BRIEF: Choose an influential designer (one that has had a significant impact on their discipline, so in their prime was working anywhere between 1920 and 1980) in whichever design discipline you are interested in. Analyse and evaluate their work and apply their principles to a new design in a design area that is still within their discipline, but for which they have not designed before.
INSPIRATION FOR UPDATING DESIGN: Coco Chanel was a pioneer in her field. She aimed to liberate womens bodies and attitudes with her designs. Modern womens wear needs to be transitional, able to be worn during the day in an office or work environment and still be able to be styled up to wear out to an event or restaurant in the evening. The clothing needs to be stylish as well as functional.
Chanel’s attitudes towards design would enable her to see the advantages of embracing wearable technology that empowers the wearer to keep track over their fitness, sleep and stress levels as well as connecting them to their phones, especially as women become busier with work life balance.
Chanel designed her 2.55 handbag with a chain strap to free her hands from carrying a clutch. New wearable technologies are a way to pay for transactions, freeing women from carrying a purse altogether or at least having a smaller handbag.
Designs for the smart watch would include several different options for different faces and straps that would capture Chanel’s signature designs, with clean lines and colour palette of white, black, red, gold and beige. I have included a metal strap design with the Breton nautical top in mind, including a navy and cream design as well as a classic black and white strap. The watches would have a deployant clasp to enable the wearer to easily put it on and take it off. The face for these two designs was inspired by the Apple 1 Smart Watch. For the final watch design, I translated Chanel’s classic quilted 2.55 handbag into the strap. I used a Samsung Galaxy Smart Watch as inspiration for the face.
