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Soft Goods in Athletics: Designing for Performance

Athletics place unique demands on the body. From training and competition to recovery and everyday wear, athletes rely on products that support movement, regulate the body, and perform under constant stress. Unlike casual apparel, athletic soft goods must respond dynamically to speed, impact, repetition, and fatigue, often across long durations and varied environments. Soft goods are foundational to this ecosystem. Apparel, supports, accessories, and hybrid soft–hard systems sit directly against the body, shaping how athletes move, feel, and perform. When designed well, they enhance mobility, manage heat and moisture, reduce distraction, and support confidence. When designed poorly, they restrict movement, cause irritation, or interfere with performance.

At Interwoven Design, we specialize in soft goods that move with the body. Our work in athletics combines textile innovation, ergonomics, and human-centered design to create performance-driven products that feel intuitive in motion. By designing for real bodies in real athletic contexts, we help brands create products that support both peak performance and long-term use.

In this Insight article, we explore what makes athletic soft goods design distinct, the challenges and opportunities within this space, and how thoughtful design can elevate performance, comfort, and user experience. Through examples from across the athletic landscape, we highlight how soft goods function as essential infrastructure for modern sport.

When Apparel Becomes Equipment

Athletic soft goods operate in a fundamentally different context than lifestyle apparel or fashion-driven performance wear. These products are not designed for occasional movement or visual expression alone; they are worn through repetition, strain, sweat, and fatigue. They must perform reliably under physical stress, often for hours at a time, and across a wide range of environments and body types. Designing for athletics means designing for use, not appearance first.

Unlike everyday apparel, athletic soft goods are in constant dialogue with the body. They stretch, compress, resist, and recover in response to motion. A poorly placed seam can cause chafing. Excess material can disrupt movement or trap heat. Insufficient structure can compromise stability and lead to injury.In this context, comfort is not a luxury, it is a performance requirement.

Athletic products must also account for intensity and repetition. Runners log thousands of steps per session. Training garments endure repeated washing, abrasion, and exposure to sweat and friction. Soft goods must maintain their integrity and fit over time, not just during initial wear. This demands careful material selection, durable construction methods, and patterning that supports long-term use without breakdown.

There is also a psychological dimension to athletic soft goods. When equipment fits well and moves naturally with the body, it fades into the background, allowing athletes to focus fully on performance. When it doesn’t, it becomes a distraction. Confidence, trust, and mental clarity are directly influenced by how gear feels in motion. The best athletic soft goods support not only physical performance, but also the athlete’s sense of readiness and control. They must earn their place through performance: working with the body, adapting to motion, and standing up to the realities of athletic use.

Designing for the Body in Constant Motion

In athletics, soft goods are not passive layers. They are active interfaces between the body, the environment, and performance demands. From training apparel and compression systems to protective gear and integrated wearables, these products must move dynamically with the athlete while maintaining structure, control, and comfort under stress. Designing for this context requires a deep understanding of the body in motion and the realities of how athletic products are actually used.

Designing for Dynamic Movement

Athletic soft goods must accommodate complex, repetitive movement patterns: sprinting, cutting, rotating, reaching, absorbing impact, and recovering between efforts. Unlike everyday apparel, these products are subjected to continuous mechanical stress, sweat, heat buildup, and friction. Seams, stretch zones, and reinforcement areas must be placed with intention, aligning with muscle groups, joints, and patterns of load. Poorly placed construction details can restrict movement, cause chafing, or create pressure points that distract from performance.

Effective design begins with understanding how the body behaves under exertion. This includes how muscles expand and contract, how posture shifts during fatigue, and how movement changes across different intensities. Soft goods that perform well in athletics are designed not just for a static fit, but for how they stretch, compress, and recover throughout an entire training session or match. They are also tailored to the specific movements that are unique to a given sport or activity.

Balancing Support and Freedom

One of the central challenges in athletic soft goods design is balancing support with mobility. Athletes often need targeted compression, stabilization, or protection without sacrificing range of motion or speed. This balance is achieved through thoughtful material zoning and construction strategies rather than relying on bulk or rigidity.

Strategic use of elastic and non-elastic materials can provide structure where it is needed and flexibility where it is essential. Paneling, knit variation, and layered systems allow designers to fine-tune how a product behaves across different areas of the body. When executed well, this approach creates products that feel secure without feeling restrictive, enabling athletes to move confidently and naturally.

Comfort as a Performance Factor

In athletic contexts, comfort is inseparable from performance. Heat retention, moisture management, and skin interaction all influence endurance, focus, and recovery. Fabrics must manage sweat efficiently, dry quickly, and maintain a consistent feel against the skin even during prolonged use. Construction details such as bindings, hems, and closures must remain stable under movement without digging in or shifting.

Extended wear is common in athletics, whether during long training sessions, tournaments, or back-to-back competitions. Soft goods that cause irritation or distraction can negatively affect performance long before physical fatigue sets in. Designing for comfort means anticipating these long-duration use cases and prioritizing material behavior and construction quality at every point of contact with the body.

Iteration Through Real-World Testing

Designing for athletic performance demands rigorous, real-world testing. Prototypes must be worn, trained in, and stressed in the environments they are intended for. Observing how products shift, stretch, retain shape, or fail under real movement reveals critical insights that inform refinement. his iterative process is central to how we approach athletic soft goods at Interwoven Design. By evaluating products in motion and under load, we identify opportunities to improve durability, comfort, and performance, ensuring that the final design supports the athlete rather than working against them.

Designing for the body in motion means respecting the physical realities of athletic performance. While the challenges are significant, they also represent meaningful opportunities for innovation. Well-designed athletic soft goods can improve performance, reduce injury risk, enhance comfort, and build stronger emotional connections between athletes and their gear. Products that perform reliably over time earn trust, becoming essential parts of an athlete’s training and competition routine.

Case Studies: Design for Athletics in Action

Performance apparel and wearable systems are shaped by how athletes move, train, and compete across varying conditions and levels of intensity. The following case studies highlight Interwoven Design’s approach to athletic soft goods, showcasing how thoughtful material selection, ergonomic construction, and brand-driven design come together to support performance, comfort, and identity on and off the field.

Case Study 1: GLDN PNT Padelwear

Premium activewear brand GLDN PNT partnered with Interwoven Design to create their first men’s and women’s padelwear collections, launching a brand built specifically around the movement patterns, performance needs, and aesthetic expectations of the sport. As the sport of padel continues to grow globally, athletes are demanding apparel that reflects the intensity, precision, and social culture of the game.

Unlike crossover tennis or general training apparel, padel requires clothing that supports rapid lateral movement, extended rallies, sun exposure, and frequent ball handling. GLDN PNT’s goal was to introduce a collection that felt intentional, elevated, and authentic to padel, while establishing a strong visual identity that could scale with the brand.

