The edition I’m reviewing has the following details: Bloomsbury, 2016 | ISBN 978-1-4725-6729-1. There is a newer edition here.
I’ve written a smidgen about design development before, but somehow not yet got around to showcasing this book on the blog. This book review is dedicated to the pilot students of my knitwear design course. At the time of writing, they were navigating their way through the design development process by way of principles and techniques. In short: it is a lot to manage, and one way of dealing with the intensity is to keep a sketchbook.
Exploring the design development process
The sketchbook is really an object for exploring the design development process. Although geared towards undergraduates, this is a valuable book that shows just how many strings designers must pull together to create collections. Take a look at this book, even if you have no intention of working in the fashion industry. It’s an inspiring insight and reference book that takes you on a fascinating journey: seeing how ideas take form.
There’s no specific focus on knitwear or any constructed textile, but the exploration of design development is the most in-depth I’ve seen so far. The clarity achieved without sacrificing this depth is outstanding. Sharon Rothman has written a beautifully conceived book that demands time and attention to appreciate. The illustrations are wonderful for the coffee table, but the quotes will suck you in.
You don’t need to have a physical sketchbook or work in one to get the benefit of The Fashion Designer’s Sketchbook. Personally, I have never liked sketchbooks. They are far too restrictive for me. I prefer to work on loose sheets so that I can see everything at a glance, including swatches and other 3D modelling. My development work is permanently attached only when I am clear on the route and next steps, or ready to share my workings out with other people. I’ve documented the emotions, thought processes, experiments and sketches – and THAT’S the key.
The importance of visual communication | Documentation and presentation
Documentation is vital because design development is hardcore experimentation. It’s messy, exciting, scary, time-consuming, exhilarating, flowing, frustrating and fulfilling – sometimes all at once. It is so important to get things out of your head and onto a page to avoid overwhelm. Creating visuals and physical samples is more important than many people realise. Not only do material objects hold information for you, they also reveal solutions to you. I doubt anyone’s regretted leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to navigate the forest of their imagination.
There are plenty of suggestions for presentation documents as well as working documents. Rothman suggests having three different types of sketchbooks for different stages of design development. She includes page layouts, CAD (computer aided design), spreads and storytelling devices. Experimentation is encouraged here too, but practical considerations – for example, ingenious ways of letting readers or viewers know that a page should be folded out – are highlighted. The point is to let people into your design world as you would welcome a guest into your home.
Highly recommended, even with two reservations
This book is recommended if you:
- Need insight into what design development is, or can be
- Are looking for inspiration for drawing or presentation style
- Are wondering what goes into clothing design, or how fashion designers work
- Like reading interviews with designers about their design process
- Need reassurance that you’re ‘doing it right’ (spoiler: you probably are 😊)
My only reservation about this book – which will come as no surprise to those accustomed to fashion design titles – is the lack of diversity and representation. This is particularly with regard to body types. Please find your way to My Body Model for support with and representation of the body types you’d like to dress, particularly as you work through your size range. Again, I will stress that this is typical of fashion and fashion books. Otherwise, if you like the sound of The Fashion Designer’s Sketchbook, please give it a try. There’s plenty of encouragement and sound advice from an experienced teacher here, so don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Apart from that, you’ll need to tweak the marketing advice for your own audience. I point this out because the undergraduate population aspires to high-end fashion, which is not for everyone. But the notes on positioning are great. They’re a reminder that, if you’re a knitter or crocheter, the people buying your patterns also visit and are influenced by what’s in the shops. A revelation, I know! – but where they shop can be very insightful as you get to know your community or customers.
All in all, the sentiment, dedication and passion of the author is infectious, and this book is well worth at least a good look.
Highly recommended – and prepare to be s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d!
And if you’re looking to make a start with visual communication and design development, I have a couple of short courses for you:
Visual Communication: Pencil control and the greyscale | Knitwear Design Initiation taster course
Knitwear Design Initiation | Visual Communication taster course
A 1-hour introductory drawing course or refresher for those who haven’t used their art materials for a long time.
It’s accessible to anyone who wants to make a start on or improve their drawing skills, but the techniques covered prepare you for the nuance of illustrating soft textures of knits.
This class on pencil control and the greyscale was designed especially for drawing out your latent sensitivity and artistry. The marks you make on the paper will range from the wispiest grey to the earthiest charcoal. This vocabulary will also improve your observational skills because you’ll have the means to draw what you see.
The Visual Communication taster is the first step away from the frustration of not being able to draw from life, or the disappointment of your drawings not looking the way you want them to. In just over an hour, you’ll never look at pencil and paper the same way again!
Knitwear Design Initiation | Design Development taster course
An introduction to idea generation techniques for knitwear design, taken from the Design Development module of the Knitwear Design Initiation course. This focuses on garment silhouette and tessellations (designing repeating patterns).
The two techniques in this taster course will shed light on how you can create several ideas out of one, or none at all if your starting point is a stitch library. You’ll feel brighter, more inspired and confident about developing your existing design ideas.
They are adapted from exercises I learnt as a fashion student, and use two frameworks as starting points: the showstopper and the ensemble.
These idea generation techniques will help you to mine for gold in the depths of your imagination and avoid feeling like you’ve run out of ideas. Once you realise how much creative energy you have, you’ll feel brighter and more confident about being a successful knitwear designer.
Will never be ‘there’ but the book does sound very interesting…apart from the lack of body diversity! Thanks for showing this.
Thank you, Susan 🥰
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