Connecting Through Creativity, Technology and Business
Designers and Product Developers Meet the Challenge
August 12-13, 2009
Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, Pa.
Co-Produced by
Presentations include:
Lean Strategies for Product Development -Tim Curran, [TC]2
"Lean" concepts have been applied in manufacturing for decades to remove days from a delivery schedule. Applying "Lean" concepts within Product Development and Sourcing can remove weeks and even months from a development calendar. Implementing lean strategies into these functional areas will aid in: shorter development cycles, lower sampling costs, improved quality and less rework. This session addresses the following:
* What are the basic principles and terminology for Lean Businesses?
* How are lean practices being applied by Brands and Retailers in apparel product development?
* What are some established tools, such as value stream mapping and visual management that can improve my business?
* What are the supporting technologies that should be incorporated into my lean apparel strategy?
The session will conclude with examples that will show how apparel brands and other companies have made real improvements by adapting these time proven techniques to the design, technical design, and sourcing areas.
Global Strategy for Material Development: A Collaborative Supply Chain Perspective - Joe Walkuski, TEXbase Inc.
Global Supply Chain Management for textiles has historically has been a complex communication challenge. Specifications, testing data, material data, compliance data, and tech packs are currently exchanged via a plethora of methods. Emails, attachments, faxes, overnight shipments, mail, phone calls, etc have been in use for decades to provide information between brands and manufacturers across the globe. Web-based applications are the solution to streamlining this multiple communication method, enabling direct collaboration on specific information between all parties involved in real-time. SaaS (Software as a Service) is emerging as the platform of choice to provide these solutions globally.
Created by industry experts with deep material development experience, TEXbase has become the standard for collaborative material management software for the world’s leading apparel brands and textile suppliers. TEXbase provides a web-based, Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, allowing real-time internal communication as well as supply chain collaboration throughout the material development and bulk production cycles.
TEXbase fulfills communication and production solutions across the entire spectrum of the supply chain; allowing apparel brands to work with their downstream fabric mills and textile technology partners on real-time performance specifications, lab testing and fabric sourcing. TEXbase allows the material suppliers and textile technology companies to better promote and manage their fabric libraries and product certification for their brand clients within TEXbase or online portals through their existing websites.
From every aspect of TEXbase’s client base, the ability to utilize the material development tool through a web-based system allows for seamless, real-time communication on a global scale. Organizations utilizing TEXbase have seen significant cost reductions through more efficient communication across geographically dispersed office locations and world-wide supply chain partners by working from the same material data stored in a secure, centralized location.
Minimizing Hidden Supply Chain Costs Through Integrated Product Design and Management - Scott Constance, PRTM Management Consultants, Inc.
Over the past decade, supply chains of apparel and soft-goods companies have lengthened considerably— both in terms of the geographic diversity of sources for materials and labor, and in terms of the duration of time from first product input to the time of sale to the consumer. The direct product cost advantages from globalization are very real, but the
lengthening of supply chains carries “hidden”, indirect costs that offset the direct product cost advantages offered by global sources of supply. Our presentation explores three types of these “hidden” costs and offers insight from leading companies on proven practices for successfully minimizing them with integrated Product Design and Management techniques.
The first “hidden” cost: Increased Inventory and Working Capital
Sources of supply are more widely spread across the globe than ever, adding complexity and transit time to the product lifecycle. As a result, companies incur longer cash-to-cash cycle times and slower inventory turns. The traditional response has been investment confined strictly to the supply chain— for example, speeding factory flows and optimizing the location of distribution centers.
Leading companies today, however, are realizing the value of proactive product planning in controlling global supply chain costs. Companies that streamline portfolios from the start of a seasonal planning cycle are able to reduce overall inventory requirements in the supply chain without compromising customer satisfaction or delivery performance. The critical operational disciplines involved are choosing the optimal product portfolio based on market needs, and orienting the supply chain for high performance and flexibility for these top-priority products.
The second “hidden” cost: Reduced Material Sourcing Leverage
As apparel and soft goods supply chains become more global in nature, product design and material sourcing teams are frequently separated, both geographically and organizationally.This separation frequently leads to disconnected and sequential processes for product design and material sourcing. The result: Sourcing professionals get involved only after design is complete and with late information on seasonal buying requirements, reducing the company’s ability to keep down both material and manufacturing costs.
