"Are you brave enough to be brave?"

Week 2: "&company" + "top3 by design" workshop

PITCHING, MARGINS, PROTOTYPES, WEBSITE, PRICE LISTS, PUBLICITY, LEAD TIME, APPROACHING RETAILERS, SUPPLY AND RESUPPLYING, PACKAGING WORKING RELATIONSHIPS, RETAILERS, WHOLESALE PRICES, & A LOT MORE!

These were some of the topics discussed last night with the lovely Terri Winter from top3 by design.

A little bit of background; a few months ago I was the lucky winner of the door prize at a design event held at the Moore Park Super Center. The prize was a voucher to spend at top3 by design, my lucky day! I was also lucky enough to meet Terri the same day and in person,  was able to thank her for the prize. When I knew Terri was one of four speakers during the workshop I was over the moon. Terri is a wealth of information and has such a 'buzz' about her. You might think someone who runs such a successful company and is so hands on, and has a family of her own would need to conserve energy- but not Terri!

Terri Winter is the co-founder and managing director of top3 by design and is the principal buyer. (So we all best be nice!)

"Terri's mission is to unearth the best designs on the planet and to help share with everyone the thrill of owning design originals ... and her dedication to this mission is contagious! Her excitement at the arrival of new samples makes every day in the office like Christmas, and she is always on the hunt for the next amazing thing to add to the top3 collection. Terri's passion for design, and her desire to make world class design accessible to all is at the heart of top3."

                     

                                    

You can see all the products from top3 by design here.

The big reminders from last night;

1. "Are you brave enough to be brave?" - This was said as a passing comical comment by Terri but I believe it had more meaning that most were aware of. Sharing your creations with the retail world is a daunting process. Designers need to be brave to pitch their product, you need to be brave to continue creating, and to pick yourself up when something doesn't go to plan.

2. Ensure you can resupply your product - Having your product manufactured the first time is so exciting, and even more exciting when it is picked up by the retailer/s of your choice. Just ensure you plan ahead and have enough funds to resupply the product. This process should grow organically from here.

3. Be passionate about your product - If you turn up presenting one thing one day and a different product the next time you are not showing much commitment to your product or to your brand. Believe in your work and your skills, so other people can too.

4. Ensure you chose the right retailer for you and your product - if they are not willing to negotiate then stop and consider whether they are right for you.

5. Communication - Communication is the most important part of the relationship you hold with your retailer/s. Every product will encounter their issues along the way. If you are honest with your retailer about them the entire process becomes a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable. Most customers do not mind waiting for a great product - but they do not enjoy being given a deadline and then another and another.

I'd love to share all the useful information Terri shared with us last night but it is difficult to pick a starting point. If you have any questions regarding the above topics or anything else please don't hesitate to contact me. The best way to do so is through the Facebook page, which you can find my clicking here.

You can read an interview with Terri + Design Hunter here. 

Here are images from last night, taken by the lovely Susan from Susan Wang Photography. You can find her on Facebook here.

You can see all the products from top3 by design here.

They opened with a whisper - Sonoma

They opened with a whisper...

A new addition to the Edgecliff Rd shops arrived this morning. It is none other than the delicious, freshly baked Sonoma.

It is located next door to Marshmellow, set slightly back off the road to avoid the noisy cars going past. Is Edgecliff Rd the near Paddington, Intersection?

The coffee gives a punch, the bread is warming and the setting is inviting.

"True inspiration comes from humble ingredients. In a loaf of Sonoma sourdough, there's organic flour, filtered water, sourdough starter and sea salt. In the people who bake it, there's passion, soul, hard work and integrity."
"
Each of these is a simple recipe for enduring quality".

