Leather goods product developers perform and interface between design and actual production. They analyse and study the designer’s specifications and transform them into technical requirements, updating concepts to manufacturing lines, selecting or even designing components and selecting materials. Leather goods product developers also perform pattern engineering, meaning making patterns manually, and producing technical drawings for various ranges of tools, especially cutting. They evaluate prototypes, performing required tests for samples and confirming the customer’s quality requirements and pricing constraints.
Leather goods product developers typically work in an office or studio environment. They may spend time visiting manufacturing facilities or suppliers to oversee production or source materials. The work may involve occasional travel, especially for international sourcing or attending trade shows. Deadlines and project timelines may require flexibility and the ability to work under pressure.
A bachelor’s degree in fashion design, product development, or a related field is typically required for a leather goods product developer role. Strong design and technical skills are essential, including proficiency in CAD software and knowledge of leather manufacturing processes. Familiarity with materials sourcing, cost analysis, and quality control principles is important. Previous experience in the fashion or leather goods industry, particularly in a design or product development role, is highly valued.
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Leather goods product developer is a Skill level 3 occupation.
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of leather goods product developer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of leather goods product developer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of leather goods product developer.
Footwear and leather goods marketing planning: The principles and methods used in creating a marketing plan and how a company can best position itself compared to its competitors, taking into account the specifics of the footwear and leather goods market.
Leather goods components: The various procedures and methods in the processing of leather materials and leather goods components like manufacturability and properties.
Leather goods quality: The quality specifications of materials, processes, and final products, the most common defects in leather, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, and adequate equipment for quality checks.
Footwear creation process: Footwear creation projects start from inspiration to technical design and manufacturing by following several stages. Latest trends in footwear materials, components, processes, and concepts.
Ergonomics in footwear and leather goods design: The principles used in designing various styles of footwear and leather goods for the correct anatomic and ergonomic proportions and measurements.
Leather goods materials: The wide range of materials used in leather goods production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textiles, etc; the way of distinguishing among various materials based on their properties, advantages and limitations.
These skills are necessary for the role of leather goods product developer.
Develop leather goods collection: Transform leather goods design ideas and concepts into prototypes and, finally, a collection. Analyse and check the designs from various angles like functionality, aesthetics, performance and manufacturability. Manage the development process of all the leather goods prototypes to meet the customer’s needs and to balance quality with production costs properly.
Prepare leather goods samples: Create, test and verify prototypes or samples of leather goods against a predefined set of criteria throughout all stages of the manufacturing process. Revise the initial design concepts and implement technical improvements.
Distinguish accessories: Distinguish accessories in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate accessories based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.
Practice innovative thinking in the footwear and leather goods industries: Innovate and create in the footwear and leather goods sector. Evaluate new ideas and concepts to turn them into marketable products. Use entrepreneurial thinking in all stages of product and process development to identify new business opportunities for the targeted markets.
Apply development process to footwear design: Understand the consumer’s needs and analyse the fashion trends. Innovate and develop the footwear concepts from an aesthetic, functional and technological point of view by using a wide range of methods and techniques, selecting materials, components and suitable technologies, adapting new concepts to manufacturing requirements and transforming the new ideas into marketable and sustainable products for mass or customised production. Communicate the new designs and ideas visually.
Reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing: Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacturing and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.
Distinguish fabrics: Distinguish fabrics in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate fabrics based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.
Develop footwear and leather goods marketing plans: Be able to develop marketing plans and provide directions for marketing strategies of the company, as well as be able to identify potential markets and to perform marketing activities to promote the footwear products of the company.
Sketch leather goods: Be able to use various sketching and drawing techniques, including artistic representation, by hand or by computer, being aware of proportion and perspective, to sketch and draw leather goods in an accurate manner, both as 2D flat designs or as 3D volumes. Be able to prepare specification sheets with details of materials, components and manufacturing requirements.
Apply fashion trends to footwear and leather goods: Be able to stay up to date on the latest styles, attend fashion shows and review fashion/clothing magazines and manuals, analysing the past and present fashion trends in areas such as footwear, leather goods and clothing market. Use analytical thinking and creative models to apply and to interpret in a systematic way the upcoming trends in terms of fashion and lifestyles.
Use IT tools: Application of computers, computer networks and other information technologies and equipment to storing, retrieving, transmitting and manipulating data, in the context of a business or enterprise.
