Looking for feedback on fit for an illustration

[MyOtherLife]



Man of Lint: I'm not getting it

It was the ceiling in your photo and the overall feel. It reminded me of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

That, and having too much tme on my hands.

 

[Stephanduq]

JubeiSpiegel: Yeah, I don't think the SF community is the target market, because they know more about the details then the average man or woman. So they have a higher demand as well. I initially set out to create the app because I used to dislike tie shopping, and a lot of my friends still do. There are too many options, and when you get to a store it is easy to get lost. For me shopping is getting in and out of the store in recordtimes, so I wanted an app that could show me design ideas before I get to the shop.

The colorpicking is based on the typical color-harmonies. You start with a black suit, white shirt, black tie combination. You can select one of these layers with a swipe gesture, and then adjust its colors. When you pick a color the app calculates a set of colors that should work according to the colorwheel, when you select a second color out of these swatches you have set your color palette. Black and white currently work as a default color and reset the palette, grey will have the same effect after I have added it.

Beside colors I have made around 15 base patterns that you can overlay on the items such as plaid, houndstooth, herringbone, tartans and stripes in all directions. By changing the variables in the stripes, plaid and patterns, it should be possible to have hundreds of slightly different patterns.

If you have an iphone, I can invite you for the alpha test when I get to it! Somewhere in the next few weeks I recon.

Man of Lint: I see! Funny, my first thought was 2001, but I just didn't connect it to the ceiling. I love the production design in that movie, still unparralelled. Thanks for reminding me of it

 

[mensimageconsultant]



JubeiSpiegel: Yeah, I don't think the SF community is the target market, because they know more about the details then the average man or woman. So they have a higher demand as well. I initially set out to create the app because I used to dislike tie shopping, and a lot of my friends still do. There are too many options, and when you get to a store it is easy to get lost. For me shopping is getting in and out of the store in recordtimes, so I wanted an app that could show me design ideas before I get to the shop.


The colorpicking is based on the typical color-harmonies. You start with a black suit, white shirt, black tie combination. You can select one of these layers with a swipe gesture, and then adjust its colors. When you pick a color the app calculates a set of colors that should work according to the colorwheel, when you select a second color out of these swatches you have set your color palette. Black and white currently work as a default color and reset the palette, grey will have the same effect after I have added it.


Beside colors I have made around 15 base patterns that you can overlay on the items such as plaid, houndstooth, herringbone, tartans and stripes in all directions. By changing the variables in the stripes, plaid and patterns, it should be possible to have hundreds of slightly different patterns. 


If you have an iphone, I can invite you for the alpha test when I get to it! Somewhere in the next few weeks I recon.


Man of Lint: I see! Funny, my first thought was 2001, but I just didn't connect it to the ceiling. I love the production design in that movie, still unparralelled. Thanks for reminding me of it

No.

The idea doesn't seem to take into account situational appropriateness nor the effect of patterns on physical features. Therefore, it's just another tool/guide that hardly helps its users choose wisely.

 

[Stephanduq]

The tool is not meant to be an advisor in a box, and it shouldn't be. The tool is meant to match colors and patterns, generate possibilities, inspire ideas and explore options in a fun and quick manner. And through it learn about pattern composition and color combinations.

Knowing how a colorwheel works does not make someone a great designer. But designers or clients that understand colorwheels do end up with harmonious (and thus higher quality) concepts quicker.

Physical features (body shape and skintone) are on the road map btw. But teaching concepts behind pattern and color matching between 3 items is my first priority to get right.

 

[Stephanduq]

Actually thinking about it a little bit. It would be fairly easy to add an on-tap info screen. That basically tells you what the colors would work for, in what season, or how the patterns act on different bodies. And I can always visualize it later. Thanks for your critical thoughts!

edit: there is an un-approved post before this one

 

[mensimageconsultant]

At least you're open to criticism. Giving good advice on color and pattern as it applies to body type probably would be harder than you think, because people don't fit neatly into physical templates. Granted, that is only much important for suits. Personal coloring is more formulaic and more about shirts and ties (although some formulas still fail). Situational appropriateness is tricky and disregarded by most guides. It would be easy to change the default suit and tie colors from black (and yikes it that is black long tie).

 

[Stephanduq]

True to all your points, but the idea is not to create an app that gives definitive advice.It is mostly meant to be fun and explorative. In the old fashioned times of books, there used to be swatch wheels that would roughly do the same as this little project does, with the goal to teach about taste. I see this project as an extension of those wheels

For the nitty gritty, you would always want to talk with someone who can take the time to go over the details with you.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Would people want to download or pay for "fun and explorative," and isn't that a little contradictory re teaching taste? Which brings up the issue about the mindset of the target customer, re afraid of making mistakes or needs to be talked out of making mistakes.

 

[Stephanduq]

Well as a teacher, I would have to say that transferring the abstract concepts that go behind harmonious design is done best with assignments where you let people play within the boundaries of harmonious design. In the end it is all about finding a unique touch in an limited space, and you want to teach the big picture and structure behind design principles. But that is my methodology of teaching.

For me getting dressed is fun, it is like making a painting but personal. I'm sure that differs for a lot of men, but I do think that if you can let an audience design within a limited sandbox, that prevents serious mistakes, you can transfer some of the fun that is designing to your user. Just look at the succes of games like Minecraft that work on this principle.

I'm actually assuming that it won't be men that will download the app, but their wifes and girlfriends. In the past my girlfriends where more concerned with how I dressed, and they where the ones looking up inspiration. I'm sure that goes for most men beyond the SF forums.

I'm also not sure if the app will be released with a price. Then again the price would be around €0,89 if I did. Wich is hardly an investment.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Huge assumption. Plus, apps are downloaded more by men than women and men like to play games much more than women do. Furthermore, the stereotype of women happily dressing men only applies much to young people, and let's hope that most men choose the ties they wear (which presumes ties are bought by women more than men's dress suits and suits are).

 

[Stephanduq]

Last time I checked women represent 67% of the digital buyers on the mobile platform, and they download 20% more content then men. So in that area I'm not too worried.

The stereotype is dangerous of course, but I have to say:. I'm happy this is a side-project for me on an topic that I find endlessly interesting. And I don't need it to pay for bills

 

[mensimageconsultant]

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...16,d.cGE&fp=3c7cb8fe1bdef3d2&biw=1280&bih=874

Your statistics could be more relevant, though.