GLDN PNT - Photo by Ton Gomes — GLDN PNT – Photo by Ton Gomes

The Design Challenge

Padel occupies a distinct space between tennis and squash, with its own cadence, court dynamics, and player culture. However, the apparel market had yet to fully reflect those differences. The challenge was twofold: to design sport-specific garments that performed under the physical demands of padel, and to simultaneously define a cohesive brand language that would differentiate GLDN PNT in a growing, style-conscious market.

From a performance standpoint, garments needed to support explosive movement, sustained play, and outdoor conditions without compromising comfort or fit. From a brand perspective, the collection had to feel modern and premium, appealing to both competitive players and lifestyle-driven athletes who engage with padel as a social sport.

Our Approach

Interwoven Design led a comprehensive, end-to-end design process that integrated brand strategy, soft goods expertise, and technical apparel development. The project began with identifying market gaps and analyzing both competitive sportswear and emerging padel culture. Through trend research, event observation, and consumer insight, Interwoven Design established a clear design direction for the GLDN PNT brand. Mood boards and color stories were developed to define the collection’s tone, ensuring visual cohesion across men’s and women’s lines. Silhouette development focused on balancing clean, contemporary styling with functional performance, resulting in a capsule collection that included athletic tanks, t-shirts, shorts, skirts, and complementary accessories.

As always, material selection played a central role in the design. Drawing from an extensive textile library and industry partnerships, Interwoven Design sourced high-performance fabrics selected for stretch, breathability, durability, and sun protection. Each fabric choice was evaluated not only for performance, but for how it contributed to the overall brand feel and on-court presence.

Branding and Visual Integration

Beyond garment design, Interwoven developed GLDN PNT’s branding system across apparel and accessories. This included custom graphics, reflective heat-seal logos, embroidered elements for visors and hats, and garment labels. Each branding element was strategically placed to enhance visibility and identity without interfering with performance or comfort. The result is a cohesive visual language that reinforces GLDN PNT’s positioning as a premium padel brand while remaining functional on the court.

Impact

Launched in June 2024, the GLDN PNT padelwear collection established a strong foundation for the brand, delivering sport-specific performance apparel with a distinct identity. By designing soft goods that respond directly to the physical demands and cultural nuances of padel, Interwoven helped GLDN PNT enter the market with clarity, confidence, and credibility.

Case Study 2: Miami Dolphins Cheerleader Uniforms

Miami Dolphins cheerleaders performing on the field wearing team performance uniforms — Miami Dolphins – Photo by Miami Dolphins Cheer

Elite cheerleading sits at the intersection of athletic performance, visual precision, and public-facing brand representation. The Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders partnered with Interwoven Design Group to modernize their uniforms and practice apparel, with the goal of creating performance-driven soft goods that support high-energy routines while empowering individual expression within a cohesive team identity.

Interwoven Design was commissioned to redesign the on-field uniforms, practice apparel, and a complementary cheer sneaker, elevating the cheerleaders’ wardrobe to reflect their dual roles as professional athletes and ambassadors for the Miami Dolphins organization. The project emphasized comfort, functionality, and confidence, ensuring that each garment

performed under physical intensity while presenting a polished, contemporary aesthetic on and off the field.

The Design Challenge

Cheerleading places exceptional demands on apparel. Garments must support explosive movement, jumps, lifts, and sustained choreography under stadium lights, heat, and long performance durations. At the same time, cheer uniforms are highly visible, serving as a key expression of team identity and brand values.

The challenge was to design a system of soft goods that could withstand athletic rigor without restricting movement, manage heat and perspiration, and maintain visual consistency across the team. Equally important was creating a wardrobe that allowed cheerleaders agency over their appearance, enabling personalization while preserving a unified, professional look.

Our Approach

Interwoven Design approached the project as a modular performance system rather than a single uniform. The design process began with direct engagement with the cheerleaders, gathering insight into their preferences, pain points, and performance requirements. This collaborative approach ensured that the final collection responded to real athletic needs rather than surface-level aesthetics alone. The concept of a “cheer closet” guided the development of a capsule collection composed of nine core silhouettes designed to be mixed and matched by individual team members. These included a crop top, sports bras, unitard, track jacket, skirt, leggings, and boy shorts, offered in a range of Miami Dolphins–branded colorways.

This system-based approach allowed each cheerleader to select combinations that best suited her body, role, and performance needs while maintaining visual cohesion across the squad. Soft goods design focused on creating garments that moved seamlessly with the body, supported dynamic routines, and felt comfortable throughout long rehearsals, games, and appearances.

Engineered for Movement and Durability

Material selection was central to the success of the collection, and a particular challenge here. Interwoven sourced a breathable, moisture-wicking performance fabric engineered to resist visible color changes from perspiration, ensuring the uniforms maintained a fresh, polished appearance even during high-intensity routines. Strategically placed perforated textiles enhanced ventilation while adding subtle textural detail to the garments.

Athletic construction techniques were used throughout, incorporating internal support features and carefully engineered paneling to improve fit, stability, and comfort. These decisions allowed the garments to support demanding choreography without restricting range of motion or causing distraction during performance.

Impact

The final uniform and practice collection successfully unified performance and style, delivering soft goods that support athletic excellence while reinforcing brand identity. The “cheer closet” model gives team members agency and confidence, allowing them to personalize their look while presenting a consistent, elevated image as a squad.

A complementary makeup kit was also designed to align with the apparel color strategy, enabling a cohesive head-to-toe presentation for games, practices, and appearances. Together, the system underscores the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders’ role as elite athletes and public representatives of the organization.

Supporting Movement, Comfort, and Confidence

Athletics is defined by movement, repetition, and intensity. Every sprint, pivot, jump, and recovery phase places unique demands on the body and on the products worn in motion. In this context, soft goods are not passive layers or branding surfaces; they are active participants in performance. The way a garment stretches, compresses, breathes, or stabilizes can influence confidence, endurance, and precision in ways that are felt long before they are noticed.

Well-designed athletic soft goods regulate temperature without distraction, support muscles without restricting movement, and adapt across training, competition, and recovery. When these systems are thoughtfully engineered, athletes can focus fully on their sport. When they fall short, friction appears in the form of discomfort, distraction, or compromised performance. The difference often lies in details: patterning, material behavior under sweat and strain, seam placement, and how a product responds over time.

At Interwoven Design, we approach athletic soft goods as performance systems rather than isolated products. Our work blends material intelligence, ergonomic construction, and brand strategy to create apparel and wearable solutions that move with the body and evolve with the demands of sport. Whether designing for emerging athletic categories or established performance disciplines, we prioritize comfort, adaptability, and long-term wearability alongside visual identity and market relevance.