Leading companies realize that a strong level of human and process integration between Design and Sourcing staffs is still required, even if they sit in different geographies and in different organizational departments. For example, companies that synchronize the timing of early product design milestones with the timing of high-level supply negotiations are able to reserve key quantities of material and factory capacity at advantageous prices without over committing. The critical operational disciplines involved are ensuring appropriate communication of early Design decisions to Sourcing representatives, and conducting long-lead negotiations with suppliers based on these Design decisions.
The third “hidden” cost: Design and Development “Hand-off” Inefficiencies
Today, an increasing proportion of development tasks occur in geographies remote from the site of original product design. “Design handoffs” that once required a 15-minute conversation between a designer and a developer seated in adjoining rooms now involve designers, developers, and 3rd-party factory representatives seated in different countries,reviewing documents written in multiple languages. These conditions lengthen the time required to complete key tasks, from the verification of lab dips to the approval of sales samples— and increases the likelihood of costly errors in documentation, translation, and execution. Leading companies embrace the potential cost advantages brought by remote development, while taking steps to protect themselves from the critical and costly re-work caused by missed hand-offs in the development cycles. Companies that operate “virtual” crossfunctional development teams from the very beginning of product development cycles are able to capture many of the benefits offered by geographic proximity, while still enjoying the benefits of low-cost global development operations. The critical operational disciplines involved are ensuring strong communication skills across development teams, and ensuring that a solid information technology infrastructure exists to support collaboration and exchange of product documentation within the geographically-dispersed team.
In conclusion, we discuss the business benefits that come from addressing all three types of hidden supply chain costs simultaneously, rather than approaching them individually. We identify the ways in which integrated Product Design and Management techniques reinforce each other— for example, how good product planning can ease the process of making early Sourcing decisions, and how early Sourcing involvement can smooth the transition of a new product design into the factory for production. The final message is clear: global supply chains offer significant opportunities for cost savings, but require strong coordination of Product Design Management activities to operate smoothly.
Choosing the Technology Investment to Strengthen your Supply Chain - Gary Barraco, ecVision
Introduction:
While it’s hard to ignore the current economic and retail meltdown — especially as we watch the feeble year-end
sales figures — it’s worth noting that smart consumer goods manufacturers and brand owners are still investing in
supply chain technology. Technology decisions are made that are often costly both financially and in time and
energy, so it is prudent to arm yourself with some information before going forward.
In 2009, retailers will put expenditure budgets under greater scrutiny and new investments will be cost savings
focused, requiring shorter payback periods; expenditures will be made through the lens of cost and value.
These investments, some made quietly, will be geared to help enhance the expansive supplier networks through
technology portals that “right size” the supply chain.
Research studies of the apparel and footwear space clearly state that “in spite of an increasingly difficult
marketplace, apparel manufacturers and retailers plan to increased IT spending” in 2009 (AMR Research, Jan.
2009). An overwhelming majority of U.S. supply chain executives intend to maintain or increase technology
investments in 2009 despite looming economic woes. However there are caveats they are holding when
considering software purchases.
Business Problem:
To survive in today’s marketplace, retailers are under pressure to be better, faster, and cheaper than their
competitors. (Again nothing new here, but with consumer dollars harder to come by, more important now.) To
achieve these goals, retailers need to implement an automated, flexible and streamlined system that brings
together historically disparate processes. By reducing the strain and inefficiency often found when delivering new
products to market, more attention will be focused on managing the product and supplier.
Recommendation/Solution:
Bridging the functions typically found in disparate solutions into a single solution unifies the process, supports one
view and one source of data for both international and domestic sourcing for private label brands that have
become the industry standard. Data is consolidated to create a hub that captures all the information and manages
this information across multiple enterprise systems for the utmost efficiency.
Retailers and brand manufacturers are launching supplier portals which utilize a common platform to standardize
trade and customs documents, consolidate master shipment data and provide a means of collaboration between
the retailers, factories, agents and logistics providers. The projects are designed to strengthen the relationships
with suppliers and maximize profit margins by coordinating processes, boosting productivity and providing greater
visibility throughout the sourcing, production and shipment process.
