FTG experience teaches
The challange
Making shoes is an ancient skill that, even though its manufacturing processes have evolved, as time passes by it still presents a high level of ‘craftsmanship’ as some operations are just so complex that they are impossible to be fully automated. In this world, we are still cohabiting with traditional professional figures like pattern makers, hemmers, assemblers and people in charge of hand finishing. Issues increase when the shoes in question are either constrained by strict regulations to preserve the safety of those wearing them. To date, this sector has some chronic critical situations that need strategic intervention to organize and foresee long term solutions.
Hence, it is not enough to work on the footwear aesthetics but it is essential to intervene on the manufacturing process and on material innovations to obtain a significant improvement in the medium and long term.
In the early nineties, FTG specialized in accident prevention, but an increasingly larger competition and the appearance of new producing Countries induced to further diversify. The Made in Italy production, the company’s constant strength, became the real added value of difference.
The ‘design oriented’ approach has made it possible to make an highly performing object in terms of safety and comfort, but which can maintain an appropriate aesthetic appeal while also curbing costs by 30% at the end of the production chain.
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Making shoes is an ancient skill that, even though its manufacturing processes have evolved, as time passes by it still presents a high level of ‘craftsmanship’ as some operations are just so complex that they are impossible to be fully automated. In this world, we are still cohabiting with traditional professional figures like pattern makers, hemmers, assemblers and people in charge of hand finishing. Issues increase when the shoes in question are either constrained by strict regulations to preserve the safety of those wearing them. To date, this sector has some chronic critical situations that need strategic intervention to organize and foresee long term solutions.
Hence, it is not enough to work on the footwear aesthetics but it is essential to intervene on the manufacturing process and on material innovations to obtain a significant improvement in the medium and long term.
In the early nineties, FTG specialized in accident prevention, but an increasingly larger competition and the appearance of new producing Countries induced to further diversify. The Made in Italy production, the company’s constant strength, became the real added value of difference.
The ‘design oriented’ approach has made it possible to make an highly performing object in terms of safety and comfort, but which can maintain an appropriate aesthetic appeal while also curbing costs by 30% at the end of the production chain.
Inspiration
We held a lot of interviews with FTG distributors in Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto, to retailers, wholesalers, final users and the company’s inside members. This direct research and qualitative activity allowed us to obtain detailed information on the product distribution, sale and purchase strategies. The importance has been highlighted to create footwear with a competitive price to ensure the admission into big and important business realities, aiming at a target very different from the previous one.
Processing
We analyzed the company catalogue in detail. This unprecedented operation for FTG allowed us to detect the superimposition of some products in certain price ranges as well as the presence of others of a very high quality level but that did not succeed in correctly reaching the final user due to wrong positioning. From the point of view of production, the company made some important investments to guarantee itself a high production potential, but the offer was noticeably unbalanced with respect to niche products, which, even though they were excellently made and offered high performance, did not allow the reaching of the necessary volumes of the entire system use. We actually needed an inside training to better understand all the production steps of footwear. Hence, we worked alongside the company’s specialized staff and we relied on the experience of an outside pattern maker that had been cooperating for years with several brands of the fashion design system. This way we were able to get considerable insight into the footwear world that helped us in particular to reduce and to minimize production processes.
Expiration
The final output of our project turned out to a multi-output.
- an economic ‘master’ line that reaches the end of the production chain with a 30% reduced price and such a weight as to make this footwear one of the lightest shoe in the safety world;
- an intermediate ‘B’ line that, although keeping in reduced production costs, presents a remarkable aesthetic appeal, a notable family feeling between its models and maintains company colors preserving the recognition of the brand
- at last, we have presented the concept of a ‘sport’ line that moves away from the standard image of safety shoes, offering a strong appeal product and the convenience of a significantly increased transpiring surface
We held a lot of interviews with FTG distributors in Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto, to retailers, wholesalers, final users and the company’s inside members. This direct research and qualitative activity allowed us to obtain detailed information on the product distribution, sale and purchase strategies. The importance has been highlighted to create footwear with a competitive price to ensure the admission into big and important business realities, aiming at a target very different from the previous one.
Processing
We analyzed the company catalogue in detail. This unprecedented operation for FTG allowed us to detect the superimposition of some products in certain price ranges as well as the presence of others of a very high quality level but that did not succeed in correctly reaching the final user due to wrong positioning. From the point of view of production, the company made some important investments to guarantee itself a high production potential, but the offer was noticeably unbalanced with respect to niche products, which, even though they were excellently made and offered high performance, did not allow the reaching of the necessary volumes of the entire system use. We actually needed an inside training to better understand all the production steps of footwear. Hence, we worked alongside the company’s specialized staff and we relied on the experience of an outside pattern maker that had been cooperating for years with several brands of the fashion design system. This way we were able to get considerable insight into the footwear world that helped us in particular to reduce and to minimize production processes.
Expiration
The final output of our project turned out to a multi-output.
- an economic ‘master’ line that reaches the end of the production chain with a 30% reduced price and such a weight as to make this footwear one of the lightest shoe in the safety world;
- an intermediate ‘B’ line that, although keeping in reduced production costs, presents a remarkable aesthetic appeal, a notable family feeling between its models and maintains company colors preserving the recognition of the brand
- at last, we have presented the concept of a ‘sport’ line that moves away from the standard image of safety shoes, offering a strong appeal product and the convenience of a significantly increased transpiring surface
Strategy
In the design world, the term ‘strategy’ is often misused and misleading. A strategic approach for Madeindreams is a way to help rationality communicate with irrationality.
In fact, strategic design is the missing link in the assembly line, which we usually perceive in the design world. It is the joining element of business and creativity, which is often missing. Thanks to a ‘user-centered’ approach, research as well as qualitative analysis, we obtain sustainable and ready-for-market outputs that are above all in line with the final user needs.
It is the foundation on which the creative project is solidly based.
In fact, strategic design is the missing link in the assembly line, which we usually perceive in the design world. It is the joining element of business and creativity, which is often missing. Thanks to a ‘user-centered’ approach, research as well as qualitative analysis, we obtain sustainable and ready-for-market outputs that are above all in line with the final user needs.
It is the foundation on which the creative project is solidly based.
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