the blues

Week #2 Entry #1 02/07 - 02/13

I forgot to upload my journal entries for last week... here is one:

When my FOCUS adviser said focus can be lonely at time, I laughed. Didn't really believe her until now... I guess the double snow days kind of contribute to this, but I can't help but feel a little isolated. Tuesdays I don't have to go into school until 12:30. Sometimes it feels like I never get to see my friends because of my freak schedule. Plus, I have club meetings during Monday and Tuesday lunch, and typically my friends eat early. Additionally, work is overwhelming.

I am trying to create my own brand identity, product, running website, and become recognizable on campus in less than 10 weeks.

Awesome.. Sometimes I just don't know where to start or if what I'm doing is even going to help me down the road. Plus, it is SO frustrating doing an artistic related project. I feel like the program doesn't understand that I need to sit around for hours on end searching through blogs to see what is popular and to get inspiration. Getting inspiration can come from anything. I could be watching Annie Hall and suddenly come up with a brilliant idea that could be the breakthrough to an amazing company name. However, watching Annie Hall doesn't look as good on paper as doing a lab. It's annoying. All venting aside,things are beginning to look a little better. Ms. Diaz found an awesome online class, that is absolutely perfection for my project that I will talk about in my second journal. I am really psyched. In the class, I'll have structured homework and connection to a community of people doing the same thing as me, which is the solution to feeling so blue. It's really cool, but I'll wait until my other entry to share all the good news.

All things considered, this past week was pretty productive. Aside from blog-hopping, a term I made up to describe the process of looking at all the blogs that I follow for updates, I have been reading a lot. Also I found an excellent book. When I was out buying a Valentine's Day gift at Barns and Noble, I peeked through the crafts section and found The Handmade Marketplace just laid out right before my eyes like a message from God. I could not have found a more perfect book for my project. (I'll talk about what good information I have learned from that source in my other entry.) It is also so pleasing to look at. The illustrations are beautiful and inspiring in themselves. Like Six Week Start-Up does not make me want to cuddle up in bed to read. Six Week Start-Up reminds me of an army sergeant.

"YOU HAVE SIX WEEKS TO MAKE YOUR OWN BUSINESS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, SIR?!"

Sir, yes, sir. Thankfully, I don't know if Six Week Start-Up will be useful at all with my project. I think it is better suited for people who are trying to make the big time, not me just yet. My other book, Craft Inc., is proving to be helpful, but not as helpful as I had hoped. However, I can't judge it, I haven't finished it yet.

Oh yes, I have very very good news! I have scheduled an interview with Mrs. DeVito's daughter who has worked with major Fortune 500 companies and has a ton of experience in branding and marketing. I hope this interview will be helpful. She may be more knowledgeable about the big time companies, rather than my little project, but I am still so excited to talk with her. She will probably be very helpful in pointing me in the right direction when it comes to starting a brand and what makes a good name-type of stuff. I have to make a list of questions in the coming week to prepare.


Personal Goal for the Week: Don't get so stressed! It is a huge waste of time. There are a million creativity-sparking things that I can do that will be productive for my project and will make me happy as well. Okay, that's all for now.

Week #1 Entry #3 02/01 - 02/07 "Focusing"

This week was spent mostly getting inspired by other websites, names, and products. week one is over and I have already decided what product I should sell, answering my first question. T-shirts will be my main product. When talking to friends and family about products, everyone seems to agree that t-shirts are the best option. They can be sold to a uni-sex audience and somewhat easily mass produced. A shirt added to someone's closet never hurt. Friends, male and female, said that they would definitely buy one. I think tote bags are also a good choice as an accessory. Tote bags promote bringing your own shopping bags to grocery stores, which adds to the environmentally friendly philosophy I hope my brand will promote. This has also generally answered "What product is most appealing to my audience?" I hope to conduct a survey about this perhaps next week.

I have debated whether I should make my own website with my own URL or use Etsy. Making my own website could potentially look more professional. However, it will take a tremendous amount of work that I may not have time for. Also, I am most definitely not HTML-savvy. I would have to do a tremendous amount of research for the making of the website, as well as deal with legal work. If I decided to continue this a majority of my time would be spent making a website, not doing what I want, designing and selling products. Successful independent Etsy shop owners have been able to make six-figure incomes. Using Etsy will be much easier for me as well, as I have used it before. I already have my own shop on there, that I can keep if I want to.



