It was a

classic silhouette created with a refined yet tough material, keeping lines sharp and proportions

exact. The following were the key items that the author has selected to inspire this project, they

are; the performance rucksack, casual shopper or tote bag, versatile backpack, the hobo and sports

holdall. These would be the foundation of the overall collection created by the author.

The performance rucksack remains as an essential style for men as it focusses on functionality.

This aspect of the style integrated well with the authors mission written in this report. The

performance rucksack has the attributes that supports the dynamic lifestyle of men. Multiple

pockets, fastenings, adjustable straps, weather proof material reflect all the upmost functionality.

Figure 5.4 Catwalk Analysis on Performance Rucksack


As more designers explored the design for men’s handheld bags, the potential of integral profile

of casual shopper meets the demand for fashionable and versatile bags for man. This look was now

sought after as the messenger bag becomes more redundant, the casual shoppers has a more modern

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approach and more casual profile. The author believes that this style brings a new relevance that

will create an upswing in office and intellectual look. The author decided to approach this design

to counter two of the most common bag that is worn by working men which are the messenger bag

and the briefcase. It was a continued importance to shift the market taste in style and finally gives

the casual shopper a wider commercial appeal.

Figure 5.5 Catwalk Analysis on Casual Shopper


The versatile backpack is one of the most adaptive as it falls on multiple style category and use.

This style of bag has always been an important style, the bag could be spotted across the catwalks

and as well as on the streets. The versatile backpack did not leave out the importance of

performance materials, as demand for both utility and sports driven looks.

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Figure 5.6 Catwalk Analysis on Versatile Backpack


The hobo bag was another representation of “most men don’t really want to look like they are

carrying a purse”. The bag it self took a silhouette of a women’s bag, but with this design it

gravitated towards a more unisex shape just like the casual shopper. Men were more drawn to this

shape as it forms a more masculine look specially with its dark tones and bulky size.

Figure 5.7 Catwalk Analysis on The Hobo


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Lastly, the holdall were now reinvented by reinvigorated with an active quality and integrated

functionality through its material. The use of performance material such as nylons were an upgrade

to its versatility, it enhanced the athletic look with a sense of luxury. This style was now wrapped

around with bold colors and straps reinforcing its importance as a “athleisure” looks, combining

both athlete and leisure. This bag was not a new design in fashion, but brands were continually

innovating through the addition of function and look. The following pictures showed just how a

variety of colors and material were able to be used in creating this type of bag. Unlike the casual

shoppers and the hobo, the holdall was already taking a masculine shape and what left to do is to

be creative in the designing process while worrying less on whether it would look feminine.

Figure 5.8 Catwalk Analysis on The Sports Holdall


The demand for bags with both versatilities in style and function had dominated the preference of

the market. The author saw this opportunity to create a product that would satisfy its growing

demand. Bags were once an exclusive purchase for female pastime and so were fashion products

in general. The author was aware that designer from the high-end brands to high street were starting

to develop a firm footing in understanding of what men wants from a bag. An extra effort has been

taken to repackage this knowledge into a product that could is stylish yet utilitarian to cater men

in their everyday activities. The author believes that men prefers a that offers a perfect balance

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between practical and sophisticated. From the 5 styles above and the theme the author draws 4

design character that acts as a guideline.

1. Stealthy street wear

2. Utility product

3. Unusual and opulent

4. Mysterious & secretive

5.1.3 Mood board

Image 5.9 Scholar Mood board

Source: The author’s picture

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Through the mood board at image 5.10 the author was displaying the character and image of the

brand as a whole; through colors, textures, tag line and also a vocal point that is represented by a

man that portrayed the ideal targeted consumer. The mood board was dominated by a muted tone,

emphasizing a sense of luxury and masculinity. The dominating visual of the snowy mountain and

the urban city view within the mood board was showing an emotion of tension and complexities

of our nature as human. “Scholar” is a brand with an objective of creating a product that is able to

perform under the demands of the current lifestyle. The color that is presented through the square

palette was taken from the “Dark Wonder” color selection which the author wrote in the earlier

passage. The mood board also showed a few bags from other brands that the author hope would

create a visualization on the reader’s mind on how the end product would take form.

5.2 Design Process

Image 5.1.1 Design Process Cart

Source: The author’s

FIndingProblems

Brainstormingsolutions

DefiningTheproject

IdentifyingCompetitors

TrendResearch

ConsumerReasearch

DevelopingDesigns

ExploringMaterials&

Colors

CreatingaSampleProduct

Evaluation&Revision

FinalProduct

EvaluationofProduct&Marketing

CreatingMarketingContents

ImplementMarketingMethods

LauncingTheBrand

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The author began the process by finding a problem that was identified as a need in the market. The

needed that could be fulfilled by creating a product that would support their life to counter the

problem. The author then identified a number of problem that would then be filtered to find the

most probable problem to address. With the help of the lecturers the author came to a decision to

reintroduce men’s bag through a new sense of utility and function. The solution for this was

to create a bag that was able to give men a convenience in carrying their devices and create a

compact space for their other inventory. The product that was created by the author would focus

on the modern aesthetics and a style that is adaptive to fashion trend and technology.

