Client Stories

We have found that to develop empathy and enlarge ideas, it is helpful to have students design for someone else — a client, so to speak. By becoming acquainted with other people’s stories it aids in formulating their own story.

Encourage designers to use color, line, shape, and texture as they make design decisions. Ask them to explain their choices so as to get beyond, “Pink is my favorite color, so that’s why I chose it.”

Feel free to create other client stories appropriate for the age of the students you teach.

📄 Worksheet: Tell Their Story — Client Stories (PDF)

Client Story 1: Organic Pizza The local pizza shop needs a new outfit for the employees! The pizza shop sells all natural, organic ingredients, and their store shows their love of nature. They have a lot of ingredients that you don’t see at other stores, and want customers to trust them in trying something new, healthy, and delicious. What could their employees wear? Make sure to use color, line, shape and texture as you make design decisions.

Client Story 2: Desert Racers The student track and field team competes in a lot of foot races. The school is in the desert which is hot in the summer but cold and dry in the winter. The students are an excellent team, and win most of their races. They agree they love the desert, but each student loves something different — some love animals like rabbits and coyotes, some love the beautiful colorful sunsets. What could these students wear? Make sure to use color, line, shape and texture as you make design decisions.

📄 Worksheet: Tell Their Advocacy Story — Advocacy Prompts (PDF)

Advocacy Story 1: Differences Are Not Scary This student has magical powers but doesn’t like to show them off because non-magical people become afraid. Sometimes they even treat this person badly. The student doesn’t want to be known as a superhero, but is proud of who they are and is always ready to help when needed. What can this student wear on the runway to tell this story?

Advocacy Story 2: Nature Child This student loves the great outdoors and wants people to take care of nature. If there are trees to be saved or trails to be fixed, this student is the first to volunteer. Leave No Trace is their motto. What can this student wear on the runway to tell this story?

Advocacy Story 3: Don’t Be A Litter Bug This student is concerned with trash on the ground in the neighborhood. They have organized a Saturday cleanup group. Children and adults meet to pick up trash as they walk the streets. What can this student wear on the runway to tell this story?

📄 Worksheet: Writing Prompts (PDF)

Writing Story 1: Social Media A student’s best friend moves to a school in the next district. To stay in contact, the students use technology — text messages, drawing together online, video chatting at lunchtime, playing games together. How can they promote staying connected through technology? What is a hat, jacket, or original clothing design that could help them introduce other students to these ideas?

Writing Story 2: Nature Child This student loves the great outdoors and wants other students to experience it as well. But many students have never been to a mountain or ocean and don’t care to try. What can this student wear on the runway to tell this story?

Writing Story 3: Sports This student loves sports — baseball, gymnastics, running, soccer, frisbee. They want to tell a story that sports are fun. What can this student wear on the runway to tell this story?

Sketching & Design Tools

If you are already a good sketch designer, go ahead and draw your design. If you need some assistance in sketching your design, use a croquis.

Place another paper on top of the croquis image and trace the figure. Sketch your design on the tracing.

Croquis templates: A croquis is a quick sketch in the fashion world. These templates are provided so that students don’t get stuck on drawing the figure and can focus on their design. These templates can be traced so they can be used again. Let students know that ideas are most important, not how well they draw.

📄 Worksheet: Design Notes (PDF) Use the Design Notes page to ideate, clarify, explain, and show your ideas. The design notes are to help designers think and do not necessarily have to have full sentence answers!

📄 See It In Action: Ideating with Croquis (PDF)