Resources
Below are a series of resources and toolkits that we use in the design, development, production, and publication of our projects and products. Each is a guideline based on a number of assumptions and generalizations taken from our research and experiences - so take with a grain of salt!
Production Distribution Model
| Production | Cost / Risk | Profit Share | Distribution | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| diy from home | low | high | etsy / markets | 1 |
| studio | mid | high | online shop | 10 |
| start outsourcing | mid | mid | b2c & b2b | 100 |
| outsource everything | high | low | b2b wholesale | 1000 |
| licence out | mid | low | b2b wholesale | 100+ |
Blogs
| Blog | Submit Link | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Dezeen | https://www.dezeen.com/submit-a-story/ | |
| Colosal | http://www.thisiscolossal.com/submissions/ | |
| Core 77 | http://codex.core77.com/account/create-project-post | |
| Design Milk | http://design-milk.com/submit/ | |
| Design Boom | http://www.designboom.com/readers-submit/ | Self Entry |
| Yanko | http://www.yankodesign.com/tips-publication/ | |
| Notcot | http://www.notcot.org/?action=new | Self Entry |
| Boing Boing | http://boingboing.net/sub/ | Self Entry |
| Design Sponge | http://www.designsponge.com/contact | Self Entry |
| Design Taxi | http://designtaxi.com/faq#c | Male |
| Mashable | http://mashable.com/submit/ |
Outreach
| Outreach Method | Cost | Payoff |
|---|---|---|
| Blogs | $ | $$$$$ |
| Magazine Articles | $ | $$ |
| $ | $ | |
| Studio Openings | $ | $ |
| Gallery Events | $$$ | $$ |
| Magazine advertising | $$$$ | $$ |
| Social Advertising | $ | $ |
| Blog Advertising | $$$ | $$$ |
| Mail Chimp | $ | $ |
| Word of Mouth | $ | $$$ |
| Past Customers | $ | $ |
| Trade Shows | $$$$$ | $$$ |
Common Sales Terms
C2C - Consumer to Consumer
B2C - Business to Consumer
B2B - Business to Business
NET30 - Retailer will pay you in 30 days
RRP - Recommended Retail Price
MSRP - Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price
SKU - Stock Keeping Unit (product reference number)
Line Sheet - Spreadsheet document with product details
Trade Discount - For sales to interior design companies and architects (often around 15-20% discount)
Local Market - Set up a booth at a local market (C2C / B2C)
Pop Up - Temporary pop up store in a physical space (B2C)
Etsy style platform - Online marketplace (C2C / B2C)
Online Shop - Shop integrated into your website (B2C)
Dropship - Retailer takes orders and you ship the product directly to the customer (B2B)
Consignment - Retailer borrows product, pays you once product is sold to the customer (B2B)
Wholesale - Retailer bulk buys product from you and sells it to consumer (B2B)
Retail space - Your own physical storefront (B2C)
Cost Breakdown
Wholesale Breakdown
Time Spend
Our internal design process
PITCH
Initial ideation and exploration including rough sketches and a basic project scope. Ideas could be inspired by materials, technologies, manufacturing processes, collaboration efforts, new product categories, or personal passions. Deliverables for this stage are a selective mix of the following: idea's name, why, sketch, mood, keywords or target market.
PLAN
Concept and opportunity clearly identified, Often a quick 'paper' prototype is useful for communicating the concept. Integral to the pitch is a detailed plan, including methodologies for how to test and validate the project along the way. Key points to establish at this stage are; What is the value proposition? What do we know already? What do we need to find out and what resources we need to find those things out? Deliverables for the plan should include a trello board, a Lean canvas business plan, timeline with key moments identified, summary deck/slideshow.
PROGRESS & PROVE
Using the plan to develop and validate the concept. This stage will involve several iterations and validation steps, with rounds of prototyping and CAD development. Other elements such as, packaging design, graphic design, user interface, durability, manufacturability, repairability, branding, sales, pricing and business plan will all need to be considered and resolved - often at the expense of each other. This stage is very much about balancing those elements in harmony with the project's value proposition. It is important to remember at this stage that the plan may change and evolve but should remain true to the essence of the project.
PROMOTE
The final step of the process is the push to press and promotion effort. How will we launch the product or project, how will we measure its success? What is the breakeven sales point? What blog tier are we aiming for? Would an event make sense? Giveaway programs?
Inspirations
Important Things
Have a Manifesto - put it on the wall. Make it big!
Identify a handful of goals for the year as learning opportunities
Buy a big dry erase yearly calendar / planner to go on the wall
Create specific job descriptions for staff - clearly establish expectations and responsibilities
Have a full day of "fun jobs" every now and then
Start with the why - clearly explain why we are designing the thing before we start designing the thing
Improving Things
Communication, Planning, and Accountability within the team
Photography and image quality
Knowing who we are and what we are about
Packaging design
Licencing Designs & Design for Licencing
Our Goals
Outsource a part or product to be manufactured locally
Outsource a part or product to be manufactured in another country
Licence out at least one product
Enter at least one design competition
Collaborate on at least one project with another company
Useful links
Lean Canvas - Business Plan
HTML Table Generator - For generating HTML tables
Trello - Organising and planning
Slack - Communicating and in-studio messaging
D Scout - Design Research App
Noun Project - Icons
Cutlist - A simple, free online cut list calculator - Overholt.org
Printable Calendar - A simple, free online printable calendar
Copy-em Paste - Clipboard manager, super useful!
AM Charts - Web charts & graphs
Do you have something you would like to contribute or comments or feedback about any of the above?Contact us here: www.richardclarkson.com/contact