I got to work on a SMU for Hawaii
this week. They were looking for some flat billed/rounded trucker hats that had graphics from old t-shirts that were made for them last season. So there wasn't much creativity needed putting these together. The client called out everything that they were wanting. Its a good learning process to make these tech packs though. I had the opportunity to go with Josh to visit a few hat vendors in the area. We stopped by New Era and a company called PDI to either pick up some samples they made or to talk about projects in the works. It was good to see what these vendors were looking for from our end. It made more sense to see why we need to call certain things out on the tech pack.
I also worked on putting a CAD together for another backpack/hip pack. It looks like an over sized hip pack that has a pocket that contains the other half, turning it
into a backpack. I'm not sure this will fly but its a fun new design to see.
On Wednesday I did another CAD for a backpack. I took an old CAD that I put together and added elements from a different backpack. This was a little bit challenging because I usually have a prototype to work from or pictures of all angles to work from. This time I had to use my imagination to figure out what the sides and back of the pack looked like since I only had a front view picture to work from. I'm curious to see if the pack will turn out. I felt that the dimensions were a little tight for the layout I was given. Josh asked me to keep the sizing, as well as a few features of the old pack the same which made a few spots of the pack fill to close.
Folders! Most of the Fall 10 line is finished. Josh is having me work on items that might or might not make the line. There was talk about adding school folders to the line so Josh had a few ideas that he had me CAD up. The top folder is a three ring binder that has a separate organizer. The bottom folder is just your normal school folder. On Wednesday me and Josh met with a vendor (American Joe) to have a prototype made up of the 3 ring. I guess Element will decide on if it will make it to the line up depending on how its received. So far Zumies is the only store that's expressed interest.
I also worked on a back pack and finalizing the CAD on the headphones this week. The headphones are a new product to Josh and Element, so its been fun to be involved so closely on the process of having them made. I spent most of my time calling out every possible design element that I could. A little research went into headphone construction and vocabulary. Hopefully this will make the building process easier for the manufacture. I have to say that I'm not super excited about some of the design elements that Josh had me do. I think the sherpa fur lined headband is a little over the top, but it will be fun to see a working product. For the most part the internship has been about drawing up a working CAD and not so much about design. I'm a little disappointed to find out that most designs come from knocking off other products and copying colorways that are "IN" for the season. I think for ultimate design freedom a designer will need to take on their own company. There's a fine line in producing innovated fun design and being marketable I suppose...no fun.
