My biggest regret: Not documenting my TrailThreads design process—here’s what I lost.

I poured months into designing a line of hiking apparel I was calling TrailThreads. I was so excited about getting the prototypes made and figuring out marketing that I wholly skipped detailed documentation of my design process. big mistake. HUGE.

Now, a year later, I'm trying to revive the project and I'm essentially starting from scratch. I remember vaguely why I chose certain fabrics, the reasoning behind specific pocket placements, and how I arrived at the final logo design. I had some truly innovative ideas for ventilation placement to minimize chafing, but all I have are a few rough sketches and hazy memories. I’m kicking myself because I know I solved some tough problems, but I can't recall how I solved them.

Has anyone else made a similar mistake? What did you lose by not documenting your creative process? Any tips for reconstructing lost design knowledge (besides just starting over completely)? I'm notably frustrated by the lost fabric supplier information and the rationale behind choosing specific thread types for durability and comfort.Lesson learned, but hoping someone has some advice to ease the pain!