A consumer-based market research technique used to discover what people expect from certain farics for certain applications is described. A profile of consumer requirements/expectations is produced by the group defining a series of polar word pairs and indicating where on a scale between the two poles the ideal would be for each word pair for the given application and fabric. The resulting profiles proved very consistent between different groups and over time with the same group. A given fabric can be measured against the ideal and its 'performance' graphically represented. It is suggested this technique could be an important step towards direct off-screen ordering, dispensing with the need for sample manufacture.