Hello, my name is Mrs. Fletcher, and I'm happy to welcome you to today's Design and Technology lesson.

Today's lesson is called "Select fabrics for functional and aesthetic qualities" and it's part of the Combining fabric: accessible textiles unit.

In this lesson, we'll get to see how designers consider the look and performance of a fabric when deciding which fabrics to use for an accessible textile product.

So let's have a look at what we'll be learning about today.

The outcome of today's lesson is I can choose fabrics for function and aesthetics.

So throughout this lesson, we're going to be thinking about whether it's the way a fabric looks or the way it performs. That's most important when we come to make fabric choices for textile products.

There are some keywords that we're going to see throughout this lesson, and we're going to use in our explanation of our learning today that we need to make sure we understand before we move on.

So let's have a look at those together.

So the first word is that word "function".

Can you repeat that after me? Function.

Well done.

The word "function" is used to describe a purpose or a use of a product, so that it's particular purpose or use.

Then we've got the word "aesthetics".

Can you repeat that? Aesthetics.

Well done.

And the aesthetics of something means the way it looks, its appearance.

Then we've got the word "qualities".

Qualities.

Well done.

And the qualities of something means the specific features.

So the individual features of a product.

And then we've got the word "solution".

Can you repeat that? Solution.

Well done, and a solution is a way to solve a problem.

So the learning today revolves around the function and aesthetics of fabric, and choosing those different qualities that fabrics have.

So today's lesson is going to be broken down into two parts.

First of all, we're going to look at the fabric function and aesthetics, and then we're going to be moving on to design solutions and using what we've learned about a fabrics function and aesthetic qualities in order to make choices about fabrics for a design solution.

So let's get started with that first part looking at fabric function and aesthetics.

Sometimes, designers choose fabrics based solely on the aesthetic qualities that they have.

So that means that they're thinking about what the fabric looks like and what it feels like.

So there's two of our keywords already.

Aesthetic is what something looks like, and the qualities are the specific features of a product.

So if a designer is thinking about the aesthetic qualities, they're thinking about the colour of the fabric, they're thinking about the pattern that might be on the fabric, and they're thinking about the texture, what it feels like.

Aesthetic qualities of a fabric are considered for products where the main focus is how they look.

Can you think of any examples of a fabric product or a textile product where we would only be interested in what it looks like? Pause the video, have a think.

Welcome back.

Did you manage to think of any examples of fabric or textile products where we would only be interested in the way the fabric looks? Well, Andeep's been having a think, and he has suggested that outfits that we use for special occasions like weddings and parties may only be selected because they look nice.

Whereas, Laura thinks of something in the home like cushions where the covers for those might be chosen just to match the decoration in our house, or just to look nice, or be our favourite colour, or something like that.

Well done if you manage to come up with some more ideas.

A quick check before we move on then.

What does that word "aesthetic" mean? Does it mean how something is made? Is it how something works or is it how something looks? Pause the video and have a think.

Welcome back.

What did you think? Well done if you said the word "aesthetic" means how something looks, well done.

Designers sometimes choose fabrics based on their functional qualities though, and that means they're thinking about how the fabric performs. So it might be thinking about the strength of the fabric, how strong it is.

They might be thinking about the water resistance, so whether it's waterproof or not, or they might be thinking about the thickness or the weave.

So how thick it is or how close the weave is of that fabric.

Those might be things you might need to think about when you're choosing a fabric.

Functional qualities of a fabric are considered for products that have a specific function.

So that keyword "function" and functional means is describing the way something works.

So if we're choosing a fabric for its functional qualities, then we are thinking specifically about how it will work, and those products that have a specific job need that consideration.

Can you think of any examples of a fabric or textile product where we'd be more concerned about how it works rather than how it looks? Pause the video and have a think.

Welcome back.

Did you manage to think of any examples of fabric and textile products that are made for their function? Well, Andeep suggested that work wear and protective clothing is an example of this type of fabric where they're chosen to work in a specific way, chosen to perform in a specific way to protect the workman rather than being concerned with how they look.

And Laura has had the idea about tents.

So tents need to work.

They're a fabric product.

They need to work in a specific way.

