Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to apply studio processes to identify and explore commercial opportunities for the design and development of fashion designs.
The unit of competency applies to integrating skills across the design and production process, and focuses on the development and production of a fashion design to achieve commercial and design objectives.
Studio processes are to be applied in an iterative manner to accommodate experimentation and continual improvement in order to achieve desired design effects.
Work may be conducted in small to large scale enterprises and may involve individual and team activities.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Determine job requirements | 1.1 | Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) |
1.2 | Comply with work health and safety (WHS) requirements at all times | ||
1.3 | Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with SOPs | ||
1.4 | Identify job requirements from specifications, drawings, job sheets or work instructions | ||
2 | Prepare for commercial design and production | 2.1 | Research national and international fashion trends, production trends and industry practices to guide design directions |
2.2 | Determine commercial and design objectives of the workplace and analyse commercial success of previous fashion products to assess relevance for design directions | ||
2.3 | Conduct and analyse market research to inform development of design directions | ||
2.4 | Access and apply information on design techniques and processes used to achieve desired effects, as required throughout design and development processes to improve product | ||
3 | Create design brief | 3.1 | Identify and scope commercial opportunities for fashion designs |
3.2 | Explore and clarify design directions with appropriate personnel | ||
3.3 | Develop design brief as an iterative process to generate ideas and design direction. | ||
3.4 | Conduct initial testing with appropriate personnel and market research activities to confirm design brief and specifications for development | ||
3.5 | Conduct ongoing testing and review design brief through development of sample products | ||
4 | Undertake design and production process | 4.1 | Identify preliminary concept options, discuss with client or workplace design team and evaluate options against design brief specifications |
4.2 | Apply principles and elements of design to experiment with design concepts | ||
4.3 | Use selection processes to evaluate and refine concept options and scope out preliminary design concepts to present to client | ||
4.4 | Present design concept to client and apply client’s feedback to modify and improve design | ||
4.5 | Scope production requirements and make preparations for production | ||
4.6 | Identify sequence of operations and complete requirements to develop and confirm design pattern | ||
4.7 | Complete required actions to produce finished fashion product | ||
5 | Review design and production processes | 5.1 | Assess finished product against quality criteria, design specifications and design brief |
5.2 | Evaluate design to identify opportunities for improvement | ||
5.3 | Analyse and evaluate production process to identify opportunities for improvement | ||
5.4 | Document process and improvements | ||
5.5 | Plan to present final product to client or appropriate personnel | ||
6 | Present finished product to client | 6.1 | Prepare finished product for presentation |
6.2 | Select accessories, fabric examples and components to convey range and style options of design | ||
6.3 | Select model, as required | ||
6.4 | Organise presentation of finished product | ||
6.5 | Seek client response and assess for improvement possibilities | ||
6.6 | Assess further production and business opportunities | ||
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and include:
reading and following work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), safe work practices and other reference material
applying relevant standards
researching national and international fashion trends, production trends and industry practices, and conducting and analysing market research, to inform development of design directions
developing design brief for one (1) of the following:
two (2) or more specialised garments
a small range of 3–5 items, including at least one (1) advanced styling garment and one (1) complex garment
three (3) or more complex garments
developing design brief and iterative process to generate ideas and design direction, and conducting initial testing with appropriate personnel and market research activities to confirm design brief and specifications for development
identifying preliminary concept options, using selection processes to evaluate and refine concept options, and scoping out preliminary design concepts to present to client
identifying sequence of operations, developing and confirming design pattern, and completing required actions to produce finished fashion product
assessing finished product against quality criteria, design specifications and design brief, and identifying opportunities for improvement
analysing and evaluating production process and documenting process and improvements
organising presentation to client, including all necessary materials to present fashion product, seek client response and assess future commercial opportunities
documenting processes and maintaining accurate records.
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:
safe work practices and procedures and use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
Australian Standards for patterns and garment construction
design, pattern making and fashion production tools, equipment and processes
communication skills and tools
elements and principles of design and how they are used to create good design in the clothing industry
information sources and requirements for design and production
garment construction
fabrics, fibres, trims and accessories, and their properties and characteristics
communication tools:
inspiration board
storyboard
research information
multimedia tools
print and audio tools
demonstration or exhibition
quality criteria:
proportion
perspective
symmetry and balance
detailing
neatness
commercial practices in fashion design development
presentation skills:
effective verbal and non-verbal communication
active listening
use of appropriate communication tools
positive language
clear statement of main points
interpersonal communication skills
recording and reporting practices.
Assessment Conditions
Assessors must:
satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment, as set by the VET regulator
have vocational competency in design studio processes, at least to the level being assessed, with relevant industry knowledge and experience.
Assessment should occur in operational workplace situations. Where this is not possible, or where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment must occur in a sufficiently rigorous simulated environment reflecting realistic operational workplace conditions. This must cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.
Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.
Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. | |
Workplace procedures include one or more of the following: | requirements prescribed by legislation, awards, agreements and conditions of employment SOPs work instructions PPE oral, written and visual communication quality practices, including responsibility for maintenance of own work quality and contribution to quality improvement of team or section output housekeeping tasks related to environmental protection, waste disposal, pollution control and recycling WHS requirements |
Australian Standards include: | the relevant industry or Australian Standards that are current at the time this unit is being undertaken |
Market research includes one or more of the following: | analysis of target market characteristics sample testing discussions with retailers and suppliers discussions with staff and management review of media portrayals review of fashion shows review of current pricing strategies and price points of products |
Scoping includes one or more of the following: | target market features and benefits timing economic and social expectations scale of production |
Appropriate personnel include one or more of the following: | managers and directors trainer/mentor designers patternmakers production supervisors business development staff marketing and sales staff retailers and suppliers clients end users/target market |
Design studio iterative process to develop ideas and design direction includes the following: | generation development testing analysis improvement |
Design brief includes one or more of the following: | two or more specialised garments a small range of 3–5 items, including at least one advanced styling garment and one complex garment three or more complex garments |
Selection processes include one or more of the following: | checking against design brief discussing with appropriate personnel testing with target market testing with production team discussing with patternmaker testing with sales and marketing professionals |
Experiment with design concepts includes one or more of the following: | scope out preliminary concepts using sketches, illustrations, models, samples, fibres and fabrics use selected criteria and processes to evaluate design concepts by self and others assess feedback and analysis for potential to improve design concept use further experimentation to develop design concepts select concepts for presentation and testing with appropriate personnel |
Present design concept includes the following: | using communication tools to present design concept emphasising features and benefits of design concepts encouraging and promoting acceptance of design concept assessing and responding to client response modifying design concept and improving where possible |
Preparations for production include the following: | identifying all components required for production identifying technical aspects of production completing specification sheet to guide production identifying and sourcing resources and production requirements developing production plan to guide production confirming production plan with client |
Sequence of pattern operations includes the following: | selecting pattern base to meet design brief modifying pattern base to create patterns that meet design requirements and specifications making pattern according to industry standards, including industry markings and lay plans creating toile to test accuracy of pattern and design effect confirming pattern against design specifications |
Produce finished fashion product includes the following: | preparing workplace according to WHS practices preparing materials and resources cutting fabric according to pattern directions sewing product according to specifications finishing product according to specifications |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Fashion design and technology