Conclusion:
Business processes and technologies are rapidly changing in an effort to drastically improve supply chain efficiency and to automate manual, time-intensive processes. From retailers and manufacturers to brokers and wholesalers, these business challenges significantly affect every trading partner's bottom line. By employing a technology solution that crosses the functional areas of your business, your organization can benefit from this combined functionality. These solutions clearly address all of the challenges enterprises are faced with to measure, manage, and improve product development and supply chain capabilities.
A New Box of Crayons - Tom McCall, TCM Group
Abstract Unavailable
Digital Design through to Printed Product: The Sophisticated Workflow - Duncan Ross, AVA CAD CAM
This presentation will address:
- communicating designs and colours electronically
- communicating the correct data, colour and instructions to reduce lead times and wastage
- remote quality control of the print
- the case for home grown digital sampling
Synthetic Textile Innovations: Polyester Fiber and EcoCircle® Fiber-to-Fiber Recycling for the Advancement of Sustainability - Lisa Hayes, Drexel University
Raw polyester production from virgin materials uses a high amount of energy, is petrochemical based, is dependent on the price of oil and contributes greatly to carbon dioxide emissions. If not recycled, polyester products end up in landfill or trash incinerators at the end of their useful life. To combat these negative effects, polyester fiber producing companies are employing innovative technology in the recovery of garments, textiles and post consumer waste for recycling into new virgin quality fibers. Unlike the polyester fibers produced from recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate),which have some limitations, those produced from recycled polyester garments through the EcoCircle® fiber-to-fiber process are of the same quality as virgin fibers derived directly from oil. The making of new polyester raw material from used garments that are recycled and reprocessed, results in a reduction of energy consumption, CO2 emissions (greenhouse gas) and waste. These fibers are used in a wide range of innovative fabrics. Initially, the EcoCircle® program started with one uniform company but it has since expanded to three major companies including Patagonia which has successfully integrated this process into their product line. These developments in polyester fiber production are integral components for improving sustainability in the global fashion supply chain.
Avatar Creation and Virtual Dressing for Fashion Development – Kerry Maguire King, [TC]2
Abstract Unavailable
Real Color in a Virtual Reality - Ken Butts, Datacolor
In developing new products designers rely upon a variety of tools to push their conceptual product toward reality in manufacturing. A substantial amount of time and expense is devoted to material sampling, color sampling, and pre-production or prototype sampling. While color management systems have advanced and very reliable 2D images help this process, they have been lacking in their ability to view the product from multiple angles and points of illumination. Likewise Virtual Reality(VR) systems have not been very color accurate. A union now exists between these two work spaces that brings realistic color reliable prototype images to the desktop. This new technology will be presented, and applications in apparel design and virtual sampling will be explored.
Future Directions in Technical Apparel Product Design - Ellen Piper
The successful path forward in technical apparel for the 21st century will accommodate the convergence of end user specialization with ubiquitous computing mobility. As apparel designers, innovators and product developers, we can prepare ourselves with a broad appreciation of the converging sciences necessary to deliver products that exceed customer expectations: microelectronics, wireless networking, human computer interface, human factors analysis, nanotechnology and others. For example, seamless technology integration for designers today means producing a knitted garment without seams. For tomorrow’s end user, seamless technology integration will be the ability to wear and recharge ubiquitous digital devices seamlessly in a mobile environment. Delivering innovative design in technical apparel will require the ability to play at the intersection of converging technologies. As the DoD continues to fund research in these areas, they are shopping the consumer technical apparel market for off-the-shelf applications. This paper proposes to examine the some of the opportunities and challenges of the convergence of technical apparel design with the increasing need for ubiquitous technology integration.
Linking Technical Specification and Design through Intelligent Design Objects - Jill M. Simmons, Lectra
Abstract Unavailable
Innovative Approaches for Collection Planning, Organization and Development: Easy Technology Solutions for the Creative Process - Debbie Paggioli , Gerber Technology
Even though the apparel and retail industry continues to contract in the wake of current economic and geopolitical conditions, planned investments in Product Lifecycle Management systems remain strong.