They need to keep out the weather, they need to protect the person inside, and that's more important than what they look like on the outside.

Well done if you managed to come up with some different ideas.

Which out of these three then would you think the fabric was chosen mainly for its functional qualities.

So that means for the job that they wanted to do.

Would you choose the fabric for an umbrella for its functional qualities? Cushion covers for its functional qualities, or a wedding dress for its functional qualities.

Pause the video and have a think.

Welcome back, what did you think? Which of those would have fabric chosen for its functional qualities? Well done if you said umbrella.

So an umbrella a bit like a tent has a job to do to protect the person using it from the weather.

So that's the most important thing to consider when choosing the fabric to use for an umbrella before we think about how it looks.

Well done if you said that, sometimes, users want products that work well and meet their needs, but they're also aesthetically pleasing, so they do a job but they look good as well.

Designers can consider both the function and the aesthetics of a fabric when they are designing textile products.

So if it's something like clothing, we need the fabric to perform.

So we need it to protect us from the weather, keep us warm, but we also want it to look good.

So we might want to choose it in our favourite colours are in the latest design or trend that's going around.

So we have to consider both of those things when we were designing that product.

The same can be said with the fabrics used for baby products.

So again, they usually have a function, so they're either to keep a baby warm, or dry, or safe, or entertain, but we also want them to look good as well and to look pleasing to the eye.

And if we think about accessible products, they definitely have a function that they need to perform.

So they are solving a problem for a user, but that doesn't mean that that user does not want those products to look good.

So they might need shoes that are easy to put on, but they still need to look good when they go out in them as well.

So our first task in this part of the lesson then is to have a think about what we've just been talking about, the functional and aesthetic qualities of fabric.

And I want you to look at these three products here.

So we've got a weighted blanket, a baby carrier, and a t-shirt.

And I want you to think about what do you think the main priority would be when they were choosing a fabric to make this product out of? So when the designers were designing these products, do you think they considered the aesthetic qualities of the fabric? Do you think they considered the functional qualities of the fabric? Or do you think they considered both of those qualities when making their fabric selection? I want you to have a think, have a chat to your partner, make some notes about which you think would be their consideration there.

When you've done that, I want you to discuss the reasons why you think that is the case.

So why they chosen the aesthetic or the functional qualities or why they might have chosen both of them.

See if you can give some reasons for your choices.

Pause the video while you complete that task, and come back when you've done.

Welcome back.

So what did you think about those three products? So there's lots to consider when we think about why the fabric might have been chosen for these products.

So if you think about the weighted blanket, a weighted blanket is needed or used for the function.

So a fabric chosen to make that product out of would also need to perform in the same way.

So it has a very specific job.

It's not usually used outside the home, so nobody else is going to see it.

So it might not be ever concern what it looks like, but there may be some people who want a particular colour or design.

So people might want to choose it so that it matches their home decoration or if it was for a child, they might want in a specific colour that they like.

So it could be that the function is the primary consideration for the fabric, but aesthetics may also come into it as well, to offer choice to the user.

If we think about the baby carrier, again, this has a very specific function, so it is needed and used for the function that it has to carry the baby.

And the safety aspect of a product like this is very important.

It needs to hold the baby tightly.

There can't be any part of the product that's going to fail.

It needs to perform well.

It is going to be used outside the home so other people are going to see it.

So that may mean that the user wants a choice of colour or design.

So again, both the function and the aesthetics are considered.

But you could say that the function of the fabric used for this would be the main priority because it has to perform, it has to keep that baby safe.

If we look at the last product, the t-shirt, this is a little bit bit more open to different ideas.

So it depends on the user, the person who's going to be using the t-shirt.

So a t-shirt could be worn just for fashion.

It could be something chosen because it's your favourite colour, has your favourite characters on the front, or something like that.

But it could be especially adapted t-shirt that was chosen for someone with sensory needs.

So there are types of adaptive sensory-friendly fabrics that I use to make clothing that can be used for people with sensory needs.

So in that case, it would be chosen for its functional properties, but if it was just chosen for how it looks, then it would be chosen for its aesthetic qualities.

So it does depend on the user when it comes to a fashion item like clothing or a t-shirt.

