In today’s fitness-driven world, sportswear is more than just clothing—it’s a lifestyle statement, a performance enhancer, and a critical part of an athlete’s or fitness enthusiast’s routine. Whether you’re starting a new sportswear brand, expanding an existing one, or looking to create custom gear for your team or event, finding the right sportswear designer is crucial. A good designer can blend functionality, comfort, and style, ensuring your customers look great and perform their best.
This guide will walk you through the steps you need to take to find the perfect sportswear designer for your needs, covering essential considerations from design aesthetics to fabric knowledge, collaboration skills, and more.
1. Understand Your Brand Vision and Needs
Before you begin your search for a sportswear designer, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of your own needs and vision. Are you aiming for high-performance gear for professional athletes, or stylish athleisure that can transition from the gym to the street? Each type of sportswear has different requirements in terms of functionality, performance, features, material, and design.
Start by defining:
- Your Target Audience: Are you designing for elite athletes, weekend warriors, or casual gym-goers? Understanding your audience’s lifestyle will influence the design aesthetics, fabric choices, and technical elements of the clothing.
- Your Brand Values: Are sustainability and eco-friendliness key to your brand? Do you emphasise innovation, cutting-edge fabrics, or timeless design? A clear set of values helps in identifying a designer who aligns with your vision. Try to pinpoint your target audience and also work out who your nearest competitors are. Define this and then work out your retail price points are. Don’t be afraid to charge more, providing you offer more than your competitors.
- Your Product Range: Are you focusing on specific items like leggings, running shorts, or sports bras, or will you cover a wide range, including accessories? A designer with experience in your specific product area will be better suited to meet your needs. Make sure you have enough items in your range to dress your target consumer head to toe. It’s far easier to sell more items to the same consumer than fine new ones all the time because you don’t have enough styles in your sportswear range.
Once you have this foundation, it will be much easier to communicate your expectations and evaluate potential designers effectively.
2. Search in the Right Places
Finding the right designer starts with looking in the right places. Today, there are many ways to discover talented professionals who specialise in sportswear and activewear design.
Online Platforms
Freelance Sportswear designers are the obvious source, however please do your homework as most of the freelancers we receive tech packs from only do a small percentage of the work required due to their lack of sourcing and production knowledge. This process is no different to using an architect and you need to make sure your designer designs and specifies the components to guarantee quality and price. If you use an architect without building and sourcing knowledge, you will end up with a design that is way over budget and then you leave “Jim” the builder to choose your front door, windows, tiles and kitchen.
When you look for a sportswear designer, ask for examples of their work and make sure this aligns with your expectations. Also make sure the sportswear designer has knowledge of production. If they don’t then the designs they will create will be worthless and the chances are, you will need to redo the design work again as the designs wont actually fit your brief in terms of finished products.
The sportswear designer needs to source all of the fabrics, trims and accessories so that the factory understand where to purchase these. Many designers just give a vague description which again is useless. At Blue associates Sportswear, we receive tech packs from sportswear designers who specify “80% polyester, 20% spandex” and expect the factory to then source this. The issue here is the factory will source the most convenient fabric for them and you have no ability to check the quality. To give you an idea of how vague this is, there must be 10’s of thousands of fabrics with this composition and we can source these from $2.50mtrs to $25mtr.
The sportswear designer also need to create tech packs for the trims and these need to be sourced from a specialist trim supplier. Again, a lot of freelance sportswear designers without sourcing knowledge simply expect the factory to develop these with their local trim supplier, but again, you have no control over quality, repeat orders with a different supplier and cost.
3. Review Portfolios Thoroughly
A sportswear designer’s portfolio is their calling card. When reviewing portfolios, look beyond surface aesthetics and focus on how the designer approaches problem-solving, functionality, and user experience.
Make sure their portfolio is commercial and don’t be drawn in by fancy artwork, look at the products and make sure these are aligned to your vision. Fancy drawings don’t make a commercial garment.
Key Elements to Look For:
- Diverse Design Skills: Look for versatility in their portfolio. A great sportswear designer will have a range of designs that cater to different sports and fitness levels. This indicates their ability to adapt to different needs and audiences.
- Technical Skills: Sportswear design requires knowledge of technical fabrics, performance-enhancing features, and garment construction. Ensure the designer has experience in working with performance fabrics such as moisture-wicking, breathable, and stretchable materials and has an extensive resource so that you can select the actual fabric and mill that produce it.
- Attention to Detail: Sportswear involves many subtle yet critical details, like seam placement for comfort, stretch zones for mobility, and reflective elements for safety. Check if these aspects are evident in their designs.
- Innovation and Trends: The sportswear industry evolves rapidly, with new fabrics, technologies, and trends emerging regularly. A good designer should be up-to-date with the latest innovations, from sustainable materials to smart clothing with embedded sensors. Look for innovation and ask them to show you their most innovative designs where they had to think outside the box.
4. Evaluate Technical Expertise
Sportswear design is not just about creating attractive garments; it’s about designing pieces that improve performance, comfort, and durability. Look for a designer who has a deep understanding of the following:
Material Knowledge
Fabric choice is critical in sportswear. Depending on the activity, a designer should know how to work with materials that offer the right balance of stretch, breathability, moisture management, and insulation. They should also be knowledgeable about innovations like compression fabrics, anti-odour treatments, and UV protection.
Make sure they work closely with fabric mills and can source the fabrics you require. Not only do the fabric need to perform, they need to hit your target price points and also have MOQ’s that are workable for you.
Garment Construction
The way sportswear is constructed affects its performance. Seamless technology, bonded seams, and flatlock stitching reduce chafing and increase comfort. A skilled designer will be familiar with advanced construction techniques that enhance the wearability of the garments.
Make sure these are fully costed so that the final garment hits your target price point. It’s pointless receiving a design with fully lasers and bonded seams using a really expensive technical fabric that results in the finished product being 3X your target cost.
Fit and Functionality
Fit is particularly important in sportswear because it directly impacts an athlete’s performance. A good designer should have an understanding of ergonomics and how to design clothes that allow for maximum movement while still providing support where needed. For example, a running short should allow full leg extension without riding up or chafing.
Make sure the designer also has the ability to create full graded size charts across all the sizes you intend to order.
5. Assess Compatibility and Collaboration Skills
Choosing a designer is not just about their technical skills—it’s also about how well you can work together. Sportswear design often requires a high degree of collaboration, whether it’s with other designers, product developers, or marketing teams. Here’s what to consider:
Communication
A good sportswear designer should be able to understand and interpret your vision clearly. During your initial meetings, evaluate how well they listen to your ideas and how effectively they communicate their own thoughts. Clear, ongoing communication is essential for keeping the project on track and ensuring that the final product meets your expectations.
Make sure you provide a very clear brief, including target customer, target RRP’s and cost of goods are confirmed as the designer needs to make sure the designs marry to this.
Flexibility and Problem-Solving
The design process can be iterative, with multiple revisions and tweaks. A great designer will be flexible and open to feedback, constantly looking for ways to improve the design. They should also be proactive in problem-solving, offering solutions when issues arise, such as material availability or production constraints.
Passion for Sportswear
While skills can be learned, passion is harder to cultivate. A sportswear designer who is genuinely interested in sports, fitness, or performance apparel will bring extra energy and insight to the project. Ask about their personal interests in sports and how that informs their design process.
6. Budget and Timeline Considerations
Like any project, budget and timeline will play a crucial role in your decision. Sportswear design can vary greatly in cost depending on the complexity of the garments and the experience of the designer.
Don’t skimp on this process as it could save you big time in the end. Looking for the cheapest quote will most probably end up with a design that isn’t fit for purpose or doesn’t answer your brief.
At Blue associates Sportswear, we receive designs and tech packs that are no way near up to scratch and we need to address this by updating these or redoing the work from scratch.
A design and tech pack is the foundations to the product. Solid foundations are required to execute a great product.
Setting a Budget
Be realistic about your budget from the start. Highly experienced designers will likely charge more for their expertise, but they can often deliver higher-quality results. Freelancers typically offer more flexibility in pricing than design agencies, but this depends on the level of service and support you require.
Product is king, and the products always start with great designs. Looking for the cheapest quote won’t deliver the best results. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Timeline and Deadlines
Make sure the designer is available to work within your desired timeline. If you’re launching a new collection, you’ll need to factor in time for design, prototyping, testing, and production. Clear communication about deadlines from the start will ensure that the project runs smoothly.
Ask if they will be managing the critical path and will update this on a weekly basis.
7. Have a meeting
Once you’ve narrowed down your options, schedule a meeting with your top candidates. Use this opportunity to discuss the project in detail, ask about their design process, and see how well you connect on a personal level.
If possible, request examples of their portfolio and tech packs of their previous work. This allows you to assess the quality of their designs up close, particularly the fabric choices, construction techniques, and overall feel of the design work.
If you see tech packs with “Factory or supplier to source” or fabric description as “80% Polyester, 20% elastane” walk away. You need to see tech packs that demonstrate they have sourced all of the fabrics and trims and nominated the supplier and quality of each item.
8. Consider Long-Term Collaboration
If you’re building a brand or launching a line, you’ll want to find a designer who can grow with you. Look for someone who is open to long-term collaboration, as developing a cohesive brand identity often takes time. A designer who understands your brand deeply will be able to help you evolve your collections while maintaining consistency.
Think about collection 2 and look to see if a long term quote would attract some discount.
Conclusion
Finding the right sportswear designer can be a game-changer for your brand or project. By understanding your needs, reviewing portfolios carefully, and evaluating both technical skills and collaboration abilities, you can ensure that you partner with a sportswear designer who will bring your vision to life. Whether you’re aiming for high-performance gear or trendsetting athleisure, the right designer will help you achieve the perfect balance of style, function, and innovation.
