Task A3 | Existing products

🔎 What? ❗Why?

Analyze a group of similar products that inspire a solution to You are trying to figure out what makes related products a
the problem. success (or not) and you are trying to come up with ideas for
your own project.

⚙ How?
Inspiration board
● Choose a product idea from this list - Choice of Upcycled Product
● Create a Pinterest board of a range of products (at least 25) that are an inspiration to your specific project.
● Present a screenshot of (a large part of) your Pinterest board in your design folder. Include the title and the hyperlinked
source of your Pinterest board.
● Consider also - When creating your inspiration board, choose products that are different from each other. If the
products are very similar, you will gain only limited knowledge and inspiration for your own project, because most
products will lead to the same conclusions. It is likely that your inspiration will not only come from products that are
similar to what you have in mind. Quite different products may have features that inspire you as well.
● Review the high-level example and the rubric (below) to ensure you have enough detail.
● Choose and justify which project plan will be the foundation for your project. You will incorporate elements from other
projects, but choose 1 that best represents what you want to make.

Inspiration Board of:Small Pouch structure and designs:

Source: Malani, Sanika “https://www.pinterest.com/sanikamalani/inspirational-designs-for-design/” Pinterest Board. Feb 2020.

PMI analysis | Plus, Minus, Interesting
The command term analyze is defined as:

“Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure.”

In this task, this means conducting a PMI analysis for the products you identified in your inspiration board.

Tips for analysis:

● Evidence that you looked closely at the site of the pin.
● Identified properties of the products (size, shape, style, functional effectiveness, appropriate for fabric,
appropriate for your skill level, appropriateness for the client).
● Bullet points but full sentences.
● Explain why it is a strength/challenge/interesting point

⊕
Analyze strengths (plus) of the products. In your analysis clearly identify and explain specific features that
make the product successful.

● Number 1 has a firm fabric because you can’t see any creases and you can see the fabric is thick
which is good because then the fabric won’t tear as easily. The one issue with having a thick fabric
is if you overstuff this product it could tear, and then you can’t fix the pouch without making the
product look bad. For my pouch I could use a softer and stretchier fabric so I can squeeze extra
things in, if it doesn’t fit.
● Number 1 has a nice size that seems about the size I want. There are multiple sizes for this product,
there is small (6" X 5") medium (9.5" X 6") and large (12.5" X 8.5").
● Number 1 has a nice shaping of the product. I can put things inside of the pouch, and it has a good
capacity for the things it can hold. Though the fact that the fabric is a little thick it will make it
harder to place more things.
● Number 3 shows a similar design but it shows the zipper and how the product should look around
the end (after i’m done with making the product) I like number 3 because it seems easy to stitch
since its the straight stitches and 1 zipper. I’d say it around my skill level. I also like this product
because the fabric seems a little thick.
● Number 5 has very basic lines. My skills for stitching are very basic so I chose designs that are basic
lines that I can copy onto my own pouch. The sizing in the picture is quite small so in my real
product I'll make it bigger, since it will be the only pattern. I think the design for my fabric will look
good because my fabric is a little thin so I’d be able to hand sew on designs.

⊖
Analyze weaknesses (minus) of the products. In your analysis clearly identify and explain specific features
that make the product less successful.

● Number 1 is very shiny and has multiple designs, but what will happen if someone has that product
for a long time, will the gold color rub off? If the product rips how will you fix it without making the
stitch look bad or like it didn’t tear. Since the fabric is a little thick it can get creases easily. Since the
gold has been printed, there have been reviews of the print being slanted but since the gold isn’t
supposed to be straight it should be okay.
● Number 13 is a very simple yet neat product. The only issue with this product is the zipper is metal
and gold, so if you use this product for a very long time, the gold will wear off making the products
zipper turn silver. Since the more you use the zipper the more the product’s color and will go back
to its original color (which is usually silver or bronze)
● Number 3 has a good shape but the way they have positioned the pouch the pouch is gonna be flat
even if you place things inside. This pouches shaping is nice but the size messes things up. The size
is not too big, if it were bigger it would be easier to place items inside and fit inside since the pouch
is very flat because the fabric isn’t very easily bendable. So if you ever wanted to place your
products inside it would have to be very squashed.
 ● Number 4 has a mesh material which could tear easily. Mesh can get hooked somewhere inside
your bag and tear up the material. If you overstuff the pouch you could tear the mesh, since mesh is
a delicate fabric. Mesh is usually used for beach bags or sports wear since it is fabric that is easily
breathable. So the mesh can tear or you could spill a liquid inside and it will be very hard to clean
since the mesh is puffy and quite hard to stretch.

