Blog 3 – Reflection
Blog 3 – Reflection
For the better lives unit, I chose to take on the Emerging Technologies in the Fashion Industry course. I’ve always been interested in technology, so combining this with Fashion seemed like the perfect course to take. With the current pandemic, we suddenly saw the introduction of new technology to our lectures, with them taking place in online sessions, which was incredibly interesting to see how quickly we all adapted to the current situation, and utilised the technology available.
In the sessions, we looked at different technologies that could be used to benefit the fashion industry, such as Blockchain, Augmented and Virtual reality, and AI. Although I was already aware of these technologies, and had a base understanding of them, it was very interesting to learn about them in much greater detail and see how they could be applied to the fashion industry in ways I never could have imagined.
As a group, we decided that sustainability was one of the most important factors we wanted to consider was sustainability, a very important topic in current times with the ongoing climate crisis.
For our final outcome, we decided to develop a trend forecasting app for the general public. We found that other trend forecasting tools where very exclusive, normally with a substantial paywall. To be diverse and allow anyone to access, we decided our app would be free. Also, the majority of people have (or at least have access to) a smartphone, allowing for a diverse audience to use our app. The app would show vintage trends from the past, promoting the purchasing of vintage clothes and therefore sustainability. We put together a pitch deck for an app, which is a process I had never heard of before, and was very interesting to not only look at past pitch decks from current popular apps, but also to actually make one as a team. We also used a SWOT analysis to help analyse our apps strengths and weaknesses, which was another process I’d never really done before. This process plays a crucial role in ironing out any potential problems in our design before it is completed. This has taught me an important process I need to add into my work, and I have actually already utilised in my own work to analyse a Fashion Facebook group that I help run.
As we come to the end of the better lives unit, I’ve found a new area of interest that I want to research further in my own time, and that I can even apply to my work, in ways I could never have imagined. I’ve learnt useful processes, such as a SWOT analysis, which I will be adapting to utilise in my future projects.
9th May 2020 @ 7:05 pm
I have gone through a lot of blog posts and each of them is very different to another one. Eventually, my attention caught the one written by Callum Baylis, who engaged in the Emerging Technologies in the Fashion Industry course.
When we had online lectures, the one that interested me a lot was on technologies in fashion so I instantly felt that this is something I want to dwell on.
I like how you pointed out straightaway the introduction and adaptation of new technology to the lectures as it is something that a few people neglect or take as granted.
Also, I am very glad that you and your team decided to concentrate on sustainability and came up with an idea that could potentially reduce the waste and teach our consumer society to purchase in a more environmentally friendly way. This is something that, on my opinion, every creative should think about and try to contribute to in the light of the last couple of years when our planet has started the process of warming faster than ever before.
The idea to create an app is also very good as now the majority of people (if not almost all of them) in developed countries use some sort of a smart device(s). That would make your concept accessible to a wide audience. Personally, I am from Estonia, which is considered to be an E-country worldwide and I’ve seen quite a few apps that were developed there that made some really good changes happen, making life easier and more comfortable for the people living in the country.
The SWOT analysis you used really interested me as I have never heard of such thing previously. I looked it up and read a lot of information on it and I genuinely now think that it is one of the best ways to see the strength of a concept as well as its weaknesses, areas where you could improve and the threats coming from the market where one is trying to break into.
I made a SWOT analysis myself after reading your blog, where I analysed the most recent photographic work I have produced in lockdown shooting people over Zoom and it was indeed extremely insightful as to what I have done well and what needs to be improved, if I have produced something that is already existent etc. This is something I learned from your blog post that I am sure I will use further myself as well as recommend my other creative peers.
Overall, after having read your blog post I got a feeling that you did invest yourself a lot in your team work and the subject and you managed to learn a lot. You even taught something new someone else like me, for example. Hopefully, your idea will be successfully developed into an actual working app that will promote and help the society to shop without really harming the environment.