Now more than ever, companies are embracing the benefits that a PLM system can provide across the business enterprise. Designers, manufacturers and retailers recognize that some type of PLM solution will enhance their competitiveness by enabling them to become more efficient and more nimble. However, identifying which solution is best and how to implement it are where things can become overwhelming.
The secret to success is for the companies to work upfront collectively, yet precisely, to define their needs and what they expect a PLM solution to provide. Once a solution is identified, careful and methodical implementation can make or break the success of even the best solution.
This session will cover some of the key business and process considerations which Gerber Technology recommends for every company - regardless of size or scope of PLM solution.
Digital Printing Dresses Up Couture Fashion For Michael Angel - Danielle Locastro, First2Print
Delivering consistent custom creativity is what couture fashion designer Michael Angel does best. Michael Angel is a collection with a strong signature image that remains focused on a consistent and recognizable look – season in, season out. The garments are about form, shape, texture and mainly prints. Michael Angel pieces have couture appeal and characteristics, yet remain accessible and wearable. As Vogue stating, “ he is the prince of prints”.
To own a piece from the label is to own a collectable piece of his art. The vision for the label is one that is conceptual, obsessively created and driven by Michael’s own art. The appeal of this label emanates from Michael Angel’s high-end design philosophy, and original art concepts. Artistically and visually this brand will be multi-faceted while maintaining a consistent brand message. Michael Angel’s vision for the label is one of renaissance and innovation for the worldwide fashion marketplace. You won’t fall asleep during any of his famous runway shows as he takes his imagination and inspiration and transforms them into fun and fab, not predictable or drab.
For the past 4 seasons, Michael turned to First2Print to make his colorful art come to life for the runway and retail. First2print is the industry leader in large format fabric printing. The company supplies digital textile design and printing services to customers worldwide. Combining today's most popular textiles along with state-of-the-art large-format color printers, customized software, and specially formulated inks, and talented staff, First2Print supplies some amazing fabrics for its diverse clientele for the apparel, home, accessories, interiors and costume markets.
Unlike traditional mills which have a minimum yardage and long turnaround time frames, First2Print can deliver yardage in just days. And it was just days, in fact about 3 weeks, in which the entire concept for a season comes to life — from idea, to drawings, to digital files of engineered panels, to printer, to sewing machine — takes place during the Michael Angel projects.
“What really drove me to work with First2Print is that they could really print my designs on hi- end silks and wools without loosing the details and vibrancy of color that makes my designs my art. They understand what I am trying to achieve. Also being able to have them be my resource for the actual retail orders world wide without carrying an inventory in the traditional way, has kept my design cycle streamlined. And in this day and age to have a everything at my fingertips has been wonderful.” said Michael Angel, couture designer. “A lot of flatbed or even rotary printing companies just can’t handle the time constraints and low minimums and the fact that I wanted to print on fabrics like raw silk or wool gauze.” “Michael always has a way of helping us push the technical boundaries of digital fabric printing. He also is a prime spokesperson for the benefits of digital fabric printing- limitless amount of colors in a textile design, engineered panel pieces and customized short run production. We really work well together, blending our digital expertise and talented with his cutting edge designs and desire to try something new and innovative,” stated Danielle Locastro, the Director of Operations.
Outside of the traditional textile world, great ideas and beautiful designs are converging for unique and novelty items. Designers and artists face a completely different sort of issue—where to go to print their small-scale yardage needs. First2Print uniquely combines its knowledge base of the textile industry with the digital world and graphics design. The company offers a selection of synthetic and natural fabrics for creating short-run textile designs.
First2Print can produce 5-500 yards of a specific design which is washable, wearable, and ready for retail. During these more custom-oriented projects, First2Print works with its customers throughout the entire design process to engineer a final product assembled with textile. First2print doesn’t do the cut and sew but has the knowledge and need to know the 3dimensional product that will be manufactured with the fabric.
For Michael Angel projects, First2Print and Michael have to work closely together in order for the cut and sew coordination to be accurate. There is no need for screens or repeats. Garment pieces can be designed as continuous yardage to be sewn according to a custom pattern. Or they can be designed as actual engineered pattern pieces with the imagery printed individually, inside of each pattern piece fits together like a sculpture.
