010. | W E ' R E O P E N F O R B U S I N E S S

Today is Monday 2nd May and we officially launched just over an hour ago after sending out our secret passwords in our first ever newsletter last night the website is finally open and live to the public. The response so far has been completely overwhelming and totally worth all of the hard work that this last month has challenged me with. 

009. | E V A L U A T I O N

D E S I G N . C R E A T E . P R O M O T E . S E L L

The construction, application and launch of the independent design and craft brand Darwin and Gray.

As an illustrator there is an ever-growing need to diversify within our industry, we have the ability to push our personal boundaries through essentially embracing an entrepreneurial role to thrive amongst an established competitive retail market. By developing an independent brand, we create the opportunity to flourish as designers but also small business owners, ultimately initiating profitable work for ourselves. According to Angharad (2014) through a recent recession as well as the fragility of big businesses, no longer are consumers fully absorbed by highly commercialised or mass produced products but rather desire those of a hand rendered or crafted nature. In a bid to progress my personal illustrative work further I aim to deconstruct the existing framework of my own paper and textile based brand Darwin & Gray to pinpoint and understand the essential applications of design, production and promotion required to successfully launch independently.

Taking charge of my own creative journey and kickstarting an independent small business was never my initial plan.. Darwin & Gray started out over three years ago as a genuine escapism from day-to-day life on Etsy, a website that launches online shops that specialise in handmade products. Through Etsy my brand has evolved into much more than I could have ever imagined and in a relatively short space of time. Through simplistic homeware products and hand painted fabrics, Darwin & Gray has become a name that stands on its own two feet with an established following that continues to grow. Whilst ultimately it has allowed me the freedom to create for myself, it has also pushed my personal boundaries and I am faced with new challenges daily as I tackle finances, web development and unfamiliar software.

Studying a creative business structure as a part of my degree did not cross my mind when I first started the course but naturally, it has become my sole focus as well as the foundations for my future ambitions and goals. Despite having genuine concerns over the feasibility of nurturing a small business as a concept and whether I would be able to find enough theoretical content to critique last semester for my dissertation, I feel strongly that I have developed an in-depth and visually engaging project that relates and showcases the ways in which designers can diversify and progress within such a competitive industry.

Throughout my entire art education, I have always created content to fulfil what I believed to be what was required or expected of me and not always what would benefit me creatively. With this in mind, when it came to concluding my project and assembling a refined process book in which I would whittle down all of the support work from the past two semesters, I decided to create what would essentially be a physical form of self promotion to be distributed across to UK following my deadline. I wanted to create a wholesale publication that encompasses the ethos of Darwin & Gray and the products that the brand provides in a bid to attract potential future suppliers. A stylised and consistent output naturally manifested itself from within my work without intention when designing the book, there appears to be an unwavering colour palette, a fixed approach to typography and a sequence of valuable photography that intends to be specifically recognisable as Darwin & Gray in the future. The publication itself and the accompanying mini booklets are an honest visual representation of the company in a clean, simplistic manner providing relevant information where necessary.

I have faced multiple challenges throughout this semester that have particularly tested my problem solving abilities. Despite benefiting financially from studying a real-life active business for my masters degree, the requirements of being a small business owner has been incredibly difficult at times, although helping hands are available I particularly struggle to delegate jobs that I feel I would much rather take care of myself. In order for Darwin & Gray to survive, I am the creator, photographer, stock and quality controller, dispatcher, customer care consultant and every other job possible that is necessary to keep the business ticking. This constant amount of pressure mounting up unfortunately meant that in order to really grasp what I wanted to work on and construct the foundations to move forward through developing the appropriate work for my project I did have to close the online shop temporarily whilst I concentrated on my work load. Having said that, prior to the end of this semester I reopened the shop, complete with a brand new website (www.darwinandgray.com) and overall look. The response so far has been overwhelming and despite feeling pushed to my limits at times, the moment following launch brought a sudden wave of satisfaction and relief.

