FFORA System
Why is this project worthy of an award?
FFORA is the first fashion lifestyle brand to offer wheelchair accessible bags and accessories to the disability community. People with disabilities represent the largest minority group in the world, 1.27 billion people, making up a population the size of China, and yet are rarely catered for. Despite the fact that Fashion accessories equate to a $600 billion market globally, there is yet to be seen stylish accessories designed for use on mobility devices. As a result, our user demographic have resorted to inventing their own solutions out of necessity. Throughout our research and focus groups we have seen a variety of users ‘hack’ their devices, attaching their belongings utilizing carabiner clips, shoelaces and seatbelt straps. Whilst insightful from a design point of view, not only are some of these inventions of poor quality, but many are dangerous and potentially harmful to the user, with straps and excess materials getting caught in wheelchair wheels or belongings falling to the ground due to unstable positioning. The FFORA System was designed as a response to this lack of inclusion and innovation. After interviewing wheelchair manufacturers worldwide, we discovered many intricacies yet complications that are inherent with the build and execution of a wheelchair. Similar to a made-to-measure suit, a wheelchair is a highly tailored product with vast customizations in material, angles, wheel sizes, seat width/height, backrest width/height and so on. Not to mention a complex healthcare system comprised of assistive technology professionals, rehab clinics, and insurances who all have to work together to deliver this product. This system is highly inefficient, highly expensive and exhaustive and perhaps the reason accessories have been unresolved for so long with every user requiring their very own unique chair. Serving 1 in 10 people globally who require access to a wheelchair, we produced a modular and robust product suite that functions anywhere on the tubing and frames of mobility devices. Not simply a reaction to the strict design parameters, but also a response to the creativity we have observed from the disability community, by allowing our design to be positioned where the user desires. The FFORA system offers users access to an array of FFORA products such as cup holders, wallets and purses. Meticulously visioned and prototyped in collaboration with wheelchair users, our design fuses fashion and function, providing new ways to position and access personal storage whilst on-the-go, permitting users to be as hands-free as possible. Whilst our creation provides performance and dignity, we believe our design also has the potential to shift the outdated thinking about the needs of people with disabilities through high-level aesthetics. Fashion Design has an opportunity to erase the societal barriers and stigmatization that is often associated with disability. We aim to give disability visibility and an opportunity to lead in the fashion industry. It’s about time that people with disabilities were involved at every stage of the Fashion Design process, and that wheelchairs and mobility devices aren’t only considered vital for the form, but essential factors of style and self-expression.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
There are many unique elements of our invention that make it worthy of an Innovation by Design award. The FFORA System caters for a spectrum and diversity of disabilities. We worked endlessly to ensure that our design is intuitive for both paraplegics and quadriplegics, requiring very little effort to use, even with limited dexterity. Our system operates through a set of magnets; firstly, connecting the accessory to the system, secondly pulling the accessory into position, holding it securely. The downwards motion is consistent with the downward wheel pushes our user is accustomed to. Furthermore, biceps are the most important asset to a manual wheelchair user, so we were cautious to keep our design as lightweight as possible so as not to interfere with valuable muscle stamina. Our design is robust to survive the weather, but also impact and abrasion. For such an intricate and discreet product, our design holds many features. We have a limitless vision of inclusive luxury and we consider our design elevated, beautiful and made to last. Our patent-pending innovation blurs the boundaries between medical and fashion industries, broadening the definition of what it means to be a lifestyle brand of today, in particular one that serves individuals with disabilities. Our intention is to continue innovating and adding products/accessories that organically fall into the FFORA System, to meet our user’s needs and enhance individuality and personality through freedom of choice. It is crucial to note that whilst we design with a ‘disability first’ approach, ultimately flipping the design process on its head, we do not disregard the likelihood that our creations can be equally enjoyed by both individuals with disabilities and able-bodied consumers alike, highlighting that disability doesn't have to be a segregated market. For example, a FFORA bag can connect to the frame of a wheelchair with our FFORA System, but it can also be worn on as a ‘cross-body’ bag against the body. The disability community have had a “DIY” approach for so long, we are intrigued to see how able-bodied consumers will utilize our design into their lifestyles. Perhaps our design will be enjoyed on bicycles, scooters and strollers, hinting that we are all “mobility- hackers” in some way. Through the FFORA System we have the possibility to impact society with disability culture. Many products and designs are prescribed and indicate how they should be used. Our product arrives unassembled with our own installation tool. Our reasoning for this is twofold. Not only do we wish to empower the user to imagine their world with our FFORA System, positioning it anywhere on the wheelchair frame where they see fit, we also know that our core user and their family/caregivers are used to wheelchair maintenance and frequently dismantle mobility devices to, for example, transition into a car. Whilst our unassembled design system is innovative, its modular design is a necessity. In addition, since our product system is self-assembled it can be connected on vertical, horizontal and angled frames. Its orientation can be adjusted 360 degrees to accommodate the mount it is attached to.