This is a change from designing repeated patterns using the traditional rotary approach to designing for digital direct-to-print. For a traditional rotary method, design specifications are for cutting screens, usually about 12 screens per garment pattern. The patterns have to fit into a specific repeat (rotary) circumference size. In the case of the Michael’s collections, the garment design was an engineered pattern.
For First2Print, no two projects are alike — each carries its own intricacies.
“The biggest challenge was the organization of the files to make sure that the pattern pieces were correct to all parts of the final design and the collection,” adds Paul Cartelli.
“Typically, prints are a laborious process with lots of different elements of artwork that need to come together in the final piece,“ noted Michael. “But with the added benefit of digital printing, I have as much freedom as I do creating the art. And I could just give the artwork directly to the staff at First2Print that understood both fashion design and digital artwork. It was a real thrilling experience to be honest, because it was wild to be able to have the possibility of doing some of the subtleties that digital printing allows. I have the opportunity to really use millions and millions of colors.”
In the end, the deadlines art met and the collections hopefully sell to retail. Several Hollywood stars have already asked to wear a few of Michael’s pieces. What does the future hold for Michael and First2print? You’ll just have to wait and see the next collection.
Textile Design Engineering Within the Product Shape - Lisa Parillo-Chapman, NC State University
This paper addresses a body of research that seeks to improve the design and development of a class of products referred to as engineered designs. Specifically, the process for textile design engineering within the shape of a product. Textile Design Engineering within the Product Shape is an iterative and often highly collaborative design process. The purpose of this type of engineered design is to i) improve the performance of the product and/or, ii) to improve the aesthetics of the design. Products engineered for aesthetic purposes can create a seamless design by continuing a motif or fabric structure across a seam, dart or closure, and accentuate shape or movement. Products engineered for functional purposes can improve performance, comfort, fit, and movement, reduce waste, and reinforce areas of high wear.
Expert practitioners from industry, academia, and research institutes were surveyed on their use of engineered design. In addition, case study analysis was conducted on the engineered design process. Results from the survey and case study analysis assisted with building a four stage process model. The research uncovered a need for increased input from designers and the need for improved communication and collaboration between members of design and product development teams. New and emerging technologies such as digital printing, integral knitting, and 2D and 3D simulation software facilitate the engineered design process; however, these technologies are underutilized.
Bridging the Gap between Art and Design - Technology as a Catalyst - Heather Ujiie, Moore College of Art & Design
Digital Technology has had a dramatic impact on both the commercial textile design world, and contemporary art. The gap that existed between creative hands-on explorations and high-tech computed aided design is closing.
Innovative art and design today is integrating materials explorations, software manipulation, motion graphics and engineering to create surface design that goes beyond traditional outcomes. For this reason, the classic antagonism that had existed between fine art fields and design is disappearing.
My mission will be to discuss my own working methodologies as an artist, and a teacher, in relation to contemporary artists today making innovative design.
Transitional Digital Textiles: Hybrids for the Commercial Market - Duncan Neil, University of Ulster, Belfast
Digital textile technology has advanced production of commercial fabrics and widened the possibilities of their aesthetic design greatly over the last decade. Digital printing, laser cutting and digital embroidery have all provided solutions to the limited capabilities of traditional processes. Offering these processes as commercial services has projected digital textiles into the mainstream market which has now become saturated with examples of these modern techniques; it is no longer cutting edge to have a digitally printed dress or laser cut rug.
This paper explores the reasons why engaging industry to understand and embrace new technology can prove to be difficult and looks at what can be done to overcome these issues. This will be demonstrated by examining case studies; looking particularly at designers and artists who have experimented with multiple digital processes yet opted not to pursue these techniques in their practice. Overcoming the lack of engagement in digital processes will be shown by looking at contemporary designers looking to progress the use of digital textile equipment for the commercial market. Designers can become caught up in software and trends resulting in them completely disengaging from the processes that will ultimately give them their aesthetic. Innovation in design now needs to be engaged with processes, taking these new technologies a step further. Singular processes are everywhere we look in the commercial market, to keep ahead industry must look to hybrid processes. Digital can be impressive but we must not forget the traditional routes of our disciplines. In troubled economic times it is vital to stay at the forefront offering something new and innovative that will sustain reliable customers while attracting new sections of the increasingly global market.
