Packages

week #10 entry #2 04/19-04/26: academic journal

(source: here)

This week I focused on this question:

•  What packaging is environmentally-conscious, but maintains a professional appearance?

Last week in my Environmental Science class, we talked about how often there is so much excess packaging in a box.  For example, you could order a plastic ring.  the ring is wrapped in paper then put in a box and the box is wrapped in paper and it has a ribbon around it, then it is covered in plastic wrap, which is put in another box.  And now you have wasted so much packaging on one little ring and all the packaging is probably going to be thrown away.

So I've been doing a lot of thinking an research about sustainable packaging.  The first step is reducing the packaging as a whole. I am sending a shirt.  A shirt really cannot be damaged, therefore I do not need bubble wrap. I could potentially send the shirt in a tube.  The tube is cardboard, recyclable and the two plastic plugs at the end are recyclable.  Currently, I have been using 5x4x3 boxes, neatly folding the shirt, wrapping the shirt in one piece of tissue paper, and slipping a business card with a note into the collar of the shirt. I tape up the box and stick on a label.  I also silk-screened the side of the box with a boat design.  This worked out pretty well.

(source: here)

It is reasonably priced and easy, however, I don't think it has the most professional looking appearance.  Additionally, I would also have to raise my shipping prices because $2 is already spent on the box. So I looked harder for more packaging ideas.  I found inspiration in packages sent from abroad.  I liked the European feel of wrapping a box in brown paper.  The brown paper is simple, but makes the box an even canvas.  I can stick on a label and tie some twine around it, and perhaps even use some beautiful stamps.  This is what I would like to do for the future. It fits right in with the driftwear whimsical, earthy feel, but also does not seem too amateur.

 (source: here)

It also may be interesting to wrap boxes in maps. It would be very beautiful.  If I can find some old books with maps in them on the library discard cart, this may be perfect.  My goal is to make receiving a driftwear product a fun occasion.  It is as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside.  It is so difficult to balance price, sustainability, and appearance!

Preparations for the Launch

week #9 entry #2 04/11-04/18: academic journal

This week I focused on this question:

•  How can I best prepare for the launch of driftwear.com?

In preparation for the launch, there was much to be done.  I organized a pre-sale for all my models with a $5.00 off on the shirts that were worn from the shoot. Additionally, I offered $10 off any shirt that had been washed since the shoot.  It was a huge success. I sold over fifteen shirts and my models rocked them in school before anyone else.  It worked out very well to promote the launch. Aside from hanging paper boats around campus and making a promotional stop-animation, I came up with a new contest.  I posted the question on both my blog and Facebook fan page.  I e-mailed the school announcing the launch and posted daily updates on the driftwear fan page. I asked people to name the bear design and I would use their name in my shop.  Over fifty people commented on the Facebook page and 16 people commented on my blog.  It was amazing to see everyone's participation.

My art teacher, Marisol Diaz, hosted a giveaway on her blog in unison with the name-the-bear contest.  The rules were that you had to comment on the driftwear blog/fan page, and leave a name for the bear.  The lucky winner would be chosen at random and would win a limited edition bear shirt in one of four colors. More than twenty people entered the contest and a classmate of mine won.

 my mock-up for the website

Chris's final design for the Enter Page

Christopher Lo, my mentor, agreed to make a driftwear website.  This was truly a great help to the professional look I sought with my project.  I was able to link Etsy, an easy tool for selling items, along with a professional-looking website.  I made some mock-ups for Chris to show him the kind of design I was looking for.  However, I gave him artistic freedom because he has a great graphic eye.  He did an amazing job!  Check out his site!

Chris's design for  the driftwear.com home page
Take a look!

Some Serious Progress

week #8 entry #1 04/05 - 04/12: academic journal
Hello! Some major progress has been made with driftwear.  Some of the things I worked on over break were: a 40-second, stop-animation, brand video, the creation of over 100 paper boats, the final drawing and scanning of all my designs, finalization of my logo, and mission statement.

Stop animation:

Last year in my studio art II class, I learned how to make a stop-animation video using Windows Movie Maker.  I loved the way still images were put together to make motion and it's imperfections, like the shaky camera, were part of the charm.  I thought that stop-animation works well with driftwear mentality.  I also wanted to tie together my guerrilla art/advertising project with the video.