And it is a great place to take your Mum too ;)

ferm Living

Don't forget to go to the facebook page and 'like' the page for regular updates!
https://www.facebook.com/designformfunction

ferm LIVING is a Danish company that aims at designing and manufacturing interior products with a graphic touch. The product range consists of wallpaper, wall stickers, textiles, kitchen items, a large KIDS collection and much more great stuff to come…

"ferm LIVING originates from a graphic design agency in Aarhus, Denmark, founded by Trine Andersen in 2005. The company came to life after Trine, mostly for fun, decided to visit a clairvoyant. (Who would have thought!) Trine was quite astonished when the clairvoyand saw a little bird sitting confused on a branch, not knowing which way to fly. This sight was essential for Trine’s decision to follow her dream of starting her own business. When she then founded ferm, the little bird found knew exactly where to go and now sits on top of the company logo.

The company went from being a graphic design agency to a company designs and selling lifestyle products when Trine was re-decoration her house. She was looking for graphic wallpaper, but just couldn’t find the right pattern – and when she found it, it was way too expensive. Trine decided, that other people probably felt the same way, so she decided to take it upon herself to create graphic wallpaper patterns at an affordable price. By February 2006, the very first wallpaper collection hit the streets, and since then things have been going fast! ferm LIVING now operates in many markets around the world and has agents/distributors in Australia, USA, Finland, The Netherlands, UK, Spain, France, Italy, Sweden and Japan."

What a wonderful tale, special things can happen when you simply stop and listen...

ferm LIVING are always thinking of new ideas, designs and are always on the hunt for new sources of inspiration. Their blog is a great way of understanding how their design brains work and why the company is so special. 

Say hello to Mr. & Mrs. Poster. Our two new illustrations are now in stock. 

Shop here.

"We proudly present our Autumn Winter 2012 Collection"

Click here to read the entire catalogue. 

Here are my favourite images from their Autumn Winter 2012 Collection. It's a shame that they are European and their seasons are opposite to ours. On second thought, perhaps it's exciting to purchase something online and wait for the excitement of being able to use it when the cooler months come around!

Colour + Architecture

Yesterday was a day of firsts for many reasons. I found out how many people are reading my blog on a daily basis... WOW! Thank you!

This post suggestion was inspired by Ruby who is an architecture student, who left a really meaningful comment for me yesterday. These little comments really make a huge difference, so thank you!

I have now created a Facebook page to make navigating the blog and keeping up to date with posts a lot more user friendly. Please go to the Facebook page and like it so we can keep in touch!

https://www.facebook.com/designformfunction 

Architecture can move us, it elicits different emotions, it can bring back memories and elicit direct emotions, like letting you feel small or big, or providing a safe feeling or even an unsafe one. When creating a space, whether it be in regards to styling, decorating, building, or designing we all try to elicit enjoyable emotions. Architectural spaces have certain atmospheres that influence the emotional state of a person: the interaction between the environment and its occupant.

Colour is a very powerful mean in architecture. How we experience colour depends on the colours surrounding us in our daily life. Warm and cold colours play an important role in our lives and evoke very different moods and emotions. We experience them in the variations of daylight from morning to evening and even into the darkness of night. 

The eye adjusts itself to the gradual change so that the local colours of details appear the same throughout the day. But if we observe something as a whole, a street scene or a lounge room for example, we become aware of the changes in the colour scheme. The mood of the scene and often even our mood changes with the changing light.

Here is an image I took this morning. Initially I was frustrated that the light was battling through the trees and casting shadows onto the Victorian Cottage and then I thought a little more about it and realised just what an effect it was making. 

I thought it would be interesting to focus on navy or dark blue. It is a colour I never really enjoyed until now, I think this has a lot to do with the relationship I draw between it and my school uniform. But now that that is long gone... Let's enjoy navy blue.

All images from google or self taken.

Partly adapted from RASMUSSEN, S.E. (1964) – Experiencing Architecture.

http://experiencingarchitecture.com/2011/05/19/colour/ 

White Forest Home - WFH

An overview of the beloved White Forest Home.
WFH is a boutique homewares company that designs limited edition prints. Each wall print focuses on the beautiful qualities of colour, design principles, painted textures and typography - all my great loves.

