BSc Fashion Buying and Merchandising / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Technology Project

Course unit fact file
Unit code MATS34802
Credit rating 40
Unit level Level 5
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Offered by Department of Materials
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The Technology Project provides students with an exciting opportunity to combine keen business acumen with a thorough understanding of the latest developments in wearable textiles and fashion technology. 

Aims

The unit aims to:

Equip students with a critical understanding of how business awareness and technical performance can be combined to deliver outstanding products and services. In particular, the unit aims to combine hands-on experience of technology research with strategic analysis of market opportunities in a chosen area of fashion or textiles industries; and through this provide a keen insight into product innovation while fostering research skills, communication, reflection and commercial awareness.

Learning outcomes

A greater depth of the learning outcomes are covered in the following sections:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Intellectual skills
  • Practical skills
  • Transferable skills and personal qualities

Teaching and learning methods

This unit will make use of a variety of learning and teaching processes including: lectures, discussions, problem-based learning, case studies and independent learning.

Lectures will develop theoretical subject knowledge in market opportunities, commercial awareness and strategic analysis; and present the current state-of-the-art in wearable technologies, smart textiles and related areas.  Seminars will support the business aspects of the material covered in the lectures providing an opportunity for application of principles and concepts.  Practical sessions will reinforce and provide hands-on experience of the technology aspects.  All sessions are supplemented with directed reading and many will suggest formative “homework” assignments intended to allow ownership of the concepts introduced. 

As the unit progresses and student focus on their individual projects, a problem-based approach to learning will dominate; students will develop plans for their own learning and tutors will facilitate in the role of mentors and consultants.

The unit is supported by the Blackboard learning environment which will include formative assessment tasks and an opportunity to contribute to discussion boards.

Knowledge and understanding

  • Identify and evaluate opportunities for product innovation in current and emerging fashion and textile markets.
  • Appraise current and recent developments in smart textiles, fashion and wearable technologies.
  • Critically discuss the evolving role of innovations such as smart textiles and wearable technologies in product development to secure competitive advantage in fashion markets and related industries.

Intellectual skills

  • Evaluate product development strategies and identify the most appropriate to meet an identified market opportunity
  • Evaluate, analyse and synthesise information and data from appropriate sources and use these to make informed, independent judgments and decision making in relation to technical product and business contexts.
  • Exercise original thinking and independent learning to design and execute a project to evaluate and analyse technical aspects of garments or textiles products in response to an identified business opportunity.

Practical skills

  • Select, apply and evaluate appropriate numerical, statistical and physical testing methods for complex and open-ended tasks
  • Act autonomously with limited supervision or direction within negotiated guidelines, individually and as part of a team.
  • Plan, implement and interpret results of research or experimental studies.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Act ethically and communicate appropriately in a variety of complex and unpredictable contexts.
  • Communicate clearly and effectively, using a range of styles and employing various media appropriate to the context.
  • Reflect upon own performance and use this to identify areas for personal development as part of a lifelong learning strategy and a foundation for continuing professional development

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Report 60%
Project output (not diss/n) 20%
Oral assessment/presentation 20%

Feedback methods

Written and oral.

Recommended reading

Borja de Mozota, B. (2003) Design Management: Using Design to Build Brand Value and Corporate Innovation. New York: Allworth Press..

Davis Burns, L., Mullet, KK and Bryant, NO (2011). The Business of Fashion: Designing, Manufacturing and Marketing 4th Edition. New York: Fairchild Publications

Jeffrey, M and Evans, N (2011). Costing for the Fashion Industry. Oxford, UK: Berg

Keiser, S.J. & Garner, M. B., (2012) Beyond Design: The Synergy of Apparel Product Development’ 3rd edition New York: Fairchild Publications

Trott, P. (2017). Innovation Management and New Product Development.  Harlow, UK: Pearson Publishing.

Weetman, P (2014). Financial and Management Accounting: an Introduction. Seventh Edition. Harlow, Essex, UK: Pearson Education Limited.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 54
Independent study hours
Independent study 346

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Steven Hayes Unit coordinator

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