The workwear committee, which consisted of a wide range of personnel representatives, liked our presentation and wanted to refine the brief from the very beginning. As a user-oriented designer, I was very pleased to see how extensively the personnel's views had been taken into account and how they were committed to developing the collection from the very beginning, because I believe that workwear can at best enable a successful working day, and the professionals themselves know the working day best. We received tips from the workwear group about which way the desired direction was, but in a way that enabled the Telakka workwear team to bring the best possible design and production expertise to Eckerö Line. At this stage, we also visited the ship to get to know the work environment, in order to bring the right usability dictated by the need and environment to the products in addition to visuals. Mapping the work environment and situation is always part of our careful design process. We did not conduct staff interviews in accordance with our standard practices for this collection, because the Eckerö Line workwear team had already carefully carried them out in advance.
The jury liked Telakka's relaxed workwear, its user-friendly approach to design, and quickly liked many of the materials, practical solutions, and delicious details of Telakka's basic collection. The final collection effectively combines Telakka's vision of good, functional, and relaxed workwear with Eckerö Line's desire for uniform workwear that makes staff feel comfortable and finds their work meaningful.
The new collection was designed for about a year until a winning concept was created, which Telakka as designer and manufacturer, Eckerö Line as customer, and the staff as users found pleasant and functional.
End-of-life Eckerö Line workwear is recycled by Dafecor Oy in Finland. It manufactures textile nonwovens for industrial needs, such as oil absorption.
Visual consistency and usability
“We wanted our staff to have a say in their own outfits right from the design stage. It seems that the new workwear collection has been well received.” – Taru Keronen, CEO, Eckerö Line
The workwear collection consists of materials that have been proven to be useful in use and in Eckerö Line's washing tests. The materials chosen for the basic products are flexible and comfortable to wear. Flexibility has also been taken into account in the kitchen clothing. The material for protective clothing, such as aprons, is more durable and inelastic. The base color of the collection is black, which with its different surfaces and their combinations brings liveliness even to a dark ensemble. The timelessness of black holds its own in workwear. The ensemble is refreshed by white shirts with a black, white and orange anchor ribbon as an effect. Unity between the different departments and controlled variability are provided by orange and copper effects and details. In small doses, the effect colors attract attention and give an individual and distinctive touch, without being too unusual or strong.
The recognition of Eckerö Line staff and the liveliness of the collection are also enhanced by the anchor-patterned ribbons, sleeve patches, orange and gray ties, interchangeable bow tie inserts, and copper-colored Crew back prints designed for them.
The ease of dressing has also been increased by allowing the crew to choose products they like from a wide range of uniforms. The workwear ensemble is uniform and controlled, but employees have the opportunity to choose and layer their clothing in a way they choose, stylistically and supporting their own user experience, for example, taking into account individual thermal properties, body shape and personal style. Without compromising integrity and uniformity, personnel can choose for themselves, for example, a dress or a shirt and trousers. It is more comfortable to wear trousers if you are not a dress person at all, and on the other hand, a dress if you almost never wear trousers. There are two different types of trousers, more modern narrow but relaxed trousers made of elastic material and classic trousers. The user can choose a more formal grey or a more vibrant orange tie. The bow tie and its clip are designed so that it can be easily replaced and renewed to give a new look or removed between washings.
For cool or drafty spaces, you can choose a jacket model from the new collection that fits better and follows the lines of the body, or a zippered jacket model from the men's collection, depending on your preference.
The collection is designed to be as timeless as possible. Even during the design phase, it was taken into account that the details of the collection can be easily modified along the way, thus creating a new look without having to change the entire clothing.
Well-being from dressing
The design and product development of the new collection had been completed and production had started when the coronavirus took hold of the world. I think Eckerö Line has deservedly demonstrated its desire to take care of its staff and partners. Despite the exceptional situation, the project was carried out with mutual flexibility until the collection was launched. The tourism industry has been at the center of the coronavirus crisis right from the start. Passenger restrictions have made a deep dent and passenger numbers have dropped by 90%. The employment effects on the industry are significant. The entire tourism industry employs 140,000 employees, and shipping companies alone employ 7,000 Finnish seafarers and several thousand employees on land. In addition, the industry's partner network, including suppliers of goods and services, is extensive. Shipping companies are a significant part of our security of supply. As I write this blog, the situation in the industry still looks challenging. At the same time, however, I believe that those who work hard, look to the future and take care of their personnel and community will survive the crisis best.