Adjusting Daylight and Solar Heating in Office Buildings – A Practice Based Investigation of New Decorative and Functional Solutions - Joy Boutrup, Designkolen Kolding
In both old and new office buildings there is a need to regulate daylight and temperature according to changes during the day and the seasons. For the employees strong sunlight often cause problems when working on computer screens, and increase of temperature in the office space can be most impeding. But it is also important to have sufficient and changing daylight in our working environment, as it is vital to our health and state of mood.
This project seeks to merge aesthetical, functional and theoretical reflections into decorative indoor shadings, which can be used for adjusting daylight and solar heating at individual working spaces in offices. The objective is to explore solutions that will take maximum advantage of daylight in order to save energy.
The decoration is applied as an active changeable element, which can provide a pleasurable experience to the employees. The research is practice based and carried out through a series of experimental investigations of ornament, textile materials and – techniques in combination with polarizing, UV- and IR-filtrating foils.
The level of light diffusion can be designed by the choice of fibers and density of yarn and construction. Furthermore, the finishing techniques and the layout of the decoration can play an active role in the distribution of daylight in a room. Fabrics and foils can be manipulated and decorated in various printing techniques and laser cutting to obtain different levels of transparency and diffusion.
Apart from its functional properties, textiles also have specific tactile, poetic and aesthetic qualities, which are linked to our early subjective emotions and bodily experiences. These experiences are at the same time collective and included in our common cultural references. This aesthetic, technical, functional and cultural knowledge is the vocabulary of the textile design profession, all of which are used in the practice-based experiments.
The paper will describe and discuss the preliminary experiments carried out in a 1:4 scale model of an office, and full scale experiments with woven and printed qualities including the use of newly developed fibers.
Textile Print Development at Carole Hochman Design Group -Andrew Vermeulen, Carole Hochman Design Group
Abstract Unavailable
Charting the Course of a Designer - Gretchen Morrissey, MorrisseyDesign LLC
The work of one freelance designer is the product of academic training, philosophy, work environment, and a changing toolset. The portfolio is like a passport, bearing the stamps of each port of call. Moving from a university textile print studio to a liveaboard sailboat to a solar home in rural North Carolina, the design business has
evolved from marketing hand printed silk scarves, handbags and pillows to textile patterns licensed to the trade and gallery shows exhibiting hand pulled prints. The artist tools vary from traditional wood block printing, to computer aided design and alternative printmaking technology, while the subjects reflect natural images of coral reefs, moth wings seaweed and forms inherent in the places traveled.
Innovation and Creativity in Interdisciplinary Collaboration - Marcia Weiss, Philadelphia University
Interdisciplinary collaborative projects provide a platform for professional-level, shared experiences.
Working across a range of disciplines on a unified theme illustrates the opportunities and challenges that interdisciplinary collaborations present. To do this successfully, it is necessary that stakeholders initially identify and articulate ideas and possibilities within their own area of expertise. Crucial to this idea is each participant’s full exploration of a concept, utilizing their discipline’s process, requirements and language. Developing this knowledge forms the foundation and springboard for subsequent interdisciplinary collaborations. After the individual “in-field” explorations are completed, participants enter the collaborative process informed as to both the conceptual merits and challenges. This conversant audience may now present and discuss their individual ideas, identifying areas of intersection and convergence, as well as differences and dichotomy.
These challenges and opportunities were highlighted through an academic exhibition entitled Lace Futures. Students across a variety of disciplines—from Industrial Design to Fashion Design, Fashion Industry Management to Interior Design, Architecture to Textile Design—tackled the theme of lace in projects specific to their fields. These projects were brought together for a grand assembly of ideas—an intersection of developments—where students not only viewed the work of their peers, but also sought opportunities for collaboration. Whose approach was intriguing or engaging to them? Which students from other majors were thinking in similar veins? Students were invited to move beyond their own exploration to develop collaborative projects that crossed disciplines. These projects, and the process by which they were undertaken and achieved, illustrate the benefits to developing an informed body of creative individuals, who speak not only the language of their discipline, but are able to understand and explore the innovative potential when working across disciplines.