LAPTOP SLEEVE DEVELOPMENT – PROBLEMS:
Towards the end of the week, we experimented with using the bonder web to attach the 2 materials together. For the materials to be bonded together with the webbing needed to be activated by heating and being pressed by an iron; thus ensuring that the glue within the webbing melted and allowed the 2 opposing materials to be joined. We realised that this process was the easiest and most efficient way to produce the laptop sleeves in the time frame allocated. As an interior design student, I had little to no experience with processes associated with textiles and therefore, I found it incredibly interesting learning how these are completed. Once I had got the hang of bonding the materials together I decided that this was the perfect role for me within the group.
BONDER WEBBING HEATING PROCESS:
Within this week we produced our first prototype of the laptop sleeve. The outcome was not what we hoped and we were disappointed in the quality of the product, this was because it looked messy, un-aesthetically pleasing and would not be suitable for its purpose. This meant that we had to go back to the drawing board and come up with a design which would be more efficient and increase the likelihood of the product being produced to a higher quality/standard. Alongside the problems with the aesthetic of the product we also realised that the lid/flap for the case was too bulky and looked out of place; therefore downgrading the aesthetic of the sleeve further. As a group we decided that the sleeve would look better with a smaller flap which was thinner; by doing this the sleeve looked less bulky and was far easier to hold and carry. Another problem which we endured was the quality of the leather we ordered from amazon. The pleather was incredibly thin and the white leather, in particular, suffered a large amount of discolouring which decreased the aesthetic of the prototype.
This week was particularly stressful as the production of the sleeves was considerably slow due to the number of problems which we faced. I felt as though we were not going anyway and it seemed the countdown to the sales day and presentation pitch were creeping up incredibly quickly.
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