The Paper Boat Project

I have been really inspired by guerrilla art projects and the idea of uplifting a community through art.  I thought that using guerrilla art on campus would be an excellent way to gain hype about the brand.  Monday, I hung up over 100 paper boats around the school campus without explanation.  I put 12 boats in one tree, which turned out to be a beautiful display.  The reason I didn't explain the boats was because later that day, I invited all my Facebook friends to join the driftwear fan page and I wanted to keep the mystery in the boats. I used old notes, tests, and binder paper to make all the boats, staying consistent with driftwear's environmental-consciousness.  People came up with theories behind the notes written on the boats. It worked out beautifully.

The final drawing and scanning of all my designs:

I drew out all of my designs on Bristol board, scanned the designs, and increased the contrast of the designs on the computer.  Some designs developed more with drafts.  For example my logo transformed and I went through 5 different drafts of it. My final draft was a mixture of both the first and second drafts of the logo.  The first draft had very wavy lines outlining the boat.  I liked the wavy lines because I felt they were whimsical and a little dreamy.  The second design has straight lines, I liked the graphic-ness of this design and the sharp lines seemed professional.  Since there were perks from each draft, I sought to mix the two together with less curvy lines.  Additionally, lowering the sides of the boat made it look less like a crown, and more like a boat.

Here are some of my finalized designs:

The Mission Statement:
Finally, the last thing I accomplished over break was the creation of a driftwear mission statement.  This answered my competitive differentiation question. This has been a very important part of my FOCUS project.  I am glad that I did it at this time because I have created the designs and more clearly understand the driftwear mentality.  I could not have written this a few weeks ago.  It was only after I escaped from my project for a week, and re-focused on designs and a brand video, that a mission statement came easily.  I worked on several drafts of it and this is the final edition:

The actual image needs to be edited, but all and all I think it sounds pretty good.  I am so excited for the launch of driftwear.com on April 19th!

who will host my shop?

Week #7 entry #1 03/14-03/21: academic journal

This week I focused on this question: 

• How should I sell my products?

The most recent lessons in my Indie Business class have focused on where to have your shop.  Since I know that having my own brick-and-mortar shop is not an option right now, I focused on the lesson about online businesses.  There are many advantages to having a shop online that one of my teachers highlighted.
Online is great because:

• You are open all day, everyday.
• I can make crafts, while my shop is open.
• Much more reasonably priced than a real shop.
• You can work at hours that you are most productive.
• Can go on inspiration trips or leave the house when you don't feel inspired or productive.
• It's flexible, like I could be in college and work.
• I can create a connection to customers through the blog.

These were all great reasons why the online marketplace best suits me.  But inside the online marketplace are so many options! Etsy is great because it is low prices and has great networking.  People can find your site without advertising.  However, you are limited with their shop layout.  Paypay allows you to have a free "Buy Now" button, but doesn't have networking possibilities. E-mail is another option, but I want to create a shop so that people can see all my products in one location.  I don't think I will use Artfire because it seems to have more of a craft focus.  I don't like the silkfair layout as much as Etsy. And other stores like Dawanda, Pink Doodle, and Lov.li charge a higher commission than Etsy.

Bigcartel run shops:

(source: here)

(source: here)

I think BigCartel could be another potential way to sell my products.  It seems like it is between that and  Etsy.  Bigcartel allows you to list up for 5 products for free.  I imagine I'll probably have around that many products, however, one designs for male and female may count as two products.  It also allows you to customize your page more so than Etsy, which can give your shop a more professional look.  Check out Franz Tormer's site.  It looks great.  Plus, there are tons of clothing people on the site, more so than Etsy.  On the other hand, Etsy is easy to use and I have experience with it. Etsy charges a 3% commission and a 20 cent listing fee, which isn't very much.  I'll really have to think it through.

I am also seriously considering doing a craft fair or two after the FOCUS program is over. I think it will be nice to be able to interact with people and set up my own table. It will allow me networking opportunities with other people who like to do what I do too.

design! design! design!

week #6 entry #2 03/07-03/14: academic journal

This week I focused on this question: 

• What designs are most attractive to my audience? 