ℹ
Outline all take-aways (interesting) you have gained for your project by analysing the products. Take-
aways are Ideas that are worth remembering for later in the project.

● Number 6 has a very innovative design, because it shows a hand shooting out planets. It's good because it is
very easy to copy (for my pouch) and because my skill level is quite basic so me adding a very simple design
will make it easier to execute this idea.
● Number 5 is not as innovative as number 6, since it's a basic hand movement. I also like this because not only
is this my skill level but it is so simple but interesting to look at. It's also a bit of a challenge because I'm not
very good at drawing hands, so if I want it to be good I'd have to practice.
● Number 8 is a lot like 6 since they both consist of planets. Maybe I could combine numbers 6 and 8.
Since they are quite similar, number 6 has a hand with planets right above it, and they are exactly
the same, except one consists of a hand while the other doesn't. Since I don’t want to repeat
designs.
● Number 7 is just plain but I really like it because the flowers give such a simple but cute look. It's
also appropriate for the client because the client likes simple but elegant designs, kind of like this
design. It’s also a challenge to re create this because the threading needs to be straight and the
tread has to be thin. If I make a mistake it will be hard to undo since my fabric is a bit thin so it
might poke a whole in the fabric leaving a mark.

Choose and justify a project plan

Select one of the products from your inspiration board and justify the choice for this product to design in the next
stage of the design cycle.

Your justification must address the following elements:

Why did you choose this product over the others in your inspiration board? Explain how it is appropriate for:
● your client
I choose this for my client because the design is simple to re-create and the fabric is thin but not thin and not too
thick either. So if she would ever need to fit extra things inside the bag she could always squeeze some stuff
without fearing that the zipper will break.
● the fabric you chose
The fabric I have isn’t very thick or thin but I’d say a bit more or the thin side kind of like this fabric. So if i do
replicate this it would be easier than a pouch that has a firmer material.
● your skill level
I’d say out of ten my experience is around 5. I have used a sewing machine and have learned very basic ways of
stitching on fabrics. I like to stitch very fast but then I never go in a straight line so I can always work on that. For
the sewing machine I'm pretty good at it, but sometimes the thread gets stuck so I can always watch tutorials to
fix that.
A3 Assessment
Level Descriptor
0 The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1-2 The student presents some
existing products that inspire a
solution to the problem.
3-4 The student outlines features
of some existing products that
inspires a solution to the
problem.
5-6 The student describes common
features of similar products
that inspire a solution to the
problem.
7-8 The student analyses a group
of similar products that inspire
a solution to the problem.
Typical features of student work
❏ The analysis of the individual products lists specific features as strengths
or weaknesses.
❏ The inspiration board is not completed, nor a link to your source.
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates limited analysis and thinking
about client, fabric and skill level.
❏ The analysis of the individual products outlines specific features as
strengths or weaknesses and leads to some further insights regarding the
project.
❏ There is a limited number and range of products in your Pinterest Board.
There should be at least a range of 25 products that are different from
each other
❏ The source is included, but not in, proper MLA format.
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates basic analysis and thinking
about client, fabric and skill level.
❏ The analysis of each individual product or system describes specific
features as strengths and weaknesses and leads to meaningful insights
regarding the project.
❏ There is a sufficient number and range of products in your Pinterest
Board.
❏ The source is cited in proper MLA format.
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates sufficient analysis and thinking
about client, fabric and skill level.
❏ The analysis of each individual product or system explains specific
features as strengths and weaknesses and leads to impactful further
insights regarding the project.
❏ There is an extensive number and range of products in your Pinterest
Board.
❏ The source is cited in proper MLA format.
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates sophisticated analysis and
thinking about client, fabric and skill level.