Working in the physical design space for over ten years gave me some fundamental knowledge on how important and challenging it can be to build a healthy interlap between creativity and business. I worked for a mid-size design and manufacturing house in New York City that offered occasion-wear for women.
Fashion, Design &NYC
My story in New York’s fashion & manufacturing industry is important. It was the beginning of my journey into the world of participatory design thinking.
I was promoted to work more closely with the CEO, Product Manager as my title; this position involved acting as a liason between the design, production and sales/marketing teams, while maintaining a keen eye on our competitors, the marketplace, partnering and facilitating with our overseas production teams in Korea, China and India.
My role evolved over the years. I started as the Executive Assistant to the Director of Design, who managed eight different design teams, each producing seasonal collections that shipped to high-end department stores and boutiques across the country and worldwide.
Then I was promoted once again to Director of Sales & Merchandising. I led a sales team of four while continuing to work with lead designers to collaborate on creative direction, holding the voice of our customer at the forefront of the dresses we offered.
COLLECTIONS
Becoming a UX designer gave me an interesting retrospective look at the fashion industry.
Comparatively, the garment industry was a dinosaur beside tech. Systems were antiquated, a waterfall work style was inefficient and designers often seemed disconnected from the women who they were dressing, bartering utility for delight. That being said, I was struck by how the design process itself still held many similarities. For instance, the basic stages of design were mirrored:
Discovery Phase
Define Phase
Design Phase
Delivery Phase
Later, as I studied the principles of human centered design, I realized how much empathy with women seemed to be missing in the fashion world.
UX Design follows an extremely systematic approach that is dedicated to understanding the needs, pain points, and goals of the customer. Ux’ers are intentional about thinking through context, avoiding bias, and listening deeply in order to uncover needs. Also, an agile process with constant testing and iteration saves time, money and reputation.
I believe that if the fashion industry used even an ounce of this knowledge, we would have saved millions of dollars.