This week I finally got to read an article in the NYTimes about Yokoo from December, my favorite knitter. About a year and a half ago, when I was spending most of my summer selling accessories on Etsy, I came across her Flickr and Etsy shop. Her photos and site were inspiring. She has a great graphic-design eye when it comes to her logos, labels, blog, and photography. I also briefly got to speak with her when I was interested in buying one of her knit bows. She gave me a deal and was a pleasure to talk to. I'm hoping to get an interview with her, however, after reading this article I realized how busy she must be. She knits up to thirteen hours a day. Yokoo quit her day job to pursue her Etsy shop. She makes high-end knits and has just this past winter, sold her own designs at Urban Outfitters. In my eyes, she is living the dream. Also this article confirms the fact that I do not need to make my own website to be successful. This helps answer my question "Does a website host for handmade sellers (like Etsy) work better than creating my own site?"

This week I hope to make a business plan and start reading more of Six Week Start-up and Craft Inc.. I got it from Barns and Noble on Saturday after searching through every "start your own business" guide. I hope it'll be some help!

Week #1 Entry #1 February 1st through 7th "The Beginning"

My name is Isabella and welcome to my Senior FOCUS journal! As you may or may not know I have embarked on a yearlong journey to explore one of my passions. During first semester I completed a case study on Apple Inc. I wrote a 20-page thesis paper focusing on the question: "How applicable to its competition are the steps that Apple took in becoming a successful brand?" I researched and decided what Apple does that sets it apart from its competition and if the competition can copy these steps. I defined a brand and what makes a brand successful, researched how a brand makes a connection with its consumers, the role of design in attracting an audience, and analyzed Apple’s founder and leader Steve Jobs. The first part of my conclusion was that Apple has taken steps that many companies can copy. For example, they have created stand alone-stores that Microsoft is only beginning to understand the importance of and is also beginning to copy. Disney has realized the importance of selling an “experience” as opposed to just products, as Apple does. Although companies can copy Apple’s strategies, they can not copy the genuine culture that has been set in place in Apple by Steve Jobs. This mentality focuses on “thinking different.” It embraces creative thinking, taking risks (which goes against typical corporate values), and most importantly operating with a consumer focus.

But that was first semester.

Originally what inspired me to take Senior FOCUS was my interest in creating my own brand. I just loved the idea of developing a brand identity for myself; deciding and creating a logo that is a small representation of what my company is; a name that is both sophisticated and appeals to my target audience; developing packaging that leaves little environmental impact, but still is unique and professional-looking, and other things that are tied to a brand. So here I am trying to do it for real!

This is my current topic question: How can I create an online retail business in an environmentally friendly fashion from home?

These are my current guiding questions that I will be working to answer throughout the process and some potential methods of answering them:

+ What product should I sell? –Learned through Research, piloting some products
+ What is the best way to mass produce my products in the most environmentally friendly way? Is mass production necessary? –Research, interviews
+ What is the best way to advertise my brand and become well recognized? -Research & Interviews
+ What logo is most appealing to my audience? -School wide Survey
+ What product is most appealing to my audience? Research, Interviews, Survey, and my own work
+ What designs are most attractive to my audience? Surveys, FOCUS panels
+ What aspects of a business are harmful to the environment? Interviews & Research
+ What profit is lost with an environmentally friendly company? Interviews & Research
+ What website layout is easy to make, easy to use, and professional looking? My own work
+ Does a website host for handmade sellers (like Etsy) work better than creating my own site? Mentor, Research, my own work
+ What packaging makes the least environmental impact, but still maintains a professional appearance? –own work & research
+ What is the best way to show the development of my website? –my own ideas and inspiration from other websites

Yesterday, when I was blog hopping I came across Loyalty and Blood's online shop. Oh, how I love their name and site. They have a name that can appeal to both men and women (something I hope to do) and their website is very graphic, using mostly blue, black, and white. Their designs are simple and modern and are printed on bright shirts. The founders of the brand are a couple in Brooklyn who ended up quitting their day jobs to work on their brand. Sounds kind of like me! Minus the couple in Brooklyn... and quitting day jobs... However, being able to drop classes will allow me some free time.


A Loyalty and Blood Shirt from their Flickr


I also totally love their "Big Wolf" shirt from their online shop. I love the strong black contrast to the blue of the shirt. I think something like this would make a cool design for my brand, which I want to have some environmental flair.

They sell their shirts at Brooklyn Flea a flea market that takes place every weekend at One Hanson Place; the Williamburgh Savings Bank Tower during the winter. Do I see a potential selling site for me? Do I hear a potential interview? The Brooklyn Flea website says that they have vendor spots open for the winter. I could also sign up for the spring when it moves back outside.

That's all for now!