How to | Speed reading 1
SPEED READING
In everyday life and in the working environment,
we have to read a large amount of material such as:
emails, web pages, reports and social media updates
to name a few examples.
Speed reading - reading at a faster pace - becomes an
important skill. Speed reading is a useful and valu-
able aide.
It has to be pointed out that speed reading has many
advantages over reading at a normal pace. It is inter-
esting to note that studies show that the faster the
information is understood, the better it is retained.
Skimming
Skim reading is important when one speed reads.
Skimming helps you to read a text at a faster pace
and also gives you the opportunity to get a general
idea of the content. It is best suited to non-fiction
texts because it permits you to understand only what
you need to know.
Here are some useful methods to help you skim read.
Begin the text by trying to read just the first sen-
tence of a paragraph. If the sentence is relevant to
your reading, you can proceed to skim the rest of the
paragraph for the information you seek. If not, you
can skip that paragraph.
P. Gherardelli, E.W. Harrison, In Style, © Ulrico Hoepli Editore S.p.A. 2018
Try moving your eyes down the page, looking for
obvious words related to your topic for example
names or dates. If you find words that relate to your
topic, read the paragraph through.
Read enough of the text to get the gist and under-
stand the details.
Skim read the whole page remembering to pay close
attention to the last paragraph. Often the last para-
graph is a summary of the paragraph or paragraphs
above it. A summary can give you a lot of informa-
tion. If it is relevant to your topic you can always go
back and reread the text in more detail. If not, you
can go on to the next paragraph or text.
Scanning
Scanning is another technique which can help you
speed read. Remember skim reading and scanning
are different tools even though they sound almost
the same. Scanning means that you are only seek-
ing keywords. When you skim you read whole
sentences.
Most of us already scan in our everyday reading. We
do it especially when we look for something specif-
ic, such as a name in a file. Another example is when
we read the headlines in a newspaper, but not the
article. The following are some suggestions which
will help you improve your scanning techniques.
When you scan through a text for information, let
your fingers guide your eyes. This will help you to
focus better, and not lose your place on the page.
While scanning keep in mind the words or whole
phrases relevant to your topic. This technique can
help you get through quite a lot of information,
scanning can help you to pick out the words relevant
to your work
Look for clues on the page, such as titles and head-
ings. Looking over titles and headings can help you
to skip over irrelevant text.
To practice scanning, look for a list where certain
words are bound to be present. For example a list
which includes your favorite designer.
 2 How to | Speed reading

1 Pair work. Look at the texts below. You have three minutes to say which could be interesting for the following
people. Note that one text is in excess.
1 A designer looking for appropriate fabrics ….........
2 An inexperienced designer who wants to set up a design studio ….........
3 A student carrying out a research paper on the design process ….........

Text A
As a designer you can be inspired by almost anything, but you have to know what to do with your inspiration. Technology,
as well as, as a designer travel can give you sources for inspiration. New places can give you original ideas.
You will need what is referred to as primary sources. These are original elements and materials collected by the designer.
These include both pieces you see or create. The elements you need to collect include sketches of things that have
inspired you and which you want to work into your design. Looking for a visual image, a site, even a sound can be
applied to your collection of ideas. So in the end your collection will consist of sketches, photographs, pieces of cloth,
old pieces of art, street signs, shows, paintings, buildings, plants and animals. Designers have cited films black and
white, new and old, music, lyrics, poems and literature as points of inspiration.
These elements need to be put together, either in notes, memos or doodles. It is important to capture the moment.
Secondary sources comprise what is going on in the fashion world around you. These include fashion forecasting
publications and an understanding of how you combine what inspires you.
You then need to put your collection of inspirational objects in one place. They need to be placed so that they can be
observed together, but not necessarily overlapping. This is where a Mood Board comes into play. It is the collection
point of all of your ideas.

