Contextual Research

I usually find contextual research difficult, in that I never know where to start looking. However, I began this project by looking at store websites that I believe my work could be appropriate for, such as Next, John Lewis and Debenhams. From these websites I came across Scion and Sanderson, who are companies that specialize in fabric furnishings and wallpaper.

The two images above, I feel reflect my work in some ways: shape, transparency, colour and style. They have an abstract feel about them, which is a way in which I enjoy working.

Additional samples I ordered from the John Lewis website are shown below. They have similarities to my own designs in that they have transparent areas, geometric shapes, and a graphic linear quality.

John Lewis fabric samples

Custhom embroidered wallpaper samples

The texture of the thread against the smooth paper contrasts with each other, which I feel I could push forward within my own project. I should consider a heavy weight of paper, almost like a fabric if I do use digital embroidery onto paper to achieve these effects, whereas thin printer paper is likely to tear during the machine stitch out.

Sanderson fabrics featured on the John Lewis homeware website, and these particular samples above, (Dandelion Clocks) depicted the mix of colours that I would like to use within my own work. However, after the samples arrived, I didn't feel they gave the best idea of the colours together as there were only small areas of one colour on some of them, which was disappointing. I did, however, have enough of each colour to create swatches on Photoshop to potentially use within my own work.

The Debenhams Autumn/Winter15 Home Catalogue has some fantastic colour inspirations for my work - I knew that I wanted to use purple shades within my work, but seeing the colours within a home environment within the catalogue really helped me to understand the shades that would compliment other colours. I plan to scan the relevant colour pages into Photoshop to create swatches that have more of a sensitivity and warmth to them, compared to other palettes used previously.