The next step for the author was to identify the competitors in the market, which were the brands

that create the similar product. The author identified the competitor mainly from its similarity in

design and function. From this research the author could saw a clearer view of how the existing

product took shapes and how it generated interest in the market. By observing the competitor, the

author was able to estimate the price and position that is suitable for the author’s product. After

the competitor had been identified the author created a profile of who are the targeted customer

for the product, the profile was created with a number of consideration from the price, function,

and style. Then the author dug deeper into what motivated the market to purchase the product

through a qualitative research. The qualitative research was based on finding their preference on

bags from color, shape, style, price, and many of their emotional motivation in choosing a bag.

From the research the author was able to gain some data that was important in developing the

product and what should be implemented in the brand.

With all the information in hand the author began to develop the design for the bag. The design

was inspired by two main inspirations which was the future trend that is taken from WGSN and a

minimalism design movement. The author also added functions within the design in the form of

pockets and compartments that was neatly concealed in the bag. In the design process the author

also created a color palette for the collection that is taken from the theme of the future trend. After

implementing the color in the design the author is finding varieties of material that would be

suitable for the bag. The author realizes that the material was the essential factor to give the value

that the author had promised the product to be. Finding the right material had been the biggest

hustle for the author, every material has different character, that had to be understood and

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experimented to really see the result. The author had chosen two main materials and one main

supportive material. Cordura has been chosen to be the primary material for the products while

leather and canvas acts as secondary material to give accents and to support the overall structure

of the product.

After the process of designing and choosing materials, the author picked 2 design and created a

sample product. The first sample products were merely a sample; they were still a first trial in the

journey of launching the product. The first sample was the first step in getting a physical form of

how the design and material were in one form. The author went through 3 sample designing

process to assure that the bag was created correctly from shape, stiches, color, function, hardware

and the overall quality of the craft. In this process the author was also making revisions along the

way, the author keeps an eye on the progress from pattern making through stitching so that

mistakes are avoided and revision could be make at the right time.

Finally, the author was ready to create the final product that he felt worthy to represent the brand.

The author then created a marketing contents from look book, video campaign, catalog, social

media page etc. with the marketing contents ready the author could finally launch the brand and

implementing the marketing strategies. Through out the process there were countless trial and

errors which was expected; from material, design, craft, and function, the author went through the

process of failing and coming up with a solution to the problem.

5.2.1 Product Sketches

The author firstly designs the product by creating a template based on the shape of a rectangle. By

creating a basic template, the author was able to efficiently sketch and not stray away from the

basic shape of a functional men’s bag. during the process of designing the author stayed in the

wearable lane, hoping that the product is accepted by the market. The sketches made by author is

dominated by symmetrical lines, the author valued the concept of structure and the integrity of the

bag. The unity of the style would later be implemented and translated in the form of stiches, folds,

and unified textures.

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In the early sketches the author seems to have astray from the general idea of minimalism. There

are so many unnecessary features that creates distraction, moreover the sketches were not

technically thought through. The following figure are a few sample of the author’s early sketches.

Illustration 5.1

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Illustration 5.2

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From all the picture shown on the earlier pages a clear style could be seen, all the design is

dominated by symmetric shapes that are represented by crisp lines. The author presented 3 style

of handheld bags with folds and stiches as an aesthetical feature. The author also experimented

with zippers that are placed on the exterior that serves more than just looks. The author’s products

are kept as plain as possible but substituted by the complexity of its structure and quality.

The following illustration is a selection of shapes and opening that could be applied to the bag.

The illustration demonstrates the overall structure of the bag and its size. The size of the bag is

designed to meet its purpose which is to house a number of personal devices but keeping its

compact look. All the bags are enclosed by zippers on the top and straps as handles.

Illustration 5.2

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Through the guidance of the author’s supervisor, the minimalism aspect of the product is more

profound. It is now simplified externally and designed with the concept clearly in mind. The author

has also drawn the product digitally to be able to alter easily without starting from sketch.

Illustration 5.4

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The design in Illustration 5.2 are the sketches that demonstrate the styles of the bag. The 4 style is

differentiated by its basic shape, opening and straps. Here are a few more designs with the same

exterior but different details.

Illustration 5.5

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After some more evaluation made by the supervisor, the author made a few more style to tryout.

The following illustration are also based on the trends and the project objective. The bags are

decorated by sippers and long bag handles.

Illustration 5.6

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Illustration 5.7

5.2.3 Final Product Illustration

After a process of sketching and consulting, the author has 6 designs that will made up the first

Scholar collection. With this 6 designs the author wanted to evoke a feeling of admiration for the

simple and plain. It might seem a little bit risky creating a design that could be interpreted as

anything but complex. The author is willing to be fully submerge in the minimalism philosophy

that inspires the whole collection. The collection is a stream of both conscious and random emotion

that were imbedded from the Dark Wonder theme. The product relies heavily on its material, as

seen on the following page all the products are in one color. The product illustration shown bellow

are not in a final production state, colors and minor structure alteration are still possibly made

during the production process.

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Illustration 5.8

chapter 5 design and realization

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