Technology Research - QRcodes

Various uses of QRcodes:

http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/qr-code-integration

From marketing polys to gimmick messages places on various surfaces, QRcodes have been incresingly used since it's existance.

QR codes seem to be on the rise in the tech world but what about in the fashion world? Don’t self proclaimed “Fashionistas” of our generation deserve the same sort of information quickly and efficiently? Fashion changes daily, almost hourly on the fast paced runways of New York to the boards of Vogue Magazine. So, why not implement a tool that could potentially get fashion and trends out to the public quicker than ever?

QR codes are a fashion statement in itself, what with its little pixels placed so perfectly into a little square and with its very chic black and white design. It’s no wonder clothing companies like Ralph Lauren and Gucci are cashing in on these little “Haute Couture” gems.

Let’s say a fashion buyer is at a New York City fashion show at the Lincoln Center and they are waiting for an up and coming designer’s show to start. But before they sit down the buyer spies a QR code on a special boxed gift for each attendee of the fashion show from the designer. That QR code, after being promptly scanned by their trusty smartphone takes them to a bio about the designer, where she came from, how she became a fashion designer and even a sneak peak of some of the fashions. That designer has just piqued the interest of the buyer which makes them more inclined to buy clothing from that line and put the pieces in their upscale 5^th Avenue boutique.

Not only do QR codes work for the runways they are creating quite the buzz in department stores and stores like Express and Aldo. By having a special QR code in their stores, either at the front of the store or at the cash register stores like Express and Aldo can create a one of a kind fashion experience for the customer. The QR code could lead them to accessories that would look great with that new sweater they bought or entire outfit suggestions to get the customer to come back to their store to shop for that party of the year that customer is going to.

QR codes can also be generated to pique even more interest in that particular stores fashions by directing the customer who scanned the code to an interactive page where customers could build their own outfit or collect images that they like and then receive suggestions on what to buy in order to achieve that look. Not only that, but QR codes can bring them to a special events page or a coupon that promises a percentage off their next purchase. Larger fashion designers are evening offering a sweepstakes entry after a QR code is scanned. While fashion is ever changing so is technology and it is about time that they went hand in hand.

By Lisa Sanders

Model image from - http://www.inspirare.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1-Paper-Shape-Maria-Mrowca.jpg
Thinking about QRcodes on garments. I decideded this idea was too basic and from the research I have found it has already been done, before so I will continue with my research for a suitable theme.

Kaleidoscope App On Prints

PE Presentation Review

Were your aims / objectives clearly articulated visually and verbally? I explained well what process I was using to create my designs but may have been undecided when it came to what I was going to do with them next. I was advised to continue with fabrics and link it more with the life and death idea, for example using ethereal like and transparent fabrics to print on. And also looking at what you can further do with the accessories idea, or example attaching accessories to garments to contain ashes, or creating labels of memoires to the garments.
 
Did you include appropriate contextual references? Included relevant images that had been specifically picked out so they related to what I was talking about in my presentation but maybe needed more, which would be gained from more artist’s research so I could put artists between each process of my work so it linked better, and then I could have added more pictures of my own work. I could have also worked on the layout of the images more as they were a bit square and was not consistent throughout the slides, I could improve this by creating the images in Photoshop so I had a collage of my drawings and then put them in a slide.
 
How well did you explain your theme, idea or concept? Needed more thorough explanation of the wearing death idea. But it's still not a focused concept so it’s still quite open, just has an underlying theme. More practise of the presentation could have been beneficial as it didn’t quite flow, but nerves did make me forget some points at the beginning of the presentation.
 
Are your methods, techniques / lines of enquiry clear and challenging enough? Working outside of my usual process of taking photos and making them straight into a print, by creating more conceptual work. This involved more research and analysis, but also finding a way of translating my ideas into a visual print. I think I articulated quite well how I wanted to create more depth and dimension to my digital prints by using a range of media when I am drawing and then working into them after I have printed them.
 
How or will the project I am working on now relate to the next unit (Unit X)? I would possibly continue the idea and create flats of the printed garments or accessories into one or more collections.
 
Are you clear about the market or context of your work? Missed out mentioning a specific season being autumn winter if I was using wools or spring summer if I was using light and transparent fabrics, and the buyer profile = young fashionistas that aren't afraid to experiment and challenge to boundaries of fashion.

 

Zeiss Microscope

Using the microscope I've taken pictures of animal cells on screens. Some have been taken from a human.

Presentation for Practice Project

 

Photoshop Logo

First edit

Experiments in Photoshop for https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pottymouth/262920257058769?fref=ts

Adapted from image:

It ended up looking more like a t-shirt design and being too complicated for a logo, however it was fun to create.

Final Outcome

My trend book is aimed at the audience of print and pattern designers for possibly Spring/Summer 2014/2015 because it mainly consists of atmospherically pages, suggestions of motifs, and inspirational images.

Although I struggled a lot with dealing with a new way of thinking and working with the mostly conceptual research and creating 3D structures for this project, I think I benefited from exercising my skills in these areas because now I will know what to do and expect next time.

I felt that my time management was quite poor as once I got to creating the trend book that there wasn’t enough visual material for it, as I had been concentrating on creating the garment on the mannequin more. I also think I would have benefited from researching trend and look books more to inform the content of my book as I had previously never really seen one before. However from my research into the process of how and why designers get their inspiration for their next trends from trend books has enlightened me in the process of the design practice of digital print that I plan on going into in the future. I also found that having tutorials with a range of other practitioners can bring a refreshing insight to my work, as the presentation with Laura Bowker made me think about my work in a different perspective.

Overall, I think I have found a balance between research and visual material for the trend book if I was to do this project again. Because I think there’s a point where you research too far at the beginning of the project that you lose the original concept, so I think that is why I struggled with my concept. And I would have spent less time on the slow processeses of manipulating the fabric of my 3D construction, so I had that time to research into trend books more.