During the class, we learned about unique selling points (USP) and some examples of them. We were then assigned to brainstorm some socially beneficial USP ideas in groups. After that, each group presented its concepts to the whole class. Pictures shown below are the brainstorming process and what ideas my group ended up with.

The brand name Safarnama comes with two words which are safar and nama in the Urdu language. Safar means journey and nama means story, which depicts the process the clothes go through. The whole process starts with consumers bringing their own clothing pieces and having the choice of dyeing them using their own food waste or the company’s. The next step involves using a technology machine to recycle the food and extract it for coloring. The clothes will then be reworked by combining a few pieces together, with customizable sizing. Delivery is then made using bicycles or scooters for short distances and electric cars for long distances. They can then bring more clothes in to redo the cycle.

We went through the brainstorming process together with each of us coming up with ideas I found very interesting. I truly enjoyed working with my classmates. I contributed to two of the ideas of which consumers can bring their own clothing pieces and food waste for the dyeing process. At first, I tried to understand the scope of the assignment in order to produce a valuable outcome for my group. I didn’t have anything on my mind at the beginning, but after some time I finally figured it out. I proposed my ‘food waste for coloring’ concept as I’ve done a project where I used coffee grounds for dyeing and it turned out very appealing, so why not utilize other wasted materials as well. The idea of customers bringing their own clothing is due to loads of people having unwanted pieces, and the reasons for this may be because it’s out of trend, not fitting the way they like it, wrong sizes, etc. I’m able to say it that way because it happens to me too, so I thought it’d be a great idea to rework them into something fresh that consumers can feel comfortable wearing. During the process, I was open-minded to the ideas that were pitched by my friends. I was delighted to do it as a means to make it an inclusive discussion. I find it very compelling that all of us were able to provide a sufficient amount of time and space to gather our thoughts.

The discussion process went well, I first take the time to try to get them on board with my suggestions. Continued with fully explaining my ideas for a better understanding, also giving them the time to process them. I think this is very important as everybody will have different interpretations of an idea. When sharing my thoughts, I used an appropriate tone and language to make sure they were heard clearly. I remained polite throughout the process and treat all of them with full respect. In the end, I made sure to ask for any questions and clarification in case my explanation was unclear. I also paid great attention when my group members are expressing their ideas, to see if I can build on them further. Taking part in a group discussion won’t be effective if I am only there to share mine and not listen to others. I believe these qualities are very important in order to make a positive and engaging environment for the sake of giving birth to ideas. After all, I suppose it’s never wrong to share my concepts as long as it is proper.

Although all of my friends accepted my ideas, I’d be totally fine if they didn’t want to implement them. I am able to understand that everybody has a different way of thinking and it is alright if they weren’t able to accept it. In fact, I see it as an opportunity to encourage myself to think of other ways that are more beneficial and seek feedback from them in order to improve. This way, I can use it as an adaptation to form new concepts. One thing I am sure of is that I would never disrespect anyone just because my opinion doesn’t match. I am also aware that I have to keep in mind that they may have their own reasons for disagreeing even though I am enthusiastic about it.