We collaborate with athletic brands, innovators, and performance-driven organizations who recognize that great design is built through deep understanding of the body in motion. Together, we design soft goods that support athletes where it matters most: in the moments of effort, focus, and flow that define sport.Interwoven Design is a design consultancy that is positioned at the intersection of soft goods and wearable technology, creating products that function with the body and offer comfort as well as the superb performance that arises through the innovative incorporation of rigid, often electronic and responsive elements. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for design news, multi-media recommendations, and to learn more about product design and development!

Soft Goods in Healthcare: The Human Stakes of Healthcare Design

Healthcare is about more than treating illness. While medical care focuses on diagnosing and addressing physical conditions, healthcare takes a broader view, supporting a patient’s overall wellbeing and enabling the professionals who deliver that care every day. From long hospital shifts and rehabilitation routines to outpatient care and home recovery, healthcare unfolds across environments that demand comfort, safety, efficiency, and trust.

Soft goods play a critical but often overlooked role in this ecosystem. Braces, supports, wearable devices, utility systems, and hybrid soft–hard products are in constant contact with the body, shaping how care is delivered and experienced. When designed well, they reduce strain, support movement, and integrate seamlessly into clinical workflows. When designed poorly, they can introduce discomfort, fatigue, inefficiency, or even risk. In healthcare settings, where products are worn for hours, used repeatedly, and relied upon in high-pressure situations, these details matter.

At Interwoven Design, we specialize in designing soft goods that support care beyond the clinic. Our work spans patient-facing therapeutic devices and clinician-focused tools, combining expertise in textiles, ergonomics, and integrated hard goods. By approaching healthcare design through a human-centered lens, we create products that balance clinical requirements with real-world usability, creating solutions that feel natural on the body while performing reliably in demanding environments.

In this Insight article, we explore what makes soft goods design in healthcare unique, the challenges and opportunities inherent in this field, and how thoughtful design can support both patient wellbeing and the professionals who provide care. Through real-world examples, we’ll highlight how soft goods can function not just as medical products, but as essential components of a more humane, effective healthcare system.

Why Healthcare Requires a Different Design Lens

Designing for healthcare presents a unique set of challenges that extend well beyond traditional product development. Unlike consumer or lifestyle products, healthcare soft goods operate at the intersection of physical care, emotional vulnerability, and professional responsibility. These products are worn longer, used more intensely, and trusted more deeply by patients and healthcare professionals alike.

Clinical & Operational Context

Healthcare products must perform reliably across highly controlled clinical environments and unpredictable real-world settings. Soft goods are exposed to constant movement, repeated donning and doffing, frequent cleaning, and long hours of wear. Materials must be durable, hygienic, and easy to maintain, while construction methods must withstand intensive daily use without compromising comfort or performance. For clinicians, design decisions can directly affect efficiency, safety, and physical strain during demanding shifts.

Human & Emotional Context

Unlike many consumer products, healthcare soft goods often enter a user’s life during moments of stress, pain, or vulnerability. Patients may be recovering from injury, managing chronic conditions, or navigating uncertainty about their health. Clinicians, meanwhile, work under sustained pressure, balancing precision, speed, and empathy. Thoughtful soft goods design can help reduce anxiety, restore confidence, and preserve dignity, while poorly considered products can amplify discomfort or frustration.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Many healthcare products, particularly those involved in treatment or rehabilitation, must meet strict regulatory, safety, and performance standards. Even non-regulated soft goods used in healthcare environments are influenced by infection control protocols, ergonomic guidelines, and institutional requirements. Designers must ensure that materials, construction, and interfaces are defensible, testable, and aligned with compliance standards, without losing sight of usability and human experience.

Together, these contexts make healthcare design uniquely demanding. Success depends not only on technical performance, but on an ability to understand how products are worn, moved, cleaned, trusted, and relied upon over time. It is this combination of precision and empathy that defines effective healthcare soft goods and sets the foundation for meaningful innovation in the field.

Integrating Comfort, Function, and Care

In healthcare, soft goods become part of how care is delivered. From support garments and protective equipment to clinician tools and patient mobility aids, these products sit at the intersection of the human body and complex care workflows. Designing for this space requires a dual focus: supporting the physical realities of the body while enabling the practical realities of care.

Human-Centered, Iterative Design

At Interwoven Design, we approach healthcare soft goods as extensions of both the body and the care environment. A brace, garment, or wearable system must accommodate anatomy, movement, and long-term comfort, while also integrating seamlessly into clinical routines. This means accounting for how products are put on and taken off, how they are adjusted, cleaned, shared, or stored, and how they perform across long shifts, repeated use, and changing patient needs. Prototyping and real-world testing are central to this process. Early concepts are evaluated not only for fit and function, but for how they behave in real care scenarios: during patient transfers, extended wear, frequent donning and doffing, or high-movement tasks.

Observing products in context reveals friction points that would be invisible in a purely technical review, informing refinements that improve usability, safety, and adoption.

Design Priorities

Material selection is always important in soft goods design, but in the context of healthcare it plays a critical role. Healthcare soft goods must balance durability with softness, breathability with protection, and structure with flexibility. Fabrics and foams must withstand cleaning protocols, resist wear, and remain comfortable against sensitive skin. Thoughtful construction helps distribute pressure, reduce heat and moisture buildup, and support natural movement, turning functional products into wearable systems that users can rely on over time.

Collaborating with Healthcare Professionals

Just as important as performance materials and ergonomic construction is designing for the people who deliver care. Nurses, technicians, and other healthcare professionals interact with soft goods in fast-paced, high-stakes environments. Products must be intuitive, efficient, and easy to integrate into existing workflows. When soft goods are designed with caregivers in mind, they can reduce physical strain, improve organization, and support safer, more efficient care delivery. At Interwoven Design, we interview and observe healthcare professionals in action in order to deeply understand their needs and their day-to-day tasks. By designing simultaneously for the body and for care delivery, we develop healthcare soft goods that support mobility, comfort, and dignity for patients while enabling clinicians to work more effectively. The result is design that fits the body while also supporting the realities of healthcare.

The Challenges of Designing for High-Impact Healthcare

Soft goods in healthcare sit at a demanding crossroads. They must perform reliably in clinical environments, remain comfortable during extended wear, and adapt to the unpredictable realities of human movement and care delivery. Unlike many consumer products, healthcare soft goods are not optional accessories, they are tools that people depend on daily, often under physical or emotional strain. As a result, long-term wearability is a key challenge. Braces, supports, and clinician-worn systems are frequently worn for hours at a time, across repetitive motions and varied postures.

