Meeting The Designer

As part of my final module for Year Two, I am collaborating with a Furniture and Product Design student at NTU. My immediate thoughts are…scared. What does this have to do with my course? I must admit I’d never considered how closely related furniture and fashion were; fashion is more than just clothes, it is about how we live and view life which can be translated into lifestyle products.

We have been briefed to act in the role of a Brand Marketing Consultant, with the Furniture Design Student as our Client, creating an innovative and strategic brand and integrated multi-channel communications plan. The initial meeting with the designer was daunting, what if their idea was bad? I felt like the success of my grade really relied on their creativity, not my own. Luckily, my design partner Dan was obviously passionate about designing and this translated clearly through his fantastic work.

Their brief was based around Narratives and Rituals and they were required to make three products that assisted these rituals. Dan has based his products around his intensive beard grooming routine, a ritual which was taught by his Grandfather and evidently meant a lot to him. The product will be made up of several components including: a timber tool kit with a cement casted base and several grooming tools such as a straight razor and a refining shaping comb made from steel. Fortunately for me, he was very clear on what he wanted his brand to represent “I want people to look at it and think ‘men for men’, not too pretty and refined”, which has already set me on a good path to envisioning the brand essence and personality already.

Pictured is a brand board made up of visuals which will allow me to focus my initial vision for the brand, however when I see the final products I am sure this will change somewhat. So for now, I am going to start on the basics of creating brand but I really do hope I do his products justice as I can see its so personal to him.

#project #furnituredesign #fashion #firstblog