Top 10 Essential Tech Skills for Fashion Designers

We live in a world that is constantly upgrading itself. As a creative thinker, it might feel daunting to approach the world of design in the face of drastic shifts. Don’t worry, all you need is a few tricks up your sleeve to help you adapt to the dynamism and some technical know-how that’ll help you get there.

So, if you are an aspiring fashion/apparel designer, you might want to get acquainted with the technological knowledge required to carve your path in the industry. Read ahead to find out some of the most important digital/tech skills you will need as a Fashion designer.

Design Software

Working through the design process involves steps that require creative planning, complex brainstorming, and detailed visualizations. Digital tools that help with brainstorming, creating, and sharing mood board layouts with a team are both essential and convenient. Software such as Procreate (iOS), Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator offers a range of tools and options to place and edit pictures, and vector graphics, and experiment with illustrations and prints to create interactive boards, product sketches, and much more. These are important for creating and presenting neat and concise visual documentation and illustrations of the design process.

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CAD – Digital Pattern Making

Computer-aided design (CAD) is both sustainable and has a higher rate of accuracy. It is useful in creating 2D flat sketches and 3D rendered illustrations. Visualizing designs and working on more intricate patterns has become easier with the advent of digital pattern-making techniques. With software like CLO 3D, the design process from pattern-making to seeing what the garment might look like on a person has become quicker and much more efficient. The popularity of digital fashion shows has made CAD an important part of any design curriculum.

3D-Design and Modeling

3D design and modeling software have emerged as game changers in the apparel design realm. These are used throughout the design process – fittings, making patterns, alterations, and visualizing the overall color, style, print/surface design, and other details. One of the leading and a quite transformative trend in the industry, 3D modeling reduces time, and scope for errors, and is more sustainable. In addition to these, the reduced production time and opportunities for customization make it a must-know skill for anyone aspiring to be a Fashion/Apparel designer.

Technology and Textile Design

The convergence of technology and textile design has been a two-way process. While the emergence of smart fabrics that enable temperature and moisture control, and monitor health has become quite the topic of the hour, other lasting and integral impacts have made textile design more tech-oriented. CAD-based software allows designers to customize the knitted and woven patterns and control and operate other properties of the fabric. These let designers generate graphs, alter jacquard patterns, and create new and innovative designs much quicker.

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Know What is a Tech Pack

Tech packs or technical packages are documents that, along with a 2D flat sketch, mention all the necessary details needed to create a garment. It includes minute measurements, print/surface details, cuts, closures, and other additional details that might be required at the production stage. These enable a clear conveyance of ideas and a steady flow of communication between the designer and the production unit and considerably reduce the risk of errors. 

Digital Draping

Visualizing the final garment before proceeding to production gives designers, manufacturers, and consumers an idea of the look and style, and leaves room for improvements. Digital draping through software like CLO 3D recreates the real-life look of the garment and makes it easier to understand the weight and fall of the fabric and gauge the fit without the need to produce a sample – reducing the time required and waste generated.

Being Sustainable in the Digital Era

Consumers today believe in conscious purchases and are increasingly moving toward an ethical and sustainable buying pattern. Over 60% of the younger millennials and Gen-Z are opting for brands that are transparent. People want to know where the raw materials come from, and who is making their outfits. Apps and software that allow companies to track their supply chain to ensure transparency and ethical transactions are crucial to the production process. Brands that track their carbon footprints, and waste generation, and work towards minimizing them are likely to attract more loyal consumers. Institutes are thus focusing on structuring their fashion designing courses to sensitize students on sustainability and ethical conduct and provide them with digital aids that would accelerate the process.

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Knowledge of E-commerce

E-commerce has become a popular and dominating force in the past decade, especially with the world locked in for almost two years. The post-pandemic e-commerce segment has grown by over 6% in some Indian cities – with fashion being one of the major contributors. As the demographic buying via e-commerce becomes more diverse, designers need to understand more than just the basics of e-commerce.  Online retailing is useful in reaching a larger audience and building a unique brand voice, a compelling aesthetic, and a brand story that resonates with the consumers. Being well-versed with the functions is a key to navigating the market as a successful fashion designer.

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Social Media Marketing

Digital marketing, especially social media marketing plays a substantial role in the current digitally driven world. It’s a perfect medium to build a brand story, create an aesthetic unique to the brand, and engage directly with potential consumers. A direct engagement through polls and questions can help generate constructive feedback and further develop a brand/label. It is not just a great medium to study and analyze consumer behavior but also to keep up with the ever-evolving trends and their impacts on fashion. With the scope of a global reach, and collaboration with influencers and celebrities, it can increase a brand’s reach and permit promotion and advertising like no other medium. 

Web Development

Fashion designers are expected to be familiar with the different important components of the industry – web development being one of them. Fashion design courses often stress a holistic curriculum, focusing on the digital aspects of it. Being acquainted with the basics of web development/coding would enable designers to build their website – with an engaging landing page, user-friendly interface, and easy-to-browse options that cater to the needs of potential consumers. It is a great tool to build an online portfolio. Companies that recruit students from reputed fashion design colleges value an overall understanding of the technical aspects of design and the functioning of the industry.

Key Takeaways

Keeping up with the newest trends and constant changes in the industry, designers are required to be familiar with the latest technology and their influence on the fashion industry. The drive to constantly upskill oneself and adapt to emerging technical and digital demands ensures a boost in creativity and smooth navigation.

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If you are looking for fashion design courses that would introduce you to the industry requirements and provide just the right training to make you an expert in essential tech skills, AAFT has a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses that you can check out.