So it's time to move on to the second part of the lesson now.

So in this part of the lesson, we're going to be looking at design solutions.

So that's thinking about those aesthetic and functional qualities and how they can be applied to a fabric to solve a problem with a textile product.

Design solutions are ways to solve a design problem.

Choosing the right fabric for an accessible textile product is a design problem that needs a design solution.

So an accessible textile product is a product made from fabric that is used by a wide range of people, because it's easy to use.

And when we consider the fabrics to use for this type of product, we need to think about how the fabric should would perform and how it should perform to suit the needs of the product and of the user.

We need to think about the aesthetic qualities of the product.

So what we want it to look like.

And as Andeep is saying here, the fabric must suit the needs of the product and the user first.

The product has to work.

So if we are thinking about what's most important for an accessible textile product, the functional qualities are the most important aspects of choosing a suitable fabric.

But that doesn't mean that we can't consider the aesthetic qualities as well.

So when considering a design solution, so a way to solve the problem for a utility belt product, and a utility belt is a useful belt full of pockets and pouches that can be used for a variety of reasons.

We should consider some of these things.

So we should think about who will be using that product.

We should think about what they'll be using that product for.

And there are a wide variety of reasons you might use a utility belt.

And we need to think about where and how it will be used as well.

So thinking about the function of that product.

This will set out the functional qualities that the fabric needs to have.

So by considering those things, that tells us what type of functional qualities the fabric needs to have.

Quick check before we move on then.

Which product should consider fabric function as its main priority? So think about that word "function".

Is it most important when we're designing a fashionable t-shirt, a weighted blanket, or a cushion cover? Pause the video and have a think.

Welcome back.

What did you think? Well done if you said it was the weighted blanket.

That's the example we saw in the slides earlier.

It has a functional purpose.

So choosing a fabric with functional qualities would be the main priority.

Well done if you said that.

So Laura has been considering what type of fabric she would use for a utility belt product.

So she's chosen a use for the product and a user and she's considered who might use that product and what for.

And now, she's the functional qualities of a fabric that might suit those uses and solve the problem that she has with fabric choice.

So she knows that she needs a thick water resistant fabric.

She knows it'll be used outside, so it needs to be strong, and it should make stiff, rigid pockets that keep their shape.

So she's thinking about the product itself and how it's made, what type of fabric would do the job she wants it to do.

Can you help her then and think of some fabrics that might provide a design solution for Laura's utility belt.

So what type of fabrics might be suitable for this type of product? Pause the video and have a think.

Welcome back, what did you think? So you may have considered some types of different types of fabric.

Things like a heavy duty cotton, a polyester, or a nylon are all types of fabrics that she could choose as well as coated fabrics.

Fabrics that are coated with a PVC, which is a type of plastic, or a rubber coating would all work for how she wants her product to perform.

So well done if you made any of similar fabric choices for Laura.

Quick check then before we move on.

We know that denim is a thick cotton, but why wouldn't it be suitable for Laura's product? So think about what she said about the fabric she needs.

How does denim not meet those needs? Is it because it's only used for clothes? Is it because it's the wrong colour? Or is it because it's not water resistant? Why would that not be suitable for Laura? Pause the video and have a think.

Welcome back, what did you think? Well, if you remember, Laura said that she needed her fabric to be water resistant.

And even though denim is a thick cotton, it is not water resistant.

So well done if you spotted that.

So Laura now is considering the aesthetic qualities that the fabric she will use for her utility belt product should have.

She doesn't want a shiny finish, so she doesn't want to use a PVC or rubber coated fabric, because that would give her a shiny finish that she doesn't want.

She's thinking that a fabric like polyester or nylon would give her the texture that she wants, so it would feel the way she wants it to.

And she knows that those type of fabrics also come in a variety of colours.

So she could choose a dark colour that won't show up dirty as easily if it was used outside.

So she's considering all those aspects of her product and putting that into her fabric choice.

So time for a task now.

So we are going to come up with a design solution for a utility belt textile product.

So you're going to think about how you could design a utility belt that would work for a specific user in mind for specific needs that they have considering the function and the aesthetics of the product like Laura was doing earlier on.

