Saran Design Process

Creation of New Collection

Intro

How to start? From an idea to an actual product. What can make Saran Collection unique is a creative touch for each collection. However the main Slogan or core concept must dominate the entire collection creation. As a designer I believe concept creation is the most important part of design to be well executed in final product from inception to launch. A designer must have a complete freedom to form a transparent result of her creativity. Each design need to have a solid concept to form the new collection, Floral, Cultural, Exclusive fabric as the main material, etc.

1      Inspiration (7 months before launch)

A person who has got no imagination has got no wing. Creativity starts with a click. Only if a person observe carefully and think differently the especial moment occurs. I believe everyone can be creative. It’s a matter of practicing to observe and think differently. If people ask a creative designer how did you do it? He would say: “I don’t know I just saw something in it”.
To create there must be something to inspire the designer. A designer is always looking for enhancement. He thinks of something better. He can’t put up with all had been always offered to him. He wants to personalize it in his own way. There for There must be something to make him to think. Either some undesirable product or some fantastic product. Both can be the two sides of inspiration coin. As a designer I inspire myself with bad products and good products. I collect ideas or things that can inspire me, nature, landscape, buildings, interiors, jewelry, furniture, culture, colors, even what people’s tales, etc. They all will be my mood boards. I conceptualize all and create the pne which reflect my taste.

2      Drawings (6 months before launch)

Although Designer and manufacturers understand the design language they use, but it is impossible to communicate accurately without any sketches, luckily my sketching skilled excelled at architecture courses I had. Yet I can remember how I trained myself to sketch a shoe watching Youtube videos. Anyways in order to be accurate I create sketches in a reasonable scale maybe a quarter of real size shoe. I also use my architecture skill to show the shoe from all angles just like a building. And all material specification next to the shoe sketch. A very close friend of mine gave a Shoestrology book all the way from Australia, Thanks to Nikoo. All sketches were created by water color and mixed media, which inspired me to use watercolor rendering besides marker and mix media rendering. So at the moment all my sketches are created by one of these media in A4 size.

3      review and refine (6 months before launch)

A designer always will envision extra styles and pair to substitute at very end. Although a designer might be articulated about her idea and even two similar styles seem different to designer’s eyes. Therefore I let few more option ready to produce based on availability of material as well as manufacturer’s construction ability. As a designer you feel unfair sometimes to leave some of the babies I made behind and favorite some among all. But at the end of the day is about a neat, fine collection.

4      Create and assess sample (5 months before launch)

Once a designer finalize series of selected designs, it’s a time to make all specification ready and liaise with the manufacturers for execution of all dreamy ideas. Time to face the reality. The best way is solid real meeting between the designer and manufacturer to avoid any unclear part. Factors such as color, material and all construction parts as well as accessories. However being in Malaysia and having overseas manufactures it make it quite challenging to happen. However, I plan to meet the manufacturers next time when the series of shoes are selected. So during this time I am quite excited and each moment I am waiting for a feedback or question from the shoe maker, an exciting stress, I keep saying to myself: “Hold your breath and count to 10”.

5      Modification (4 months before launch)

Usually modification happens during and after shoe is made. Either your shoe maker has constrains in terms of construction and material or they are fully dump. My research shoes even the good designers will go through this stage not because of the dump shoemakers but for the fact that the ideas might not be as perfect as what the designer fantasizes initially. At this stage the designer swapped out few details such as accessories and colors.

6      Produce the line (3 months prior to launch)

This is the exciting part to folk out sufficient amount of money to invest for the quantity you order. At this stage usually you wait and farm the marketing strategies to sell the products. At this point the team will keep a track of time to plan the launch and promotion schedule. This will usually take between 2 to three months depends on manufacturer production capability as well as shoes quantity.

7      photo shooting and promotion (3 weeks prior to launch)

At this final point which is the most exciting part of the process is once you look for professional models and photographer who can understand your needs and expectation to produce creative photos.

8      Celebration (on launching day)

Well done and enjoy!

At the end, I would like to state I am so glad that I could write the above guideline, which is based on my experience. Honestly, I had no training or education once I started my first started designing shoes. I had no idea how far I would go and all the points I drafted were the stages I created my first production in 2014. Thanks to all my friends and family who supported me up to this point.

Cheers to creativity.

Sara Namdarian (Saran)