Who worked on the project?
Lucy Jones-CEO/Fashion Designer, Joonas Kyoestilae- Industrial Designer
View the project video: https://vimeo.com/270801985 Password: FFORA
FIGS: Reimagining Medical Apparel
Why is this project worthy of an award?
FIGS is revolutionizing the healthcare industry by raising the standards of medical apparel design — selling direct to the consumer via an ecommerce site that looks and feels like a lifestyle brand, because it is one.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
FIGS has reinvented the industry by doing something unexpected: creating a design experience around medical apparel that serves healthcare professionals at work and at play. FIGS’ innovative design starts with its proprietary fabric that was invented to meet the unique demands that healthcare professionals face day-to-day. Built from the fiber up, every set of FIGS is antimicrobial, liquid repellent, anti-wrinkle, moisture-wicking, ridiculously soft and features four-way stretch technology. FIGS designs are innovative, modern and functional and have become a cult-like commodity in the medical space. They’ve changed the meaning of the word scrub. No longer are medical professionals limited to wearing scratchy, heavy, boxy, ill-fitted uniforms. They now can wear something that is purposeful, functional, stylish and like fashion companies has evolving styles, product launches and seasons. FIGS’ product roadmap trains its loyal customers to want more. Its Core scrubs are offered all-year-round while Limited Edition styles and colors fly off shelves within six weeks and are released every month. Our design team was precisely selected for their unique skill sets that complement one another and ultimately FIGS’ final product. Varied backgrounds — from highly technical ski apparel to ready-to-wear fashion — the FIGS design team bridges the worlds of performance gear and high-end fashion together. FIGS are iconic in the medical community and are designed to not only look good and feel good, but to allow every professional to perform at their best. We’re pushing the limits and giving our customers an experience and product that they didn’t even know they wanted and needed. FIGS come in a multitude of styles: skinny, joggers, wide-leg, trousers, scrub jackets, refined lab coats, underscrubs, compression socks and more. Products are designed thoughtfully, are thoroughly tested and held to the highest standards of quality and usefulness.
Who worked on the project?
Heather Hasson, CEO Trina Spear, CEO
View the project video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vgSe6R0aeY
FORM
Company Jones Knowles Ritchie
Introduction Date June 20, 2017
Project Website
Why is this project worthy of an award?
Black hair is beautifully unique, however highly misunderstood in today’s society. Our culture has pushed that long, straight, soft, light-colored hair is the beauty standard. Women of color are left feeling inadequate simply because their hair doesn’t fit this standard, using chemical treatments, weaves and wigs to try to conform. They have to rely on at-home treatments or are forced to buy multiple brands to get what they want from their hair products because there is no one brand that fulfills all their needs. To find these products, they have to walk past the regular beauty aisle into the “ethnic hair aisle”. This aisle is filled with patronizing and naïve designed products: garish colors, stock photos and the generic “brown bottle”. A mess of pandering communication. Black hair is considered a niche market, when it’s quite the opposite. People of color make up a majority of the world’s population. Women of color are also the greatest consumers, spending more than $2.56 billion dollars on haircare products a year. Tristan Walker, founder of Walker & Co, set out to change the category. His vision: a haircare brand for women of color that was sophisticated and gave women exactly what their hair needs– a collection of products personalized to their lifestyle. Our task was to bring this brand to life, from concept and name, to visual identity and beyond. Our objectives were to design an authentic and sophisticated brand that would elevate, simplify and break the dynamic of the ethnic haircare aisle.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
We knew we had to ground our story in a powerful concept and name. Through an extensive naming exercise, we landed on FORM. We built our design concept on the definition of FORM: the shape or structure of an object, or the manner of arranging and coordinating parts for pleasing or effective result. This definition inspired our brand mark, six simple circles arranged to create an ‘F’. This mark is representative of our family of products which is packaged in sets of six, in multiple regimen combinations built to suit our consumers hair and lifestyle. When it came to designing the packs, we wanted to execute simple clean design to distinguish FORM from what is currently on shelf. With a muted and sophisticated color palette and purposeful, clean copy, we designed a strong family of products that work together seamlessly. The richness in the subtle metallic and the addition of the foils adds depth and soul to the products creating a warm and inviting brand. To design the world FORM would live in, we looked to the versatility and flexibility that comes with using the FORM collection. By matching the product movements to the hair movements of our models, we show that FORM is a brand that adapts to your lifestyle.