Poorly distributed pressure, inadequate ventilation, or rigid construction can lead to discomfort, fatigue, or skin irritation, issues that may reduce compliance or interfere with care. Designing for healthcare means anticipating not just how a product fits at rest, but how it performs across an entire day of use.

Integration of soft and hard elements adds another layer of complexity. Many healthcare products must accommodate structural supports, sensors, fasteners, or storage components without sacrificing comfort or mobility. Every seam, closure, and interface becomes a design decision with real consequences for usability and safety. A technically sound system that feels awkward or cumbersome risks being underused, modified incorrectly, or abandoned altogether.

Hygiene and durability further shape the design landscape. Healthcare soft goods must withstand frequent cleaning, exposure to bodily fluids, and institutional laundering processes while maintaining their performance and integrity. Materials and construction methods must be chosen not only for comfort and strength, but for longevity and ease of maintenance.

These challenges represent powerful opportunities for thoughtful design. When soft goods are developed with a deep understanding of healthcare contexts, they can actively improve outcomes. Well-designed products can reduce physical strain for clinicians, support proper body mechanics, improve patient confidence, improve usage rates, and streamline daily workflows. They can also help bridge gaps between clinical settings and everyday life, supporting continuity of care beyond the hospital or clinic. For our design team at Interwoven Design, these constraints are catalysts for innovation. By balancing ergonomics, material performance, and system integration, we create healthcare soft goods that are not only functional, but genuinely supportive of the people who rely on them.

Case Studies: Design for Healthcare in Action

Healthcare design is ultimately measured in real-world use: how a product performs across long shifts, repeated motions, and moments where comfort, efficiency, and reliability directly affect care delivery. Soft goods play a critical role in how patients move, how clinicians work, and how support systems integrate into daily routines. The difference between a well-intentioned product and a truly effective one often lies in the details: fit, material behavior, adjustability, and how seamlessly a system becomes part of the body. The following case studies highlight Interwoven Design’s approach to healthcare soft goods across different contexts of care.

Case Study 1: Whitecloud Medical Utility Bag

Whitecloud Medical partnered with Interwoven Design to develop a wearable medical utility bag that directly supports the bodies and workflows of healthcare workers on the job. Healthcare professionals operate in environments defined by physical intensity, constant movement, and limited margin for error. Nurses and medical technicians routinely lift patients, transport equipment, and transition rapidly between tasks, all while carrying the tools they need to deliver care. Over time, this combination of physical strain and inefficient load carryingcontributes to fatigue, musculoskeletal injury, and reduced focus on patient care.

The Design Challenge

In clinical settings, caregivers often rely on overfilled pockets or ad-hoc storage to keep essential supplies within reach. At the same time, repeated lifting, bending, and twisting place significant stress on the lower back. Existing solutions typically addressed these issues in isolation, either offering storage without ergonomic support or back braces without functional integration into daily work routines. The challenge was to design a single, wearable that could reduce physical strain while improving access to tools without restricting movement or adding complexity during fast-paced clinical work.

Our Approach

Interwoven Design developed a modular utility system that integrates a supportive back brace with a flexible waist-mounted storage solution. The utility bag can slide along the belt for quick, one-handed access to supplies or be secured over the back support during physically demanding tasks. Both components can be detached and used independently, allowing caregivers to adapt the system to different roles, shifts, or levels of activity.

Soft goods construction was central to the design. Materials were selected for durability, comfort, and long-term wear, ensuring the system could withstand repeated use while remaining comfortable against the body. Interior organization was carefully considered, with dedicated compartments for a curated suite of medical tools, consumables, and personal items, reducing the need for overloaded pockets and minimizing unnecessary movement during care delivery.

Impact

The Whitecloud Medical Utility System supports healthcare workers where it matters most: at the intersection of physical health and daily efficiency. By combining ergonomic back support with accessible, body-centered storage, the design helps reduce strain, improve posture during demanding tasks, and streamline workflows throughout long shifts. The result is a wearable solution that not only protects the caregiver’s body but also enables them to focus more fully on their patients, demonstrating how thoughtful soft goods design can directly support the people who deliver care every day.

Case Study 2: Breg CrossRunner™ Soft Knee Brace

Breg, a leader in orthopedic bracing solutions, partnered with Interwoven Design Group to develop the next generation of their soft, hinged knee brace product line, with a focus on comfort, adaptability, and clinical performance. Orthopedic bracing plays a critical role in healthcare by supporting mobility, reducing pain, and enabling patients to stay active during recovery or long-term joint management. For individuals managing knee instability, ligament injuries, or early-stage osteoarthritis, a brace must do more than provide support, it must integrate comfortably into daily life to ensure consistent use and positive outcomes.

The Design Challenge

The challenge was to create a versatile knee brace system that could serve a wide range of patients and clinical indications, from mild osteoarthritis to a range of ligament injuries. The product needed to deliver reliable mechanical support while remaining lightweight, breathable, and easy to use. For patients, ease of donning and doffing, comfort during extended wear, and a low-profile appearance were essential to encourage adherence. For clinicians, consistent hinge alignment, predictable sizing, and clear functional differentiation across models were critical to effective prescription and fitting.

Our Approach

Interwoven Design worked closely with Breg’s internal engineering and manufacturing teams to develop a cohesive, patient-centered brace system. Early concept development focused on understanding user interaction with the brace: how it feels to put on, adjust, and wear throughout a full day of movement. Mood boards and design research established a visual and functional language rooted in anatomy, clarity, and ease of use.

Through 2D sketching and 3D foam mockups, the team explored compression zoning, material placement, and hinge positioning to balance stability with comfort and thermoregulation. The resulting CrossRunner™ line features four configurations—wraparound, pull-on, long, and short—ensuring that clinicians can select the most appropriate solution for each patient’s anatomy, condition, and lifestyle.

Soft goods design was central to the brace’s performance. The body of the brace utilizes Breathefit™ fabric, combining neoprene and Airmesh® to deliver therapeutic compression while maintaining breathability during extended wear. A sleek, low-profile hinge with customizable range-of-motion stops allows clinicians to fine-tune support while preserving a streamlined, wearable form. Interwoven also designed key user-facing elements including strap configurations, hinge covers, tabs, bindings, branding, and colorways; details that improve usability, durability, and overall patient experience.

Technical Development and Production Support

To ensure accurate fit and clinical reliability, Interwoven collaborated with Breg to develop custom leg forms representing each brace size and led the size grading process across eight distinct sizes. Technical patterns were engineered to maintain consistent hinge placement across diverse leg shapes, a critical factor in brace effectiveness. Detailed CAD drawings and technical documentation clearly communicated material layers, strap alignment, and construction details to Breg’s manufacturing team.

Interwoven remained engaged through sampling, refinement, and production, supporting quality control and ensuring the final product met both clinical and manufacturing standards. This ongoing collaboration helped translate design intent into a scalable, high-quality medical product.