After sketching some designs last Sunday, I shared them with my FOCUS group on Monday.  I was nervous and did not plan on showing them anything, but they begged to see them, so I couldn't resist.  They took to my designs so well and liked them very much.  I asked everyone to put a check next to his or her favorite designs.  I also asked people in the senior lounge and around the cafeteria for their input as well.  The favorite ones seem to be the owls, bears, the boat, and luggage.  Some people really like the days of the week one too. I think I will do at least one bear one, one owl one, a boat, and some luggage.  I also began to survey which neck-cut people prefer when wearing a white t-shirt with a black design. I plan to do a more formal survey this week.

Today I made my own font.  I think this is an important part of branding that I can use with my sticker, etsy, and blog.  It looks kind of childish, but I like it.  Once i straighten it out, it will be good.

just amazing - claire*elise

 (source: here)

My mentor and I talked about picking models.  His advice was to pick role models and trendsetters.  I was torn if I should pick models from all the grades or to stick with the older students.  I thought that if I picked models from all grades I would be able to network easier and to get more people excited.  However, I don;t know if having younger models would prevent older kids from buying. I think I will try to stick with older models.

This week I will be working on transferring designs to the computer, doing as survey on neck-lines, ordering stickers for promotion, making a banner for etsy & the blog, making a logo for inside the shirts, e-mailing models, creating an icon for etsy and flickr, and thinking through a brand video.  There is much to be done!

green thinking

image from bluebird vintage

week #3 entry #2 02/14 - 02/21
I learned one of the coolest things thus far during this past week. I read an interview with Grace Bonney, the creator of one of my all-time favorite websites Design*Sponge, in The Handmade Marketplace. Grace talks about how she only accepts digital press kits. If you don't know what a press kit is, let's get a definition for you..

A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials of a person, company, or organization distributed to members of the media for promotional use. They are often distributed to announce a release or for a news conference. (source: here)

If I were to make a press kit for my t-shirt line I might include my business card, a shirt, a bumper sticker, and perhaps a magazine with all my designs. However, a digital press kit includes a simple press release, blog url, images of work details on work, how my work differs from others, and how can someone purchase the items. Grace argues that this is more budget-friendly for independent shop owners. She says "why waste budget on sending samples to everyone?" and that's a good point. Additionally a digital press kit is a much greener way of promoting your work. It reduces printouts and if you use a flash drive, it can be reused. Brilliant! Plus, you can include lots of great photos and even attach videos.

I think that this would be a fabulous way to give my work to the FOCUS panel when I present my work in May. It's green, which I'm hoping to keep in my business ideology. Plus, it's creative. At least... it seems creative to me. I could even go so far as to paint my logo on each flash drive and tie my business card with some twine around it. Or I could even get them made like the one in the photo.

This past week there were also some workshops for FOCUS students on Tuesday. I attended one on crafting something by yourself and interviewing. Some things I learned in the interview workshop are to be aware of the behavior of the person that I'm interviewing, to make a solid list of questions and not to just "wing it," and to keep people on track. As I said in my last post, I have been reading a lot of interviews and I don't know if I really need to conduct to many myself. Instead, it is important that I focus on making my designs and to gain excitement about my brand. In the crafting your own.. workshop I learned that it is especially important to make a schedule and to stick to it. I know this is very important with my project. I also think I should start setting my alarm clock earlier. Additionally, I reconfirmed the importance of a workspace, which I have also read about in Craft Inc. and Handmade Marketplace. Mr. Emery suggested also starting with a creative warm-up everyday. Some important things I learned about my presentation are that i must prepare a lot in advanced with an audience, perhaps prepare a gallery space in advanced, and to engage the audience. Until next time...

we're getting somewhere

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

So... what have I learned this week? Now, that is a wonderful question. I learned something very important folks. I learned what direction my project is going. Woohoo! Okay, the last two weeks have been dedicated to research and finding inspiration, two essential pieces of my project. However, it gets tiresome. I want to DO something. I want to see tangible progress and just when I was feeling oh so down, I saw the light. Ms. Diaz showed me this wonderful online class which is essentially a step-by-step of my project and I have officially signed up! I am so excited! It's especially great because it caters to people like me, who are only interested in small-scale for now. I will perhaps expand later, but for now, I want this to be small time when its 100% me making products. Okay, so let me explain what exactly "Indie Business 2.0" is and what I will be learning in it.