Who worked on the project?
Executive Creative Director: Tosh Hall, Managing Director: Sara Hyman, Design Director: Alex Boulware, Designer: Saskia Naidu, Designer: Ellis Green, Designer: Alexandra Rosano, Designer: Badal Patel, Copywriter: Willie Miesmer, Photographer: Elton Anderson, Account Manager: Tiffany Calo, Account Director: Jenna Portela, Account Director: Grace Dawson, Film & Motion Designer: Justin Sottile, 3D Render Artist: Justin Goode, Retoucher: Simon Verrill, Senior Production Designer: Miguel Altagracia, Production Manager: David Farrell, Naming: Jennifer Chandler, Brand Executive: Rachel Ptak
View the project video: https://vimeo.com/270537594/9b9485f1af
GCNYC Fair Fashion Center: The Quantum Redesign of Industry
Company GCNYC Fair Fashion Center
Introduction Date April 27, 2015
Project Website http://fairfashioncenter.org
Why is this project worthy of an award?
The fashion industry is unlike any other. Its profound cultural influence and comfort with constant reinvention creates an ecosystem that is hardwired for innovation. A $2.5 trillion industry, fashion contributes 10% of global carbon emissions and 20% of industrial water waste. Its estimated the global apparel industry touches 150 million lives everyday, with 75% women in the supply chain. While this scale and global integration propels fashion to a top rank on any impact index, it is its nature of constant reinvention that also becomes its opportunity for rapid transformation. The GCNYC Fair Fashion Center (FFC) focuses on the intersection of profitability and sustainability. Recognizing the language of the scientific community and NGOs is different than the language of business, the FFC is turning global issues into business opportunities, operationalizing systemic change at scale. Collaborating with 35 CEOs - representing 242 brands, $260 billion in annual revenue or nearly 11% of the global business - on collective action, the FFC is creating a paradigm shift and redesigning the industry by facilitating the incorporation of sustainable practices into fashion. When considering the influences that the fashion supply chain has on other industries - from farming and manufacturing to transportation, real estate and waste management-there are many distinct but entangled elements that must evolve in order to create an industry that is a respectful and regenerative ecosystem, supporting people, planet and profits. The sub-businesses that drive fashion's value chain are not linear, but rather interconnected entities reliant on each other. When the FFC links them together, with the common mission of being a force for good, the coherent resonance creates a wave resulting in the quantum redesign of industry. The Fair Fashion Center's holistic approach to using quantum theory to tackle "non-profit problems" with a for profit model, deserves this award because: " Our work links business solutions with global sustainability targets set forth by the United Nations, which are now being discussed in board rooms across the fashion industry. " For the first time ever, CEOs are working pre-competitively on collective impact projects, accelerating the pace of change and prioritizing the sustainability agenda. As an example, a small (and easy) project that reduced inefficiencies in packaging, resulted in a mitigating waste coming off of 50 million shirts arriving in the U.S. annually. " Leaders are being called upon to act as corporate statesmen but no one is helping to facilitate the process. Often the technical skills and expertise on environmental and social topics are lacking internally. We are working in the in-between space, translating technical information into business opportunities and bringing unlikely parties together to create innovative solutions. " Together, CEOs and company assigned liaisons are pushing initiatives beyond CSR and integrating sustainability across all disciplines of the business. Whether engaging design of preferred fiber strategies or using financial materiality as the lens to focus strategies and reporting with investors, sustainability is being used as a tool for business growth and innovation.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