Impact

The Breg CrossRunner™ Soft Knee Brace delivers a patient-centered solution that supports mobility, comfort, and confidence throughout recovery and daily activity. By combining precise orthopedic function with thoughtful soft goods design, the brace encourages consistent wear, which is an essential factor in achieving positive clinical outcomes. For healthcare providers, the cohesive product line simplifies fitting and prescription, while offering adaptable options for a wide range of conditions.

Designing Systems of Care

Healthcare extends beyond the treatment of illness. It encompasses the everyday systems that support wellbeing: comfort during long hours, mobility through recovery, efficiency in demanding environments, and emotional reassurance in moments of uncertainty. While medical care often focuses on diagnosis and intervention, healthcare design must account for the lived experience of both patients and the professionals who care for them. This is where soft goods play an essential, and often underappreciated, role. A knee brace is not just a product; it is part of a recovery process. A utility bag is not just storage; it is a mobile workstation for a nurse navigating a twelve-hour shift.

Soft goods function as the quiet infrastructure of healthcare. When designed well, they fade into the background, supporting movement, reducing strain, and enabling care without calling attention to themselves. When designed poorly, they become barriers: restricting motion, causing discomfort, or adding friction to already complex workflows. Their impact may be subtle, but it is deeply felt across long shifts, repeated use, and extended recovery periods. Every design decision must account for a complex web of users, environments, and expectations.

At Interwoven Design, we believe healthcare products should work with people, not against them. Our approach centers on designing systems that support care teams, protect bodies, and respect the physical and emotional realities of healthcare environments. By integrating soft goods expertise with human-centered thinking, we create solutions that align performance with comfort, structure with flexibility, and durability with dignity.

We collaborate with healthcare innovators, medical companies, and care organizations who recognize that better care is built through thoughtful design. Together, we design soft goods that elevate care delivery, strengthen wellbeing, and improve the human experience at every point of contact.

Client Meeting for Koldbot at Interwoven Design Group

Interwoven Design is a design consultancy that is positioned at the intersection of soft goods and wearable technology, creating products that function with the body and offer comfort as well as the superb performance that arises through the innovative incorporation of rigid, often electronic and responsive elements. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for design news, multi-media recommendations, and to learn more about product design and development!

Soft Goods, Seamless Performance: Designing for Movement in Entertainment

The Stakes of Entertainment Design

Designing soft goods for entertainment is a uniquely challenging discipline. Whether for stage, film, live events, or dance, these products must push the limits of movement, durability, and visual storytelling. Costumes, wearables, and accessories must look compelling under lights, but also support choreography, withstand repeated use, and integrate seamlessly. A garment that restricts motion or fails mid-performance doesn’t just interrupt the experience; it can compromise safety, storytelling, and the creative vision itself.

At Interwoven Design, we operate at this intersection of craft, performance, and technical problem-solving. Our team brings together expertise in soft goods, human movement, textiles, and engineering to create products that enhance performers’ abilities while preserving artistic integrity. From early movement studies to stage-tested prototypes, our work is grounded in creating pieces that feel natural to wear, perform reliably under stress, and advance creative expression.

In this article, we’ll explore what makes soft goods design for the entertainment industry distinct, how our approach supports both performers and creators, the opportunities emerging in this category, and case studies showcasing our work designing high-performance costumes.

Why Entertainment Design Is Unique

Designing for entertainment involves a set of conditions unlike any other category of soft goods development. Every decision must account for artistic intent, technical performance, performer safety, and the physical realities of movement.

Artistic Context
Costumes and performance wear must communicate character, story, and emotion at a glance. Designers navigate through color, silhouette, texture, and historical or stylistic accuracy. At the same time they ensure the garment supports the artistic direction of the production. A costume must function as both a tool for expression and a technical piece of equipment.

Physical Context
Performers push their bodies to extremes. Garments must allow full range of motion, distribute pressure evenly, manage heat, and remain comfortable over hours of rehearsal and performance. Fabrics that restrict, chafe, or overheat can hinder movement, increase fatigue, or lead to injury.

Technical Context

Modern entertainment frequently integrates technology; LEDs, sensors, animatronics, quick-change mechanisms, or modular components. These technologies must be embedded into costumes in ways that preserve flexibility, balance, and aesthetics while remaining easy to service backstage.
Together, these contexts shape a design discipline that is part engineering, part artistry, part biomechanics, requiring solutions that are expressive, durable, wearable, and safe.

Designing for Movement and Expression

At Interwoven Design, we view entertainment soft goods as extensions of the performer’s body and tools for storytelling. Our design process centers on an iterative, movement-driven approach that ensures each piece supports expressive freedom, technical performance, and long-term durability.
Prototyping is core to this philosophy. Early iterations are tested in rehearsals or motion studies, allowing designers to observe how garments behave during jumps, lifts, spins, or rapid transitions. We refine patterning, materials, seam placement, and support structures based on how performers actually move.

Comfort, breathability, and ergonomics are fundamental. Materials must balance stretch, drape, durability, and heat management. Every strap, panel, or internal structure is placed intentionally to reduce friction, support high motion, and maintain stability across repeated performances. When costumes incorporate technology, components must integrate seamlessly without compromising aesthetics or mobility.

Collaboration is also essential. We work with choreographers, costume designers, technical directors, and performers to ensure alignment between artistic vision and physical reality. This cross-disciplinary approach results in costumes and wearables that not only look extraordinary but perform flawlessly under demanding conditions.

The Challenge (and Opportunity) of Soft Goods in Entertainment

Soft goods for entertainment represent a rapidly evolving category, from high-tech performance to interactive costumes and modular pieces designed for quick changes or complex choreography. The opportunities are exciting, but the technical demands are significant.

Wearables must withstand extraordinary levels of physical stress. Unlike daily apparel, performance costumes experience constant stretching, repeated laundering, rapid changes, and sometimes rough backstage handling. Seams must hold, materials must last, and designs must maintain their appearance under stage lighting or camera scrutiny.

Technological integration adds further complexity. Whether incorporating electronics, sculptural elements, or mechanical activation, designers must ensure the costume remains balanced, lightweight, and flexible. A component that shifts or detaches mid-performance can jeopardize both safety and continuity.

These challenges, however, create room for innovation. Soft goods designers are uniquely equipped to bridge artistry and engineering. They develop costumes that feel weightless, move effortlessly, integrate technology invisibly, and elevate the creative vision. Our ability to unify soft materials with structural or technological components allows us to deliver reliable and expressive solutions.

Case Studies: Soft Goods for the Stage

Interwoven Design’s work in entertainment showcases how a human-centered soft goods approach can enhance artistry. It enables complex movement, and support demanding performance environments. To illustrate what we mean, here are two case studies illustrating how we’ve applied this expertise to ballet costume innovation.

Case Study 1: Fiber Optic Tutu for the Brooklyn Ballet

Interwoven Design partnered with the Brooklyn Ballet to bring a new dimension of storytelling to their production of The Brooklyn Nutcracker, creating a collection of illuminated costumes that merge classical craft with cutting-edge technology. The centerpiece of this collaboration, the Fiber Optic Tutu for the Waltz of the Flowers, unites traditional ballet couture with programmable light, transforming the stage into a living, glowing garden.

The Design Challenge

Ballet costumes must be expressive, lightweight, and durable, capable of withstanding continuous movement and intense performance demands. For this production, the creative direction introduced an additional layer of complexity. The challenge was to integrate lighting technology into garments that maintain the delicate elegance of a classical tutu.

The challenge was to create costumes that illuminated dynamically without compromising a dancer’s range of motion, stage presence, or safety. The light effects needed to be bright enough to read from the audience. They also needed to be subtle enough to blend with hand-dyed fabrics, layered tulle, and artisanal detailing inspired by botanicals.

Our Approach

Interwoven Design explored the intersection of craft and circuitry, building the tutus using traditional multi-layered foundations reinforced with boning and custom-fit top plates. Then, an intricate network of fiber optic strands were hand-sewn onto the garment, bending and weaving with the dancer’s movement. When paired with high-intensity LED wands concealed at the lower back, the fiber optics created a shimmering glow across the costume.

To maintain the natural, garden-inspired palette of the ballet, the LED control boards were custom-programmed to precise hues of blue and green, ensuring that the illumination supported the choreography’s aesthetic rather than overpowering it. Additional costume elements for Garden Sprites and demi-soloists incorporated UV-reactive inks and screen-printed artwork that appeared only under ultraviolet stage lighting, creating a layered visual reveal. The Dew Drop character’s tutu featured laser-cut mylar florals and Swarovski crystals that refracted both ambient and programmed light, adding to the performance’s visual richness.

Behind the scenes, electronics were housed discreetly within the skirt structure. The housing protected the components while distributing weight in a way that preserved balance for the dancers. The integration of soft goods, illumination technology, and performance ergonomics was refined through iterative prototyping and collaboration with the ballet’s artistic and technical teams.
Impact

The Fiber Optic Tutu elevated The Brooklyn Nutcracker with a sense of wonder that blended seamlessly into the choreography. Onstage, the tutus appeared to bloom as dancers moved, bending light through the fibers to create glimmers, twinkles, and radiant washes that felt almost alive. The effect reinforced the narrative of a secret garden, bringing modern technology into harmony with classical ballet traditions.

For the performers, the costumes remained lightweight, wearable, and unobtrusive, supporting full movement while integrating a sophisticated lighting system. They delivered an unforgettable visual experience that captured the magic of nature, craft, and technology working in concert. This project highlights Interwoven Design’s ability to merge soft goods expertise with electronic integration. Hence, creating expressive, high-performance costumes that expand what is possible in live entertainment.

Case Study 2: Mechanical Doll Costume for The Brooklyn Nutcracker

More recently, for the 2025 season of The Brooklyn Nutcracker, Interwoven Design developed a new mechanical doll costume for the Waltz of the Flowers. This introduced a striking counterpoint to the fluidity and naturalism of the surrounding dancers. While the Flowers bloom and unfurl across the stage, the mechanical doll moves with intentional rigidity and precision. This created an aesthetic contrast reflected in the costume’s blend of structured hardware and soft textile elements.

The Design Challenge

Mechanical doll characters in The Nutcracker traditionally embody stiffness, rhythm, and clockwork-like gestures. For Brooklyn Ballet’s contemporary reinterpretation, the goal was to amplify this contrast. To create a costume that expressed mechanical articulation while still supporting the dancer’s mobility and performance.

The challenge centered on integrating rigid components in a way that conveyed a sculptural, almost automaton-like quality, without hindering choreography. Hardware needed to appear functional—even if only representational—while also being lightweight, safe, and capable of withstanding repeated performances. The soft elements, inspired by the surrounding cast, required balancing so that the mechanical doll felt visually connected while maintaining its personality.

Our Approach

Interwoven Design created the costume as a hybrid system, hard elements with soft materials that allowed for motion. Hard components—such as articulated panels, structured bodice, or mechanical-inspired detailing. We positioned them strategically to enhance the signature movements: sharp turns, precise steps, and sudden pauses.

Soft goods were incorporated to facilitate comfort and fluid transitions between poses, using textiles that complemented the production’s botanical palette without softening the character’s mechanical silhouette. The internal structure was designed to distribute weight evenly, so the dancer could perform full choreography while maintaining the illusion of rigidity.

We designed the hardware, embellishments, or frame-like structures to be secure yet flexible, allowing them to move subtly with the body. Throughout development, prototypes explored different ratios of soft-to-hard materials to achieve the right blend of theatrical expression, safety, and durability.

Impact

The resulting costume offered a visually arresting contrast within the Waltz of the Flowers, transforming the mechanical doll into a focal point of sculptural, rhythmic motion. The interplay of rigid and soft surfaces heightened the character’s stylized choreography, allowing the dancer to embody a precise, clockwork energy while remaining fully supported by the garment’s underlying ergonomic design.

For Brooklyn Ballet, the mechanical doll costume reinforced the production’s signature blend of tradition and innovation. Additionally, it showcased how contemporary design techniques, when thoughtfully integrated, can expand the vocabulary of classical performance.

Designing Confidence Into Performance

Entertainment design is about more than achieving visual impact, it is about building trust between performer, costume, and creative team. A well-designed garment supports movement effortlessly, withstands the rigors of performance, and reinforces the emotional world of the production. Whether crafting dynamic ballet costumes or integrating technology into stage wear, our mission is to blend artistic expression with technical excellence.

Through testing, movement-driven design, and respect for both performers and creative collaborators, we create intuitive, reliable, and empowering products. Our expertise in combining soft and structural elements ensures that each piece fulfills its artistic role and elevates the experience.

We invite choreographers, entertainment designers, and creative teams to partner with Interwoven Design to bring ambitious ideas to life. Designing for performance means designing for confidence, and that principle is central to everything we create.

A Q&A with Functional Prototypes Expert Jacob Turetsky

Spotlight articles shine a light on designers we admire, asking leaders in the field about their work and their design journey. This month’s Spotlight focuses on Functional Prototypes, the working, testing, problem-revealing models that turn ideas into something you can actually use. Functional prototypes rarely look polished. In fact, they often look wrong. But for Jacob Turetsky, that’s exactly the point. In this Spotlight interview, Jacob reflects on why functional prototypes matter, how they shape better products, and why failure when designed intentionally can be the most valuable outcome of all. In this conversation, he shares his process, his philosophy, and why functional prototypes are the backbone of meaningful product development.

Q:

Can you describe a moment when functional prototypes failed so clearly that it completely changed the direction of a project?

A:

While working at a large ergonomics-focused product company, we were developing a stacking chair that included a subtle amount of active recline. The idea was to rely on the frame of the chair itself to create that movement, without adding a complex mechanism.

I quickly built a prototype using CNC plywood panels to mimic a kind of spring action happening in the lower corner of the chair leg. Structurally, it made sense. But no matter what we did, every time someone leaned back, it would pull their shirt out of their pants if it was tucked in.

It turns out that recline needs to happen as close as possible to the human hip, which is difficult because that’s exactly where your body is already sitting. Our pivot point was dramatically far from where it needed to be. Even though it worked from a construction standpoint, it completely failed ergonomically.

That prototype forced us to abandon the idea of relying solely on the frame. We moved to more complicated mechanisms that brought the action closer to the body. We built another prototype that had a cluster of potential pivot points in the right region, full of holes and adjustable pins. We could move things a quarter inch at a time and test them with people.

It didn’t look like a finished product at all. It was messy and riddled with holes. But only after that process could we move forward and actually design the chair.

Q:

For readers who may not be familiar with the term, how do you define a functional prototype? What separates it from a model or visual mockup?

A:

To me, a functional prototype is about answering the riskiest questions as early as possible—when those questions are still cheap and easy to fix.

Every design has assumptions. A functional prototype lets you isolate those assumptions and test them before you layer on additional detail. It’s not about surface or appearance yet.

You’re looking at how components relate to each other, how the user interacts with the system, and whether the overall architecture works. Drawings and visual models can only take you so far. When you need to know how something actually feels, moves, or behaves, you have to build it.

Q:

Why are functional prototypes so critical, especially in hardware, wearables, and integrated systems?

A:

Design is hard. And the design process really demands that we get answers to the riskiest questions early.

Functional prototypes allow you to test assumptions when it’s still okay to pivot—when changes don’t feel like mistakes or failures. You’re able to ask, “What are we testing right now?” and “How many versions should we build?” before committing to anything expensive or overly refined.

That’s what functional prototyping is about for me. It’s figuring out how things relate—between components, between the product and the user—before worrying about how it looks.

Q:

What makes functional prototypes successful?

A:

The most important question is whether it gave you the answer you needed.

A successful functional prototype is very well scoped. If something isn’t being tested, it should be over-engineered so it doesn’t interfere with the result. You don’t want flex or instability in one area creating a “mushy” feeling somewhere else and confusing the outcome.

I actually think one of the most boring outcomes is when a prototype works exactly as expected and doesn’t reveal anything new. A good prototype should teach you something—ideally something unexpected.

Q:

You’ve worked across design engineering, product development, and hands-on prototyping. What first drew you toward making things work in the real world?

A:

It’s hard for me to point to one specific moment. It really feels like a chain of experiences mixed with some luck.

I grew up building things and tinkering. Early on, I wanted to be a car designer, which led me to industrial design and then to furniture. I had a furniture internship that went badly—I had a severe allergic reaction to exotic wood and realized I didn’t want to be milling cabinets every day.

At the same time, I was working on a medical design project at Pratt, and that completely shifted my perspective. I loved the process of taking an idea, pinning it up, building on someone else’s thinking, and then making something that actually assembled and functioned.

Suddenly, we were creating things that had never existed before. That was far more interesting to me than just building objects. I still build things with my hands, but now it’s more of a hobby. What really captured me was thinking through how mechanisms work and why one approach works better than another.

Q:

Looking back, what experience most shaped your approach to prototyping?

A:

Early on, I learned that designing a prototype is often separate from designing the final product.

Sometimes you need a prototype that’s adjustable. You need to test different lengths, pivot points, or ranges of motion. In environments where the work is mission-critical and function-first, prototyping becomes central to the design process because you can only learn so much from drawings or static models.

I remember working on a mobility device where everyone had different ideas about wheel placement and handlebar positions. We built a single, highly adjustable prototype using basic extrusions so we could test all of those ideas in one model.

That experience reinforced something I still believe strongly: functional prototypes don’t need to be beautiful, but they do need to be neat, intentional, and well thought through. In many ways, a functional prototype is its own design.

Q:

When starting a project, how do you go from an idea to a working prototype?

A:

I really trust the design process. I usually start by defining what I call the architecture of the product. That means stepping back from materials and finishes and asking more fundamental questions.

Is it vertical or horizontal? How do the components relate to each other and to the user? I try to answer the biggest questions first and then work inward, narrowing the scope as I go.

I’ve learned that trusting this process is far more reliable than waiting for a single stroke of genius. It’s also much more valuable to clients because it creates clarity early on.

Q:

You often work in environments where time is short and the stakes are high. How do you decide what “level of fidelity” is right for each stage of prototyping?

A:

A lot of it comes down to education. Some clients see a prototype that doesn’t work as a failure, so part of the job is framing prototyping as learning.

I always imagine being in the room when the prototype doesn’t work. If I’d feel embarrassed, then it’s too expensive or too high-fidelity for that stage. At that point, I’d rather rewind a week and build two cheaper versions.

Q:

How do you avoid perfecting things too early—or too late?

A:

It’s about knowing where you are in the process and what questions you’re supposed to be answering at that moment.

If your first prototype is machined out of aluminum, you’re in trouble. If it lights up and moves and does everything at once, you’ve gone too far. Early prototypes should be cheap, fast, and iterative.

Letting time, materials, and scope set boundaries is important. Those constraints help you avoid over-investing before you’ve learned what you need to learn.

Q:

You’ve collaborated with designers, engineers, and researchers. What makes a cross-disciplinary team successful when you’re building prototypes under real-world constraints?

A:

On cross-disciplinary teams, I often act as the hub. It’s important to let subject-matter experts focus on what they do best, but designers also need to advocate for the user.

You don’t need to become an expert in everything, but you do need to learn enough of each discipline’s language to collaborate effectively. Ultimately, the designer’s role is to fight for the human experience and make sure the system works for the person using it.

Q:

Looking ahead, what skills or mindsets will the next generation of prototypers need most?

A:

With tools like 3D printing, it’s very easy to add detail too early. You have to learn when to stop.

Print it. Test it. Move on. Don’t keep refining something in CAD just because you can. Earlier in my career, tools naturally limited how far you could go. Now you have to create those limits yourself.

Functional prototyping is about answering questions quickly—about getting things to work or not work as fast as possible. That mindset is more important than any single tool.

—

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Designing for Manufacture: Inside the Soft Goods Tech Pack

From Concept to Creation

Every great product begins with a spark of creativity—a sketch, a mood board, a prototype. But in order for that idea to become a physical object, it needs more than inspiration. It needs precision. Technical design is the step that translates vision into manufacturable reality, turning abstract concepts into clear instructions that factories can execute.

At the heart of this process is the technical design pack, or “tech pack.” It is more than just a set of drawings. A tech pack is a comprehensive roadmap and outlines exactly how a product is built, down to the smallest stitch, seam, or material choice. Without it, even the most innovative wearable or softgoods design are at risk being misinterpreted or poorly executed in production.

At Interwoven Design, we view technical design as a creative act in itself. It is a discipline that ensures ideas retain their integrity as they move from the studio to the factory floor. In this article, we outline what a tech pack includes, why it matters, and how we use it to bridge the gap between concept and creation.

What is a Technical Design Pack?

A technical design pack (tech pack) is the universal language between designers and manufacturers. It ensures that everyone—from patternmakers to production partners—shares the same understanding of how a product is meant to look, feel, and function. Think of it as the blueprint for softgoods and wearable technology. A typical tech pack includes:

Technical Drawings & Callouts
Precise line drawings with notes on construction details, stitching, seams, hardware, and placement.
Bill of Materials (BOM)
A complete breakdown of all materials and components. It includes fabrics, foams, fasteners, sensors—required to build the product.
Measurements & Grading
Dimensions, tolerances, and size variations to ensure consistent fit across different body types or product sizes.
Assembly Instructions
Step-by-step construction methods that guide how pieces come together, whether sewn, bonded, or mechanically fastened.
Testing & Performance Standards
Requirements for durability, washability, strength, or medical-grade compliance, depending on the product category.
Labeling & Branding
Placement of logos, care instructions, or certifications that connect the product to its brand identity and compliance needs.

Perci Emergency Preparedness Vest Branding

At its core, the tech pack is about clarity and accountability. It creates a shared framework where manufacturers know exactly what to deliver—and designers can trust the product will match their intent.

Why Technical Design Matters

Without a clear technical foundation, even the most brilliant creative concept risks breaking down in production. Technical design ensures that wearable products are not only beautiful and functional but also manufacturable, repeatable, and safe for users.

For softgoods and wearable technology, this precision becomes even more critical:

Integration of Textiles and Hardware
A garment that incorporates sensors or mechanical components must balance flexibility, comfort, and durability. Tech packs detail how fabrics stretch, where reinforcements are placed, and how electronics are housed without compromising user comfort.
Consistency at Scale
A prototype may be hand-built with care, but manufacturers need exact instructions to replicate that quality across hundreds or thousands of units. Tech packs standardize stitching, finishes, and tolerances so every piece delivers the same performance.
Risk Reduction
By spelling out materials, testing requirements, and construction methods, technical design minimizes costly production errors and prevents miscommunication with suppliers.
User-Centered Reliability
In wearables, failure isn’t just inconvenient—it can mean loss of trust. Technical documentation ensures durability and reliability in real-world contexts, whether that’s a medical device worn 24/7 or a back-assist exosuit in a warehouse.

In short, technical design translates creativity into reality. It bridges the gap between the designer’s vision and the user’s everyday experience, ensuring that innovation holds up in practice.

Inside an Interwoven Design Tech Pack

Every product we design—whether it’s a medical brace or adaptive lingerie—requires a set of technical design assets that guide manufacturers from concept to production.

These documents are roadmaps that ensure the integrity of the design across fit, function, and user experience. This matters even more in the case studies below, where we integrate hard goods and soft goods within the same wearable. Alongside the tech pack, we create a high-fidelity mockup that serves as a companion to the technical specs, bringing them into three dimensions and demonstrating complex construction at scale.

Case Study 1: Breg CrossRunner™ Soft Knee Brace

For the Breg CrossRunner™ Soft Knee Brace, precision was non-negotiable. The brace needed to fit a wide range of leg shapes while maintaining consistent hinge placement—essential for safe, effective joint support.

Interwoven Design developed custom leg forms to represent each size, then engineered a size grading system that scaled patterns evenly without shifting key hinge locations. We created multi-layered technical drawings to capture every detail of the brace’s flaps, straps, and fabric panels. By translating these patterns into CAD and supporting the manufacturing team through sample reviews, we ensured the final product matched the vision: a premium brace that’s both supportive and comfortable.

Case Study 2: Even Adaptive Lingerie

For Even Adaptive lingerie, the tech pack became the bridge between inclusive innovation and manufacturable detail. Alongside garment design, we developed a magnetized clasp system that users could operate with one hand.

Our industrial design and garment design teams worked in parallel, using 3D-printed prototypes with embedded magnets to test usability, strength, and comfort. We documented each iteration in technical drawings and specifications so manufacturers clearly understood how to integrate the clasp into the fabric without compromising softness or fit. The result was a low-profile, reliable closure that delivered on both aesthetics and accessibility.

From Documentation to Collaboration

At Interwoven Design, we see tech packs not only as instructions for manufacturers, but as living tools. These align every stakeholder in the process, from clients and engineers to production partners. A strong pack captures the full intent of a design: the dimensions, construction methods, materials, finishes, and functional details that define how a product should look, feel, and perform. By consolidating all of this into a single, reliable reference, everyone involved—from brand stakeholders reviewing the concept to factory technicians cutting patterns—works from the same shared vision.

But we also know that design doesn’t end at handoff. Even the most detailed tech pack is only part of the equation. Manufacturing is an iterative process, and unexpected challenges can arise when ideas meet real-world production. That’s why success depends on pairing precision documentation with open, ongoing relationships with manufacturers. At Interwoven, we don’t just pass off a tech pack. We stay engaged throughout production, reviewing prototypes, answering questions, and refining details.

This collaborative approach helps bridge logistical gaps, ensures that subtle but important design decisions are preserved, and reduces costly missteps. A well-crafted tech pack minimizes guesswork, but it’s the combination of clear documentation and active partnership that guarantees the best outcomes: products that deliver on both creative vision and practical performance.

Precision as a Creative Act

Technical design is where creativity transforms into reality. The sketches, prototypes, and ideas that spark innovation become manufacturable products through careful documentation and technical rigor. At Interwoven Design, our expertise lies in creating these assets with the same care we bring to concepting and design. So, we ensure every product we hand off is made with accuracy, quality, and intent.

If you’re looking to take your concept from an idea to a market-ready product, we’d love to partner with you. With our vision and professional-grade technical documentation, we turn your ideas into fully realized products.

Interwoven Design is a design consultancy positioned at the intersection of soft goods and wearable technology. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to learn more about design and development!