Bachelor's Thesis: The Aegis
Project duration: 3 months.
My Bachelor's thesis was a project commissioned by O’Neill Garments. Known mainly for their casual fashion and technical garments for surfers and winter sports, they asked us to create an urban-active garment or accessory for their upcoming Fall/Winter collection.
Focusing on the given urban-active scope and after brand identity and consumer research, I designed The Aegis: a modular, multifunctional, and weatherproof jacket made for commuters with an affinity for hiking.
Context
Design Vision
From fashion and lifestyle trends it became apparent that hiking and outdoor activities experienced a surge in popularity. Combined with the encountered pain points, the design direction was found: Urban commuting/hiking.
Early Sketches
For the first Aegis iteration, four concept sketches were created to clearly communicate ideas during client meetings, each featuring distinct jacket functions. Three jacket archetypes were explored, with Concept #1 ultimately selected for further development.
Design embodiment
The Aegis was digitally visualized and modeled using Clo3D, a 3D fashion design software. Its parametric tools allowed for easy adjustments to fit various body types, eliminating the need for physical prototypes and reducing material waste in the design process.
Design validation
Lo-Fi prototyping was used to test and validate key Aegis features, particularly the inverted pocket placement and the one-way transport card mechanism. Recycled fabrics and materials were used to create these prototypes.
The Final Design
After a three-month process, the Aegis was finished. This slideshow further elaborates on the final design.