So you're going to think about how or where your utility belt product will be worn.

So will it be worn around the waist? Will it be worn around an arm or leg? Which would be a much smaller product? Would it be worn across the chest or over the shoulder? So that would depend on the user you are designing for.

You also need to think about what type of belt you will use to make the main part of the utility belt.

And again, that will be dependent on the user.

So if it's someone who was seated for a long time, like someone who used a wheelchair, who was didn't have much mobility, then they wouldn't want something that was rigid and stiff, and not easily adjustable.

They might want something that's very flexible and soft and easy to wear comfortably for a long time.

You might also need to think about how many pockets and pouches it will actually have.

So by thinking about what it will used for, then you can decide whether you need only one or two pockets or that if it might need more pockets depending on the use.

And you'll also need to think about the shape and size of those pockets.

So the bigger they are, the fewer of them you're going to be able to fit onto the belt.

So considering the size and number together will help you come up with a good solution.

So I want you to pause the video while you have a think about all of those aspects of your design and sketch out an idea for a utility belt product for your specific user.

Pause the video while you have a go at that, and come back when you've done.

Welcome back.

So hopefully, you've got a sketch in front of you now where you've been thinking about the a design solution for your utility belt product.

So I need to move on to task number two now.

So I want you to make a list underneath your sketch of all the functional qualities of a fabric that you've got that you would use to make that product should have.

So you need to think about at least two suitable fabrics that you could use to make your utility belt.

So just like Laura did, if yours is going to be used outside, it's going to be used in the garden, then think about a fabric that would suit that need.

If it's going to be used inside, and it's going to be used not very often, then think about, it might think about a different type of fabric for that function.

I want you to label the fabrics that you've chosen or include some fabric swatches, which are small samples of the fabric.

If you've had some fabrics to look at in front of you, it could cut a small sample and attach it to your sketch to show the types of fabrics you might use for this design solution.

When you've done that, I want you to make a list of the aesthetic qualities that a fabric you would use for your utility belt should have.

So this is where you're thinking about what the fabric should look like.

I want you to make a final fabric selection then.

So from the two that you chose in task number two, you should narrow it down to one that also meets the aesthetic qualities that you're looking for.

And you could label or include a swatch of that fabric as well if you've got that available to you.

So we should have then by the end of this task, the sketch from task one, a list of functional qualities, some fabric swatches, a list of aesthetic qualities, and your final fabric choice.

So pause the video while you complete those tests, and come back when you're done.

Welcome back.

So how did you get on? Laura's had a go at this as well.

So she had her idea of what type of fabric she wanted to use.

She sketched out the idea for her utility belt that you can see here.

And then she considered what type of fabric she would need to make that product.

So first of all, she thought about the fabric functional qualities.

She knew that it needed to be thick, strong, and water resistant.

And she'd narrowed that down to a polyester or a PVC coated fabric.

And then she thought about the fabric aesthetic qualities, and she knew that it needed to be a dark colour, and have a smooth matte finish.

So that means it wasn't shiny.

So she narrowed her choices down to the dark blue polyester.

And she's telling us here that she selected polyester and PVC coated fabric for their functional qualities, but she chose the dark blue polyester for her final design, because that also matched the aesthetic qualities that she wanted the fabric to have for her product.

So well done if you managed to narrow your selection down to one type of fabric that met the functional and aesthetic qualities that a fabric should need for your product.

We are at the end of the lesson now, and we have made some good choices about the type of fabric you would need for a utility belt product by thinking about the functional qualities.

So that's how the fabric will work.

And the aesthetic qualities, that's how the fabric will look.

So we thought about how designers use fabric for function.

So for a job when we saw things like the baby carrier and the disposable nappies, they were used for a specific function, but that they can also choose fabrics for aesthetics.

So just for the way they look.

So a fashionable t-shirt or a cushion cover, for example, may only be chosen for the way that they look.

And we also found out that fabric qualities, so the specific features of a fabric, the functional features and aesthetic features can inform a design solution by coming up with a design for a product can be informed by what the product needs to do and how it needs to look.

I've had fun learning today with you.

Hopefully, I'll see you again in another lesson, but it's good bye for now.