Design Project 2:  Green Design ’Waste to wear'

SL Topics 3, 5,7,

HL Topic 12, D12

Core + IA

Directed Study Student Tasks A-D

Topic units

 Assess

4 hrs

Topic 3 Green Design                                 Design Situation.

In the UK ONE MILLION tonnes of textiles are thrown away each year? Any old clothes, curtains, bedding or carpets that we put in the bin end up in a landfill site – a hole in the ground used for dumping rubbish. Not only is this a waste of natural resources, it can also cause air and water pollution.

So what are the alternatives?

ü       Recycle old textiles by taking them to a recycling bank. Wearable clothes are sent to people who need them in other countries. Everything else is made into new products, such as clothes, rags and cleaning cloths.

ü       Reuse textiles by giving them to a friend or taking them to a charity shop, where they are sold to raise money for charity.

Or you could try turning the old, unwanted textiles into something new and exciting…

P1

P1

      P2

     P3

The world of fashion may be stylish, glamorous and exciting. But have you ever stopped to think about its wider impact? From an environmental point of view, the clothes we wear and the textiles they are made from can cause a great deal of damage.

·  The pesticides that farmers use to protect textiles as they grow can harm wildlife, contaminate other products and get into the food we eat.

·  The chemicals that are used to bleach and colour textiles can damage the environment and peoples health.

·  Old clothes that we throw away take up precious space in landfill sites, which are filling up rapidly. However, most of these clothes could be recycled or reused - how often are the clothes you throw away really worn out?

In addition, there are some countries where the working environments in the textile factories are very poor. Many clothes bought in northern countries are imported cheaply from India and China, where they might be made by sweat shop workers (often children) who work long and hard for very little money. This form of fashion industry isn't very sustainable.

What is eco-fashion?

Eco-fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry. Eco-fashion is about making clothes in a way that:

ü     does not damage the environment  and protects people’s health and well-being.

Eco-fashion designers choose to make clothes from: recycled materials and reused textiles, for example second-hand clothes, organic raw materials, such as cotton grown without pesticides, materials that haven’t been coloured with harmful chemicals and bleaches.

Eco fashion designers also make sure that all their clothes are made under Fair Trade conditions. This means that the people who make them are paid a fair price and have good working conditions.  The Danish shop Earth A Wear was one of the first eco-fashion shops in Europe . All of the products sold at Earth A Wear are made from environmentally-friendly or recycled materials. For example, there are: skirts made from pineapple fibres, fleeces made from organic cotton and recycled plastic bottles, belts made from bicycle tyres. More and more companies have now followed Earth A Wear's example and are producing eco-fashion that is both attractive and kind to the environment.

Is eco-fashion sustainable?

Think about the following.

·  organic raw materials can be grown without pesticides and silk made by worms fed on organic trees . This reduces damage to the environment, animals and peoples health.

· recycled textiles or plastics, can save on waste, landfill space and the amount of raw materials used.

·  harmful chemicals and bleaches - which can cause long-term damage to peoples health and the environment - are NOT used in the production of eco-clothes.

·  Fair trading occurs.

·  High quality clothes produced which are more durable. Because of this people need fewer clothes, less raw materials and energy are used, and there is less waste.

·  To guarantee standards in the future, a system of eco-labelling is being established to show that clothes have been made from organic materials and manufactured in an environmentally-friendly way. Read notes linked to eco-labelling in your topic booklets.

·  Many famous fashion designers have started to use organic materials - and they are making money too!

TASK A  Planning: Need, Design Brief, Design Specification: 3 x A3

Visit the following websites and read Topic 3:

• www.wakeuptowaste.org

• www.vivavi.com/    eco friendly furniture

• www.envirowise.gov.uk

• www.wasteonline.org.uk

• www.clothesmadefromscrap.com/products.htm

• www.earthfashions.com

• www.greenfibres.com

• www.coolnotcruel.com/

1. Visit: http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/page.aspx?o=163393 and read pages 247-248 in Textiles at the Cutting Edge.

2.Visit http://www.informationinspiration.org.uk/and read Topic Product Development notes 5.6 Clean manufacturing

3. Visit www.stepin.org

4.      SITUATION:

On A3 using the information researched from the above in your own words and in detail outline:

• The reasons for Green Design and the design objectives for green products.

• Define renewable resources , non-renewable resources and recycling using examples.

• Provide an example of a product and analyse the environmental impact it has had using lifecycle analysis.

• Identify the roles and responsibilities of the designer, manufacturer and user at each stage of the life cycle.

5. DEFINING THE PROBLEM: Visit http://onehundredthings.wordpress.com

On A3 explore ways in which to develop new Green Design Products for the home. You should explore and identify a realistic need or problem through investigating and analysing the needs of people in a range of contexts. Identify the potential for a green design household product and explore the benefits it may bring to a target market group. Use visuals.

Brainstorm Ideas and record these: Pick a room: For example: Childrens' room

- recycled storage carriers for toys, recycled bean bag seats with recycled fillings, organic cotton clothing for babies, cartoon character carpeting using 'Interface flooring- biobased non-toxic materials (see topic notes), wallpaper using recycled papers and organic wallpaper paste/glues, picture/photo frames frames from renewable or recycled materials, child friendly characters on timer switches on bedroom lights, TV, dehumidifiers etc, recycled school bags, suitcases, children's fabric books using recycled materials, fabric nappies to extend life with linings made from biodegradable linings and packaged with biodegradable detergent, school folders using recycled binders and materials, bed sheets from organic cotton, organic towels made from lightweight fabric-dry quickly therefore need to be washed less frequently and therefore use less detergent, shopping bags made from corn derivative 100% biodegradable non genetically modified starch- can be thrown on compost heap when finished with - an educational tool to use for youngsters to explain biodegradability etc

Ask a range of questions about the need or problem to clarify the task/design brief:

• What is the Green Design need or problem I can solve?

