Digital Disruptors 2024
For the second year running, we’ve had the absolute joy of hosting a workshop for the Digital Disruptors programme at The Lighthouse. This exciting initiative aims to inspire young pioneers to challenge the status quo and explore groundbreaking ideas in digital.
The Challenge
This year’s Disruptors faced an ambitious task:
“Propose a creative solution – incorporating AI and Web 3.0 technologies – to address unsustainable fast fashion practices and promote sustainability within the online fashion community.”
Talk about a challenge that’s not going to be solved in a day! This is why we kicked off day 1 of their week-long journey that culminates in a Dragon’s Den style pitch competition.
We partnered with DesignStudio as part of Further Group to craft a two-stage workshop that blended branding and advanced technology expertise:
Brand creation:
DesignStudio kicked things off with an engaging session on branding fundamentals. Participants dove into the creative process, developing comprehensive brand identities that included core ideas, target audiences, key messaging, and values. Using visual prompts, they crafted mood boards that represented their concepts, allowing them to visualise their brand’s essence and direction.
AI design workshop:
Next up, our Tech team facilitated an AI workshop that empowered participants to bring their brand visions to life through digital fashion design. Here’s a closer look at the process:
- Fabric Pattern Generation: In groups, participants learned how to use AI tool Midjourney to create unique fabric patterns. They began by inputting specific prompts that reflected their brand’s identity and aesthetic. They experimented with different prompts for styles and textures until they achieved the desired look.
- Design Application in Photoshop: Once the fabric patterns were finalised, they were carried over to Photoshop. Here, chosen patterns were applied to ready-made flat layouts. The groups were also given the opportunity to incorporate branding elements, such as logos and text in Photoshop.
- 3D Visualization with Unreal Engine: The flat layouts were then applied to digital models that had been created by our studio in Unreal Engine.
The workshop culminated in an immersive presentation within our Originals Theatre. Wraparound LED screens transformed into a virtual catwalk, showcasing the digital models adorned in everyone’s creations. Each group presented their brand, detailing their design process and the sustainable practices that informed their work. It was like a mini fashion week!
We finished the day feeling truly inspired – and we’re not just talking about style inspo. The Digital Disruptors demonstrated remarkable adaptability, embracing new concepts and technologies to produce outstanding work backed by sustainable principles—all within a single afternoon. Their achievements not only highlight their individual potential but also underscore the transformative power of technology in driving creativity and innovation.
We’re honored to have played a role in nurturing these bright minds and fostering the next generation of digital innovators. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next!
For more detail on DesignStudio’s portion of the workshop click here.
