The hidden complexity of soft goods prototyping

Ever heard, “We can worry about that later, it’s just fabric”? Famous last words before your prototype starts unraveling, often figuratively, but occasionally literally. Soft goods prototyping is a complex, technical, iterative process. Yet it’s often underestimated, undervalued, or overlooked entirely. R&D teams frequently wait too long to involve a soft goods expert, which can lead to failure points, delays, and missed performance goals. This post unpacks what soft goods prototyping actually involves, the decisions that go into it, and how earlier collaboration can lead to better, faster, and more user-centered outcomes.

Real image of a soft goods engineer explaining the true influence of various fabric properties.

Common misconceptions (and where things go sideways)

We don’t know what we don’t know, so let’s start by calling out a few common misconceptions.

“It’s just sewing.”

Even if that were true (and it’s not), this mindset severely minimizes the in-depth skill and knowledge required. Sewing a prototype can involve pattern drafting, grading, alteration, grainline alignment, smart cutting, efficient construction that’s easy to iterate, and knowing how to optimize machines for various fabric types. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This mindset also overlooks the complex factors a soft goods prototype must consider, such as fabric behavior under load, how movement and environment inform on fit, how the user interacts with the device, sanitation cycles, regulatory concerns, thermal comfort, etc. Much like a Journey song, the list goes on and on. Thinking it’s “just sewing” is how you end up with a prototype that fails before it ever gets to testing.

“We’ll figure out the fabric later.”

Fabric isn’t just a cover, it’s an engineering material that must be treated as such. While it’s true that final fabric selection happens in later stages of product development, that process should begin much sooner. Early prototyping still needs materials that mimic the desired qualities (such as stretch, stiffness, or breathability), so you can start stress-testing real-world performance. Leaving these decisions to the very end can cause you to miss critical material factors such as abrasion resistance, moisture management, or flame retardancy. Consequently, you might box yourself into redesigns later: rerouting cables, modifying encapsulation, or compromising comfort to fit a fabric that should have been considered from the start.

“We don’t need soft goods until production” or “The manufacturer will choose fabrics for us.”

These are common, and costly, assumptions. If soft goods are treated as an afterthought, you may end up with a product that doesn’t fit the body, can’t move comfortably, or fails in real-world wear. Essential factors, such as donning, doffing, and laundering might go unaddressed. As for leaving material selection up to your manufacturer, they need to be given proper guidance on material specs or they may default to what’s cheapest or most available, rather than what’s best for your use case. They don’t know your end user like you do. Without direction from a textile scientist or prototyper, you’re handing critical decisions to someone without giving them the necessary context.

Misinterpreting user feedback

User feedback is vital, but it can only be properly utilized when properly interpreted; and this requires soft goods expertise just as much as it requires any other relevant material experts. For example, a tester might ask for a pocket, and so the R&D team adds one. But what if the real issue is that your prototype blocked their existing pocket and a more efficient solution was a minor reshaping of the design? A soft goods expert won’t just implement, they’ll interpret and translate because they have the expertise to do so. They know how to dig beneath the surface and ensure feedback becomes meaningful, actionable input.

Overlooking end-use realities

Snag risks. Daily kneeling. Sweat-soaked shifts. Speedy donning and doffing. These aren’t nice-to-haves, they’re central to making a product work for the user. If a product can’t survive the environment it’s meant for, it’s not going to be used. Or worse, it’ll get used, and it’ll fail when it matters most. This goes beyond your company’s bottom line — there are instances where the consequences can be life-altering or even deadly.

What soft goods prototyping actually involves

This isn’t just execution. It’s iterative engineering, strategic design, and human-centered problem solving.

Early stages include market research, gap analysis, and mapping the device into a user’s actual daily workflow. What environments will it face? What movements will it need to accommodate? What psychological responses will users have to wearing it?

Middle stages are all about building and testing. You’re iterating on form, fit, and function. You’re trying prototypes on end-users, collecting data, analyzing it, and implementing your findings.  You’re stress-testing seams, evaluating fabric behavior under strain, assessing impact on motion. You’re setting benchmarks for permeability, stretch, tensile strength; and you’re starting to identify real candidate materials. This is where functional prototyping meets engineering.

Later stages include pattern grading, setting tolerances, and prepping for production. It’s about sourcing materials to meet specs, planning for packaging, deciding on construction methods that can scale, and dialing in manufacturing processes. At this point, the soft goods lead is often balancing user needs with cost constraints, durability goals, and vendor capabilities.

Why bringing in a soft goods engineer early matters

Bringing in soft goods early prevents a whole lot of pain later:

• Avoids late-stage surprises. Late integration can force major redesigns in mechanics, electronics, or layout.
• Improves hardware and software design. Soft goods experts understand strain relief, wire routing, sensor placement, and material compatibility.
• Speeds iteration. We construct quickly and we know how to build for change. We also know how to diagnose and fix failure points.
• Boosts user alignment. Comfort, usability, and visual appeal all improve.  This leads to better adoption and fewer complaints.

Don’t wait until the form factor is being finalized to bring in a soft goods engineer — start when the use case is still being explored. Their input on user needs, ergonomics, and material behavior can fundamentally improve the product direction.  

Second, communication is essential.  Share all your constraints up front: budget, timeline, durability expectations, and environmental conditions. Better yet, have a soft goods person involved in the process of determining these constraints. That context helps avoid last-minute compromises or failed material choices. 

Third, you must trust your soft goods person. This is a specialty that takes training, education, and dedication just like any other expert on the team. In the same way you’d trust your EE on circuit layout or your ME on tolerance stacks, you need to trust the soft goods expert on fabric behavior, construction techniques, and human factors. 

And finally, aim for co-development, not bolt-on fixes. Don’t treat soft goods like icing on the cake. Bake it in from the start.

Remember that you’re not just hiring a stitcher (which is also a complex skill, one just as worthy of respect). You’re hiring someone who thinks about the full human experience:

• How users move, sweat, stretch, and wear your product
• What happens after 10 washes, or 8 hours on the job
• How seams, fasteners, foam, and friction interact

Soft goods prototyping is what turns an idea into a functional, wearable, and testable reality. It’s the bridge between concept and comfort.  So don’t wait until things fall apart. Bring us in when you’re still sketching on napkins so you can be confident your product won’t fail in the first place.