unseem

Unseem is a skirt brand that inspires movements through its authentic and timeless style.

What started as a personal struggle turned into a life-changing experiment. Unseem became the catalyst for my exploration of creative design skills, ultimately leading to a career pivot.

MY ROLE

Product Designer, Brand & Visual Designer, Business founder

TEAM

Outsourced photographer & Production team

TOOLS

Figma, Adobe, Notion, iMovie, Shopify, Klaviyo

Impact

Successfully launched a Kickstarter campaign, raising $12,332 in USD, and fulfilling the initial batch of orders.

It started with...

A cycling - skirt conundrum

On a hot summer day, what's the perfect outfit for biking to meet a client? Jean shorts can feel restrictive, bike shorts may clash with professionalism, spandex shorts can be awkward, and conventional skirts risk overexposure. Not to mention the constant worry that comes with wearing a skirt, which can be overwhelming.

The quest for better experience

I ventured into the world of skirts, assuming it would be easy since a skirt is an essential item, right? However, to my astonishment, after nearly 5 hours of searching through store after store, I still couldn't make a decision. Intrigued, I delved deeper and questioned myself about what exactly I was looking for.

Took matters into my own hands

Understand the problem

In order to avoid being biased by my own frustrations, I recognized the need for more evidence. As a result, I embarked on my research journey:

What did I learn?

Issues identified:

1. Limited skirt options for millennial consumers
2. People prioritize comfort over style.
3. Short skirts restrict mobility and cause anxiety for individuals of all genders.
4. Short skirt designs have remained unchanged since the 1960s, and societal taboos persist.

No experience in fashion? No problem :) 

I started with the fundamentals: learning the language of garments, understanding the process of skirt making, and familiarizing myself with the dos and don'ts in the fashion business. The idea is to combine the comfort and functionality of shorts with the style of skirts, suitable for both casual and professional occasions.

Prototyping

The idea is to combine the comfort and functionality of shorts with the style of skirts, suitable for casual or professional occasions.

Learnings:

Prototype #2 serves the mission better:

1. Function & form in one skirt
2. Age & profession-appropriate style
   

Prototype #2 has a bigger potential for

1. Improved functionalities like (pocket & stretchy waistband)
2. Challenging the status quo for gender-neutrality

Testing

Final product

Contrary to my assumptions, customers expressed a preference for thicker fabrics over flowy ones, and there was a unanimous demand for pockets. As a result, we incorporated a thicker material to enhance the quality and added a hidden phone-sized pocket for improved functionality.

And now, "unskirt" by Unseem is finally here!

© Viya Qu 2024

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