• Who are the potential users? Who is my target market?

• How can I solve the problem?

• What might the intended product be?

• Where will the product be used?

• How will it be used?

• What benefits will it bring to users?

• Does it have to conform to a standard size?

• What about aesthetics?

• Does it need to fit any regulations such as for safety or quality?

• How should the product perform?

• What kinds of materials and processes can I use?

• What is the potential price range?

6. FORMULATING A BRIEF:

On A3 write a design brief for your green design household  product which should have developed from the analysis of user needs and problems identified above. It should identify the product, its purpose and the target market group. Identify using analysis/brainstorm the areas of research you would need to carry out in order to solve the problem.

7. SELECTING A SPECIFICATION:

On the same A3 as above add a design specification. This sets up the criteria for the design and development of the product. You need to write in detail justifying the criteria under the following headings:

FUNCTION :

PURPOSE

DESIGN INSPIRATION

PERFORMANCE

MARKET AND USER REQUIREMENTS

MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
 SCALE OF PRODUCTION

QUALITY & SAFETY ISSUES

COST CONSTRAINTS

3.1.1

3.1.2

3.1.3

3.2.2

3.2.3

3.2.4

3.2.5

3.2.6

5.6.

4hrs

4 hrs

TASK B RESEARCHING: Strategies, data collection, data processing and analysis. 2 x A3

                                            What can you achieve?

• Visit http://www.sda-uk.org/inspiration.html to look at some A Level student work.

•  Watch the Project Runway dvd about using recycled materials.

•  Watch the slide show showing designers’ use of recycled materials.

1.       Your given design brief for an eco fashion product.

• Using the strategy of recycling produce an eco fashion product from several  deconstructed garments or accessories for an identified need. The product must originate from recycled materials and clothes purchased in a charity shop. It must incorporate the following material areas:

ü      Woven and knitted textile fabrics

ü      Plastics

ü      Metal

ü      Ceramics, wood or paper.

2.      Collect the recycled materials from the charity shop covering all material areas. ( this will be done with your teacher). 

3. On A3 write the brief above in task B1. Add the photograph of you purchasing the materials at the Salvation Army Shop. Then photograph all the products you will deconstruct to make your garment. Annotate each product using a table similar to the one below.  Research and analyse the performance and aesthetic properties of each of the materials incorporated in the garments/products collected. Cross referencing with the IB materials table.

4.1.5

R1

R2

      R3

D1

D2

D3

Topic 1 Design Process + Topic 3 Green Design

TASK C  DESIGN DEVELOPMENT: Generating and Communicating Ideas for A GREEN DESIGN PRODUCT: 3 x A3 sheet

1.   On A3 produce a mood board related to your chosen design theme and analogy. Add the design brief in task B1 to your moodboard identifying a target market and occasion to wear the product.

2.   On A3 generate annotated initial ideas in pencil and fineline pen for a product. You should have about 4 ideas. Discuss how the garments would be deconstructed and turned into these ideas.

Ask yourself; 

a. Which is your favourite design and why?

b. How could you improve it?

c. List at least three pieces of equipment/ processes you would use to make it.

d. Explain how you have considered possible methods of joining and embellishing the product: Stitching, weaving, embroidery, lacing, glueing, soldering, stapling, distorting using heat, crazy patchwork, appliqué, felting etc

e. What other features can you comment on?

f. How effectively does this use all the recycled materials you started with?

g. Who would it appeal to?

h. Is it a good solution for an eco fashion product.

3.  On A3 develop two of these ideas further adding colour and showing front and back views. Annotate materials, joining processes, aesthetics, design thinking etc Develop one into a final idea. Make sample pieces demonstrating how you will join and embellish the product. Suggest improvements that could be made during this testing and experimental stage. Show a front and back view.

4.   Plan how to make the garment. Produce paper patterns out of old newspaper by modeling and draping your model and begin to cut out materials. Photograph these and record on A3.

5. Make the product. Photograph and record stages of making.

1.2

1.3

4 hrs

Topic 7 Evaluation & Topic 5 Product Development

TASK D  Evaluating the design of the prototype: 1 X A3 sheet

1.   Evaluate the final design of your prototype using the following criteria:

·         The validity of the solution in satisfying the problem/design brief: 'Using the strategy of recycling produce an eco fashion product from several  deconstructed garments or accessories for an identified need. The product must originate from recycled materials and clothes purchased in a charity shop. It must incorporate the following material areas:

ü      Woven and knitted textile fabrics

ü      Plastics

ü      Metal

ü      Ceramics, wood or paper.'

·         Provide evidence of the above via testing of the product and appraisal from others.

·        Comment on aesthetic appeal

·         Environmental issues- how successful the ‘end of life’ recycling process has been.

·         Additional materials used which haven’t been recycled. What impact will they have on the environment.?

·         Evaluate how effectively you have recycled materials. Explain in detail referring to photos and examples.

·         Carry out research on your target market compiling a questionnaire. Refer to Topic 7.1.11.

·         Photograph and annotate in detail.

·         Assess the suitability of the strategies and techniques used during manufacture and the design process comment on available resources and time.

·         State weaknesses but state how significant they are.

·        Suggest improvements based on weaknesses identified and limitations of resources and time identified. 

·     Draw these improvements.

REVISION TASK:

2. Complete tasks in 5.6 booklet 'Clean Manufacturing'

3. Complete evaluative tasks for Topic 12 Sustainable Development 12.1 and 12.2 and D12

7.1

7.2

7.3

12.1

12.2

D12

 5.6

E1

E2

E3

Revision notes