The team at WFH began the journey with the intention of capturing the current industry trends that inspire us all. Their design intention was to bring smiles and light to our day, at an affordable price.

The team at WFH has a special place in their hearts for colour, "colour is our world and we can't wait to share our colourful vision".

One may ask how a company is always up to date with the latest trends, colour and themes. Each week they review the latest and greatest trends to capture a collection of prints that work for their current palettes whilst providing a timeless appeal. 

We are all to blame of falling in love with an artwork or even a pair of shoes one week and questioning the purchase the following season. This is the reason WFH prides themselves on providing timeless appeal through colour, trends and prints.

WFH is designed and printed in Melbourne. They print on a soft and subtle marked textured fabric, which is acid free and therefore lasts a lifetime and will not fade.

What is new on their blog?

The latest news from WFH is their most recent feature in Home Beautiful Magazine, September 12 Issue. "It is a feature about the geometric/Aztec theme which is so hot right now". Their Geo Tri prints (pictured below) have been very successful for WFH. "The colours are different and lovely and show a unique take on this trend." They describe the prints as "simplified shapes and repetitions" - with a POW of colour.

and company and me

As I move further towards establishing myself in the creative industry I am encountering topics of all kinds which have previously been words, thoughts or actions I have bypassed. 

For me, the course was unintentionally summed up before it even began by Annalise (the founder of &company), "knowledge is power". The course and the topics that will be discussed over the four weeks are vital to any company, but as a designer they are often things you do not wish to occupy your time with. We just want to use our hands and be creative, instead of being caught between pen and paper. 

&company is a design studio made up of emerging designers and their products. They focus their efforts on giving designers a jump start as they develop into capable and confident professionals.

A new initiative by &company falls under their workshop header. The workshop entitled, Designing your day job, recognises the contemporary importance of being a mini entrepreneur for one's self as well as a designer. 

Over four weeks the course covers Intellectual Property with David Hughes from Griffith Hack, the retail sector with Terri Winter of Top3 by Design, tax and bookkeeping with Catherine McMurtie and finally the legal sector with Chris Chow. 

Last night began the first of the four sessions with David Hughes. The session was a small group of 6 eager creative types accompanied by the lovely Annalise of &company. 

We listened and together discussed; the basic concepts relating to intellectual property (IP) (the who, what, when and how), the components of IP, their strengths limitations and uses and discussed in depth the purpose of trademarks, business names, copyright, registered designs and patents. 

David Hughes described intellectually property as "the intangibles". They are those things you are not able to touch, hold or feel, but they are the real value sources. 

I cannot wait to hear Terri Winter next week!

A sneaky picture from last night's session...

That's a little of chatter for a blog that enjoys images so here are some images of &company's work.

My very own fabrics!

I have been designing fabrics since 2009, my second year at university and have used a process to transfer prints onto fabric by hand. Although this process does provide you with your print on a material it is very time consuming and not always never perfect. I began searching in Sydney for a company that was willing to print my designs on small rolls of fabric, without the large price tag - of course, no where was willing to do so.
Finally, I stumbled across a company in the US who is able to print onto almost any type of fabric for a very reasonable price, at any fabric amount!
Four weeks after placing my order, no only are my fabrics are now sitting in my hot little hands, they are also listed on the web for sale and can be made into any product possible. Let's think lamp shades, cushions, chair covers, bed spreads, curtains, book covers... the possibilities are literally endless.

 Below are images of the test swatches I had printed of 6 very basic prints.
I focused my attention towards basic designs as I was apprehensive about the printing process. However, now that I can see how fantastic the results are I cannot wait to display some of my more complex and interesting designs.

Please spread the word about the prints, show the pictures to anyone that may be interested in designs of any sorts. Feedback and requests are always welcome! Don't hesitate to send me an email at ellenjoannepollak@gmail.com

Watch this space for more exciting moments from Design, Form, Function in the coming days and a new Facebook group to make posting my blogs and inspirational images easier!

Big steps, it's time to start believing!