Unsighted
After finishing my placement year as a Trainee Assistant Buyer on the homeware department at Matalan, I found it difficult to get back into the academic writing side of university. It became clear that my final major project route needed to be something I was passionate and felt strongly about. I felt that my knowledge from working in industry for the past 12 months would work hand in hand with creating a new business - which lead me onto the final major project route I decided upon.
'Unsighted' was created from a personal aspect of my life of living and caring for a blind parent, as well as my view that the blind community were feeling forgotten about within the fashion industry. The brand was focused on creating a safe place for those with a visual impairment to shop, alongside added tools for consumers to help organise their wardrobes. Unsighted will create this space via an online app in which consumers can shop their favourite brands. Anything purchased via the Unsighted app will alert the source brands, such as: ASOS, H&M and Matalan, that the garments ordered need an added label before being shipped to the purchaser.
The labels have a QR code, Unsighted branding, and a 3D shape that links to a universal key. Each shape links to a different type of clothing that helps the consumer to understand what garment they are putting on. The App and service offers a freemium method where consumers can pay £1.99 for extra helpful tools, like a 24 hour chat with a stylist and useful webinars on how to dress with a visual impairment.
I hope that by creating Unsighted it gives others the chance to understand the gap in the market when it comes to dressing with a visual impairment.