Text B
A room where you can organize your work is very important. It entails having equipment which makes your design
experience possible. One of the most important elements to include in a workroom or studio is lighting, both natural
and artificial. There are lamps which attach to your work table or are free standing. It is important that the lamp have
a flexible arm so that you can move it as needed. You will need a free wall for a mood board. These bulletin boards can
be hung up or leaned on a wall. You will need tacks or push pins to anchor your ideas and objects to the board. You will
need a work table 29 inches (74 centimetres) tall. It should be big enough for you to be able to put fabric on the table,
measure it and cut it according to your pattern. A cork board should be placed on the table to which you can pin or
tack your cloth. You will need 4 types of rulers: a metal L shape ruler; a 2 inch (5 centimetre) clear plastic ruler, an 18 inch
(46 centimetre) long ruler; a hip curve ruler for hip shapes and necklines and a French curve clear plastic ruler. You will
need sketchbooks and/or a drawing tablet along with pencils, sharpeners, chalk pencils and opaque tape which you can
write on. Fabric scissors and paper scissors are a must and remember to include straight pins and basting needles. Never
forget thread of varying weights for the steps you will be taking to create your garment. Professional pattern paper
is another tool to have. Be sure to include
a pattern notcher for your paper designs
because it creates a notch in a paper
pattern. You might find pattern weights
practical to use instead of pins on a paper
pattern. Tracing wheels one blunt and one
pointed to mark the lines on your fabric is
good aid to have. A sewing machine is a
key tool and can be either an industrial or
home model. Last but not least, you will
need an ironing board and a professional
steam iron. These are the basics you will
need to set up your design studio.

Text C
Understanding fabrics is learning how they work and which category is best for you. Fashion design, knitwear, weave
and print are fabric basics. When you look at textiles you need to learn how to judge the function of a fabric. What are
its technical properties and how do they function? What kind of garment are you planning. How do you expect any given
fabric to work with your designs. Fabrics are divided into three categories. Natural animal fabrics which include: silk from

P. Gherardelli, E.W. Harrison, In Style, © Ulrico Hoepli Editore S.p.A. 2018

 How to | Speed reading 3

silkworms and wool from a variety of animals (sheep, goats, rabbits, llamas and camels) Natural plant fibres are made
from cotton, linen, hemp, ramie, bamboo and kenaf to name a few. Synthetic fibres come in a large variety. There are
manufactured staple fibres which combine plant material and chemicals like viscose rayon, lyocell rayon, polyester, PET
polyester (produced from plastic bottles), nylon (virgin or recycled) and acrylic and modacrylic. Another group of synthetic
fibres includes acetate, viscose rayon, bamboo rayon, PLA (from plant sugars) and Soy waste products. It is important to note
that fibre combinations are constantly changing. What is important to the designer is how this fabric will suit the design
he/she has in mind for his or her garments. Today there is a new awareness concerning ecologically or environmentally safe
fabrics. Most of all how the client will like both the garment and the fabric.

Text D
The concept of design has to include accessories. In the past 50 years the idea that a fashion house must include all
accessories has become the norm. Christian Dior chose to design every single item his models wore. He even designed
stockings. This 1948 idea was new, but it caught on quickly. Today fashion houses always include accessories to their
line. They all have a leather or pleather line which often includes bags, shoes, belts, keychains and wallets. These
accessories are meant to accompany the clothing line designed for the season. The line can include scarves, hats, gloves
and sometimes very interesting jewelry. Another important accessory is perfume or fragrance. Coco Chanel presented
Chanel no. 5 as a Christmas gift to her favorite clients in 1921. The demand for the fragrance was overwhelming and in
1922 she began to sell it in her boutiques. Dior invented Miss Dior in 1948. Many fashion houses followed suit. Perfume
and fragrances have become an important marketing item. In fact, most fashion houses have now made fragrances a
permanent part of their brand. Perfume is inexpensive to make and the principal economic expense is the bottle and the
packaging. Perfumes are available in a variety of stores. A very carefully planned marketing presentation in magazines
and on television can make a fragrance a very lucrative investment. Fashion houses change up their fragrances while
maintaining their classical basic perfumes Chanel no 5, Miss Dior, L’Air du Temps by Nina Ricci and Opium by Yves Saint
Laurent are examples of classic fragrances.

2 Pair work. Read the three texts you have identified again. You have five minutes to answer the following ques-
tions.
1 What determines the choice fabric? ……………………………………………………………………...
2 What should be the height of a traditional work table? …………………………………………...
3 Fabrics are divided into three categories. List them:
a ………………………..
b ………………………..
c ………………………..
4 What accessories does the concept of design include? ………………………………….………...
5 Where are fashion perfumes available? ………………………………………………………………...

P. Gherardelli, E.W. Harrison, In Style, © Ulrico Hoepli Editore S.p.A. 2018