How to drape a saree MARCH 2018 RAMACHCHANDRAN Sulaxana 1
SR Fashion House SR Fashion House is an Indian fashion designing company based in Chennai. The company designs the best Indian clothes, available for the public in their showroom in Chennai, India. Their sarees are also available on their website www.srfashionhouse.com for worldwide shipping. While their collections and designs are a hit in India and the Asian continent, they want their designs to reach the western world. With the expansion of Bollywood trends and Indian culture, more and more people are interested in this traditional and colorful culture. All around the world, people want to try these clothes. SR Fashion House does not know how to attract western customers as those customers don t know how to drape a saree. After discussions, they decided to sell their sarees with a guide on how to drape a saree, which enabled them to sell more designs and to reach more customers. 2
Business Model Problems Stakeholders Value Content types Audience Less sales Losing market in western countries because people buy less sarees Customers don t know how to drape a saree SR Fashion House Showrooms/ shops partner with the company and sell the sarees Activities Meetings with designers Writing the guide Correcting the guide with the designers Adding photos (procedure) Matching photos with the writing Making videos (for more information) Explain how to use the product Teach new ways to use product Give tips Procedure Photos Channels Printed out document PDF online YouTube video Non-Indian Women People who don t know how to wear a saree Outgoing person For a function, special occasion or themed party Costs Technical Writers for the guide Cameraman + cameras for the photos and videos Model for the photos and videos Designers Contact via the website for suggestions Revenue More sales More customers More demands for new designs 3
Persona Name: Selena Smith Age: 25 years old Role: novice Behaviors Outgoing Open your eyes to see the world and your mind will open on its own. Selena Smith is a teacher by profession. She is very curious about the world and loves to travel, especially to discover other cultures. She is very outspoken and outgoing. With her friends, she is going to an Indian themed party. She finds the website www.srfashionhouse.com and decides to buy a saree on this website as she likes the designs very much. Upon receiving the order, she finds in it a saree, a petticoat, a readymade blouse and a guide on how to wear a saree. Gains: She wants to go to the themed-party wearing a saree to honor the Indian culture. Draping a saree in itself means elegance and grace, and she is fascinated by the looks of Indian women in sarees. Pains: She doesn t know how to choose a saree neither how to drape one. She would like to find some help as none of her friends could help her. She doesn t even know if the saree will look good on her. Funny Despondency Independent Curious 4
Customer experience Discover/ Search Preparation (material) Use Problem Results Doing Watch tutorials online Compare the technics Compare prices Check/ buy the necessary items She prepares her material She follows the steps of the guide The pleats are not good, she needs to make them again Ask questions on forums/ website of the company She jumps out of joy Takes selfies Her look for the party is a hit Thinking/ Feeling Seems hard to do Am I able to do this? She is not sure to do it I love sarees, so colorful! I can t wait to wear a saree! I love wearing saree! Am I doing it right? She is happy to learn how to wear a saree but she is cautious on if she is doing it right I don t look like anything, at all! How do I pin this? I give up: let s stay at home! At last draped I am gorgeous! Content The website www.srfashionhouse.com Before you start chapter of the guide The procedure Forums Photos 5
Style guide Voice and Tone: As it is a guide, the tone and voice are neutral and objective. Color Scheme: I used black to write as a standard color. I wanted to use red for the letters in the index, the bottom of the pages and for the cover because in Indian culture red is an auspicious color and sarees are often red. 6
Typography: Title 1. Title 1 1.1 Title 2 Paragraph 7
Vocabulary Term Definition Example dori noun (Hindi) binding strings on the back of a saree blouse that need to be attached for a better fitting of the blouse Tie the Dori at the back of the blouse. drape verb action of wearing the saree around the body You have to drape the saree on the petticoat. pallu noun (Hindi) part of the saree pleated and hanging behind Now take the outer end of the saree called Pallu to pleat it. pleats noun part of the saree pleated and inserted into the petticoat Tuck the pleats at the waistband. Make sure the pleats are at floor-length. saree noun (Hindi) a 4 to 8-meter drape with 60 cm to 1.20 m width worn by Indian women on a daily basis In this chapter, you can find the instructions on how to put on the blouse and the petticoat and how to drape a saree in the traditional and standard way. tuck in verb action of inserting the saree in the petticoat Tuck in the saree around the waist for one full round and stop at your navel. 8
Taxonomy This guide can be read in two sequences: Before you start Choosing the saree Draping the saree Finishing touches Before you start Choosing the saree Draping in Lehenga style Finishing touches 9
The first sequence starts with the chapter before you start, which states what the user needs, to be able to drape a saree and the cautionary instructions while draping and handling a saree. The second chapter is the choice of the saree depending on the user s likes and the type of function the user will attend. The third chapter is about draping the saree in the most traditional and standard way and the last chapter gives tips to the user about the accessories she can wear with the saree and how to match accessories. The second sequence starts like the first one, with the chapter before you start, followed by the chapter on the choice of the saree. The change in the sequence happens at the third chapter, in the procedure on how to drape the saree. This time, the user can read a more modern way of draping the saree, for which she doesn t need to read about the standard way of draping the saree. And finally, the user will have to read the last chapter for the tips on how to match accessories. 10