Businesses work across regions, cultures, and government rule. Fashion stretches from farms in Andhra Pradesh to the high-streets of London. Helping this industry drive sustainable solutions addresses the root cause of many issues, rather than singularly focusing on symptoms and consequences of its practices. To truly enact transformative change, in-depth knowledge of inner workings of the ecosystem is required, otherwise business is presented with non-profit suggestions that don't align with its activities. The Fair Fashion Center (FFC) team is composed of industry veterans, who deeply understand the mechanics of the ecosystem. Translation, cross-sector collaboration and actionable solutions are required, as is an understanding that profitability is the lever that motivates and remains the most sustainable path to scale. The FFC is a new model for venture philanthropy. Developing solutions to what has been perceived as non-profit problems, with a market based approach, has incentivized action and engaged the industry in unprecedented ways. The consistent engagement of c-suite executives is proof that a holistic approach that operationalizes sustainability across the entire ecosystem works. The FFC is unique by design because solutions are incubated in partnership with the end user. As a research center, the FFC aligns the necessary partners, relentlessly prototyping solutions through pilots with brands, while developing the business model. Once proven, the solutions become their own businesses - ones developed in partnership with their customer. An example of our "quantum approach to redesigning industry", is the NOCO2 initiative. Standing from "No Carbon Dioxide", NOCO2 is redistributing equity in the supply chain by cleaning up its operations. Most factories supplying the world's largest fashion companies are independently-owned and are structured as high-volume, low-margin business models. These businesses are also largely capital constrained and operate in cost-competitive markets lacking incentives and margins to invest in improvements above the minimum required by international labor and compliance standards. NOCO2's innovative investment solution focuses on reducing the energy costs to factory owners through the installation of reliable, low-cost renewable energy to replace costly diesel generation, providing a mechanism through which the resulting savings will be directed to raising the living and working conditions of workers in these factories. As a key differentiator, rather than implementing the typical methodology of a carbon offset, which may include re-forestation or cooking stove solutions, the NOCO2 initiative reaches further - actually healing and correcting the industrial, agricultural and social impacts - rather than simply trying to offset the ongoing damages created. FFC strives to reinvent the roles of philanthropy and business across all initiatives by balancing societal priorities, environmental preservation, and high standards of ethics, while delivering financial success and self-sustaining models.
Who worked on the project?
Pamella Gillies, CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian Cara Smyth, GCNYC Vice President and Founder of the Fair Fashion Center Frank Zambrelli, Senior Advisor to the Fair Fashion Center Maggie Kervick, Director of Strategy and Partnerships GCNYC + Fair Fashion Center
View the project video: http://bit.ly/quantum-redesign-2017
Gigi Hadid x Maybelline
Company Aruliden
Introduction Date October 20, 2017
Project Website https://aruliden.com/aruliden_works/gigi-hadid-x-maybelline/
Why is this project worthy of an award?
We created an authentic makeup collection by Gigi Hadid for Maybelline, establishing a look and feel fit for the runway that’s unmistakably Gigi. During our initial design process, we met with Gigi in order to understand her personality and bring her essence into the brand. From day to night, on or off the runway, the collection captures her spirit as an icon and model. A perfect balance between edge and approachability, Gigi is also 21st century role model—approachable yet strong, easygoing yet incredibly driven, glamorous but a bit of a tomboy. The makeup collection exceeded performance expectations and was very successful, selling out in the UK in 90 minutes.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
Gigi Hadid’s personal dichotomies became product and graphic design foundations: a West Coast girl with an East Coast attitude. These contrasts shape her personality and inform the Maybelline collaboration. Different material explorations represent the East Coast, like concrete, and mesh inspired by chain link fences, while her relaxed West Coast style comes through in warm tones and golden hues. Soft taupe forms the basis for the line, while the contrasts that define Gigi are brought to life with accents of punchy iridescence or gold metallics.
Who worked on the project?
Rinat Aruh CEO, Felix De Voss Design Director, Dan Snyder Associate Director Industrial Design, Maya Peraza-Baker Senior Graphic Designer, and Jane Lim Industrial Designer
View the project video:
