Testing Results

The testing of the TSA: Fashion Design project is a two-fold process. Testing incorporates not only a school survey, but the TSA Competition as well. In school, not only must the garments be assessed based on their visual appeal, but they must also be tested based on their construction. The models will assess the comfort level and sturdiness of the garments based on a survey. Then the visual appeal will be determined by surveying students in school. Since an actual score cannot be obtained from the TSA judges, the overall placement of participating teams will be the assessment.

Testing Procedure:
At the TSA Competition (Primary Testing):
Materials:
15 quart plastic containers (2)
Gown
Suit Trousers and Jacket
Identification labels
Models and Emcee
15 Page Portfolio:
Title Page (1)
Literature, synthesis, interpretation of theme, garment type and textiles to be used in design report (2)
Design process sketches (6)
Computer printouts for final design (6)
References
1. Contestants show up at assigned room on time and pick up garments
2. Models change into garments
3. Groups have 2 minutes to prepare
4. Emcee introduces garments and describes construction (6 minutes)
5. After presentation, garments are returned to judges
6. Groups show up at awards ceremony to receive awards

Below is a point-scale breakdown of the grading of the TSA Fashion Design competition:
Portfolio (75 points)
Title, literature, synthesis, interpretation of theme, garment type and textiles to be used in design (10 points)
Design process sketches (30 points)
Computer printouts for final designs (30 points)
References (5 points)
On-site presentation (25 points)
Quality of Garments (15 points)
Presentation quality (5 points)
Organization and depiction of theme (5 points)
Rules Violation (-20% total points)
At School (Secondary Testing):
Materials:
Printed Surveys
Gown
Suit jacket and trousers
Models
Sample of Students
1. During the systems period (7/8), models will be excused to change into garments.
2. Models will be asked to try on garments and assess their comfort level as well as sturdiness of construction. In other words, they will not be assessing the actual construction, but rather the garments ability to not rip, fray, etc. Their responses will be recorded on a survey.
3. A sample of students will be asked to assess the visual appeal of the garments. They will be handed out surveys and asked to fill them out.
4. Surveys will be collected and conclusions drawn from the feedback.

Testing Stages:
TSA Competition:
The primary testing for the TSA: Fashion Design project entailed the participation in the TSA competition. The garments and portfolio were submitted to the area managers two weeks prior to the competition. This allowed the judges to look over the portfolio ahead of time and judge it before the competition.
As per TSA regulations, all competitors from MAST arrived at 7:00 at High Tech High School donning the standard TSA garb: a blue blazer, grey slacks or a skirt, a white blouse, and a red tie. From there students were taken to TCNJ for the competition. The Fashion Design competition was scheduled for 11:45 AM. The team arrived on time and changed into their garments. The MAST team was slated to go first and was only given a few minutes to prepare for the event. The emcee introduced the garments to the audience while the models displayed them. The presentation went over well. At the end of the day, the MAST team tied for first place.
At School:
On May 11th, I went to the oceanography class during period 7/8. It was a free class for them so I would not be interrupting any work. I showed them the garments and asked them to fill out a simple survey about them. The results tended to be positive with a few outliers.
Results:
Are the garments neat and professional looking? 4.78/5
How well do the outfits compliment each other? 4.78/5
How likely are you to purchase these products? 4.42/5

Conclusion:
Based on the results of both testing stages, I can say with certainty that the TSA Fashion Design project was a success. At the actual competition, MAST placed first among 4 other teams. If this wasn’t enough to judge the success of the project, I also took into account students opinions on the garment. The results of that test backed up the success of the project. All three areas received a score of 4.5 or greater with the exception of the third question. However, among the data there was an outlier which brought down the overall score.