Project Proposal & Evaluation

The Flat Process Book

The current flat state of my process book - a book that will be adjusted to suit potential suppliers as a printed publication of self promotion to encourage the notion of wholesaling in the future....the final booklet will predominantly be focused on product photography next semester and less information such as my trip to Etsy, sales statistics, brand decisions and contact list. 

The final book will be printed by Solopress, a perfect bound booklet using bond paper and in a slightly smaller scale than A4. The presentation shall be considered further into the semester and adapted through experiments and charges. 

 

START IT YOURSELF.

Coming to the conclusion of the Concept module of my Masters Degree and bringing together all of the research, experiments and contacts that I've accumulated over the last few months I am now beginning to focus on how to push Darwin & Gray forward into an established small business. After being contacted regularly regarding 'how to' start up as an indie crafter I've decided to conclude this segment of my blog with a post regarding how others can kickstart something for themselves. 

You've had a genius idea, you just can't take your dead end job any longer or you're just after a bit of extra cash - all reasons that seem to support small business start ups and after reading endless business books, I've found that everything points you in the direction to sit and spend hours constructing a detailed business plan but for what reason? 

Yes they're kind of a must if you're after a loan or maybe you're just a bit of a number-crunching fanatic but for indie crafters like myself are they really worth it? My answer is no, don't waste your time.....business plans focusing on the next 5+ years of something you're just starting out with seems obnoxious and vain, the harsh reality of small businesses is that the majority of them don't work out, they crash and burn so why focus on getting it down in writing how you want to sustain your business and encourage its growth when in reality you should be putting it into practice with that time instead. 

Small indie craft businesses such as Darwin & Gray aren't written in the rule books to be gold mines, financially they can be created incredibly cheap and slowly grow as you develop as a designer. 

'Cash is king so swear your unwavering allegiance' 

- James Watt Co-Founder of Brewdog

 Ultimately your business can be whatever you want it to be but at the end of the day if you're already into drawing and design then surely you've got a step ahead in the game as you can create everything from your logo to your products and eventually your very own website without paying out large sums of money to external parties because at the end of the day external associates won't care about your brand or know it as well as you do. 

Concept Panel | 7.12.15

Dispatch & Delivery

CURRENT

Countless long winded trips to the post office, hours of printing and filling in proof of postage forms, accounts and sleeves full of receipts, more complicated process to locate lost parcels. 

FUTURE

Purchasing a franking machine enables the opportunity to print Royal Mail stickers in the comfort of your own studio and arrange pick up times for parcels, eliminating the lengthly procedure needed to go back and fourth from the post office and causing long queues. 

The start up is expensive with new machines costing £600+ and only worthwhile when the product demand requires a consistent service. The individual prices per packages reduces when doing your own franking but that saving needs to be positively measured up against the outlays and maintenance charges of doing it for yourself. 

Franking | The Royal Mail