Indie Business is a 6 week Online Class for women and men wanting to build an online or local creative business. We'll focus on Starting, Surviving and Succeeding in small business and cover everything in between! The class is taught by Leigh-Ann, Jill and Elsie and is hosted in a members only blog with 26 sessions, 7 DIY projects and 3 live chats to give you all the tools you need to establish yourself and achieve success with your Small Business! The course also includes a printable workbook with original illustrations by Elsie and room for all your homework, notes and ideas!

Oh, doesn't that sound marvel0us? If it doesn't for you, it does for me. Each of the teachers knows what she is talking about and has essentially independently completed my focus project. It starts March 7th and ends April 16th. This will give me some time to continue research, conduct interviews, try some surveys, and come up with an awesome name up until the 7th because I think I will be quite busy when I get involved with the class.

This class is also awesome for getting to know people who have the same passions as me. I will not get down. I will have a support group who understands what it feels like to smashing your head against a wall when you don't feel creative. Additionally, I will make friends and have people to network with in the future. Awesome. I copied the course outline, you can skim through it here:

Course Outline:

Teachers: Jill - LA - Elsie
(P=Project, S=Session)

February 22 - March 1
Leigh-Ann's Indie Business Story
Jill's Indie Business Story
Elsie's Indie Business Story

1P: Indie Business Portfolio
X
Term 1: March 7 - 20
2S: Open your Umbrella
3S: Product & Potential
4S: Style & The Importance of a Name
5S: Predicting and Embracing Trends
6P: Office Inspiration Board
7S: Find your Strengths, Weaknesses & Skills - Quiz
8S: Main Marketplace - Local
9S: Main Marketplace - Online
10S: Pricing + Production + Expectation = Success
11P: Business Calender
12S: Presentation through Display
13S: Presentation through Photography

Term 1 Text Chat w/ LA, Jill & Elsie
X
Term 2: March 22 - April 3
14S: Taking Advantage of Online Resources
15S: Taking Advantage of Local Resources
16S: Working with Etsy
17S: Working with Flickr
18S: 10 Things Not to Do
19S: Blogging Effectively
20P: Business Card Keeper
21S: Networking Locally
22S: Networking Online
23S: Print Media
24P: Creating a Blog Widget

Term 2 Text Chat w/ LA, Jill & Elsie
X
Term 3: April 4 - 16
25S: Full Time, Part Time, Hobby?
26S: Mainstream vs. Indie
27S: Time is Money
28P: Receipts Organizer
29S: Good Business
30S: Being the Face of your Business
31S: Work and Family
32S: Keep it Fresh, Stay Inspired
33P: Indie Goals & Dreams Journal
Bonus: You're your Best Cheerleader

Term 3 & Farewell Text Chat w/ LA, Jill & Elsie

Perfect.

This week I focused on research on the hows of starting a business. I re-addressed these questions:
What is the best way to show the development of my website? I had a wonderful idea to maybe make a short movie about the making-of my photo shoot for my first line of shirts. It'll be able to show my panel some tangible results and some inspiration. Perhaps a stop-animation to show the growth of my logo?

What product should I sell? I had an idea. Laptop bags? I am targeting a teenage audience that brings computers to school everyday. Genius or stupid?

My proposal needs a make-over. Questions like What is my brand name? and the Basic How do you photograph your items? need to be included in the proposal. I'll also have to revamp my plan for the 10 weeks to include this class.

Some things I have learned this week:

• I need to create an inspiring place to create my work
• I need to do some major research when I figure out a name to see if it is taken anywhere else so I don't have legal issues (yikes.)
• I need a name that is easy to spell.
• I should keep an inspiration journal (i do this) with times and dates so i can go back to the source when I'm not feeling inspired.
• what words I want my brand to evoke.

Words that should be tied to my brand:

• Fashion conscious
  
• Environmentally-friendly (not focused)
• Modern with a vintage twist
• Edgy
• Clean, Fresh
  
• Young, but Mature (Is that possible?)
• Excited
• Focused
• Fun
• Whimsical, Dreamy
  

Goals for next two weeks:

• Fix the Proposal
• Come up with a name (big task)
• Make a new blog layout.
• Draw self-portrait for blog picture.
  
• Make a survey for brand name
  
• Finish reading The Handmade Marketplace
• Schedule a DATE for my interview with Mrs. DeVito's daughter
• Make interview questions.
  

Sounds like a busy week. Talk to you later.

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!