5 Specifications and 5 Constraints

I thought a lot about the emotions I wanted my project to express and how I am going to show that visually. While doing so I came up with 5 ways to do so as well as the constraints I have that I will tackle while trying to achieve what I want.

TOP 5 THINGS:

• I want to design a bucket hat that can become one of my go-to accessories. I love fashion so much, and I think accessories are a great way to elevate a basic outfit. My goal is to use colors that reflect my personal style and match my wardrobe.

  

  If possible, I also want my hat to help express my emotions on any given day. I often wear hats to hide my face, especially when I haven’t slept well the night before.

• I want it to be reversible so that I have two options depending on how I’m feeling that day. For my design, the red side adds a bold touch to my outfit and hopefully represents a loud and joyous personality. The navy blue side is a good choice when I want to express a calm mood—something mellow and slow.

• I want to prioritize getting the right materials—especially the navy blue and red fabrics—since they are the highlight of the project. I also want to focus on achieving clean stitches using either my sewing machine or by hand to create a neat-looking final product.

• I’ll know I succeeded if I’m able to stitch the red fabrics together neatly and if the structure of the hat fits my head perfectly.

5 CONSTRAINTS:

• TIME – With all my class projects, club activities, and work, it’s hard to dedicate time to my aesthetics project during the weekdays. Since this project needs long hours for detailed work, I’ve decided to focus on it during the weekends when I can devote more time to perfecting my craft.

• MATERIAL CHOICES – I chose the navy blue and red patch pattern design because it resonated with me more than my other concepts. The challenge is combining all the red fabric pieces and making sure everything is sewn well and lays flat.

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• MONEY – I want to keep this project under $50, so I’m hoping to find materials that fit within that budget. Luckily, I already own a sewing machine, so I won’t need to spend on that or on thread. My main concern is finding a good-quality hat liner that holds the structure well—and ideally, finding one at a good price.

• WASTE – Since this project involves a lot of fabric, I’m worried about generating too much waste. I want to minimize this as much as possible, but if I end up with extras, I plan to donate them.

• STITCHING AND MEASUREMENTS – It’s been a while since I used my sewing machine, so getting back into it and ensuring all my stitches are clean might be a bit of a challenge—but a fun one! Also, making sure the hat fits my head is super important. I chose this project because I’ve struggled to find a bucket hat in stores that fits my face and head well, so getting the measurements wrong would defeat the purpose of making it.