Independently running a business in itself is a challenging prospect, no longer can I rely on anybody else for assistance or support and I have quickly learnt to take opportunities when they are offered and try my absolute hardest to make the most out of them. Also with regards to networking, I am the singular point of call for anything involving Darwin & Gray and I strongly feel that communicating and gaining a widespread collection of contacts is invaluable, I have fortunately been able to accumulate a large quantity of useful contacts through mutual friends and my part time job at a successful independent clothing company but most of all because I reach out. Last semester, I contacted Etsy HQ and after exchanging multiple emails arranged to meet a handful of their coordinators at their main offices in Brooklyn, New York. The experience was incredibly helpful in assisting how I should approach running a small business but above anything else, I have now secured contacts within Etsy for the long term,

In concluding this semester, I have been considering the steps that I will take following on from University and found myself no longer consumed with apprehension or fear. Instead, I am filled with excitement and a somewhat prepared feeling, a position that I very much strived to be in when thinking about life after University. Four years at Derby University have enabled me to really understand what I truly want to create as not only an Illustrator but a designer. My approach to illustration as a whole has completely altered over the years and I have become selective within my work rather than striving for a perfectly drawn or rendered piece of art. I have pushed my personal boundaries through learning new artistic methods whilst developing my technological understanding and ultimately honing my skill set to a point that I feel confident in not only myself but also my brand, Darwin & Gray. My final project intended to provide an understanding and projection of the necessary components of an independent craft brand and provide evidence that illustrators can thrive through embracing diversification and entrepreneurial traits to gain recognition and secure profitable work for themselves. This semester has provided me with the opportunity to secure the foundations of Darwin & Gray and gain confidence to the point that I am able to successfully launch independently alongside my established Etsy shop and focus on the future of not only Darwin & Gray but also myself as a designer.

008. E X H I B I T I ON.

Darwin & Gray has always been a web based brand so for my exhibition alongside the compulsory printed panel, I set myself the task of setting up a concession. Originally I wanted to create enough stock to exhibit on the private viewing night for pieces to be taken away free of charge but after realising that as Brits, we are notorious for loving a freebie so I wouldn't be surprised if my stand cleared and was left looking a little bare so unfortunately that idea was quickly pushed aside.
Being totally swamped by the design of my booklets for weeks I decided to tackle my exhibition as soon as my deadline had passed, now I've realised that wasn't such a good idea as a lot of the custom made stands, hooks and shelving won't arrive on top so alas, it won't be the finished, super stylised stand that I was originally hoping for.

P A N E L  L A Y O U T.

Trying to piece together the design for my panel was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Baring in mind that my exhibition will feature across two walls, with the printed panel, a shop concession-esque wall, my printed booklet and an Imac showing my website I was torn as to what would need to be on my printed panel. Narrowing down photos, I figured that my Letter cushions were the beginning of Darwin & Gray and they the background for a lot of my promotional content so they should take pride of place as the main image at the top of the panel. 

Whilst trying to fathom a way to lay my panel out, I decided to create a timeline of the history of Darwin & Gray from 2012-2016 to potentially use on my final printed panel.

I N I T I A L  I D E A S.

I N S P I R A T I O N. 

The internet is the best place for inspiration, even to gather finer details such as wall hooks or simple colour combinations. When trying to fathom how to bring my exhibition together I kept a selection of photographs that I felt visually drawn too and narrowed them down to the imagery that I feel most suited my ideas as well as Darwin & Gray's look.

B O O K L E T  P R E S E N T A T I O N.

Having boxed my booklet in the way that it would be posted out, I had to then think how to present it at the exhibition, I figured a stand with be my best bet so people can pick it up and flick through the pages. As well as the main publication, I want to exhibit my mini books as well just so there is more information available if desired. 

M O C K  U P S.

In order to assist my problem solving, I always have to lay out the issue visually whether it is through sketches or photographs, having my boards already standing at University ready for my display to be fixed upon I couldn't have a trial at setting everything up at home so I figured the best way to tackle it and give myself peace of mind was to digitally create mock ups that would aid the process. 

Admittedly proportions and angles are completely out but it definitely helped my understanding of spacial awareness and whether things visually worked or not. 

Having worked with chipboard for quite some time for display purposes I felt it was kind of compulsory that I included it within my exhibition, I've always liked layering things, I like the crossover of different textures and multiple levels so as soon as I saw the photos of the exhibition from London layering display boards, I knew that idea would be perfect for Darwin & Gray. As well as this, the chipboard block that would overlay the white MDF boards provided by University were able to be stored in my studio so I am currently constructing my shop at home and being able to test the layouts more so as well as getting help from family with regards to drilling shelving and so on, helping ease the stress of the entire process. 

007. | P R O C E S S B O O K.

P U B L I C A T I O N.

The majority of my project has been of a physical nature from cutting and sewing to conducting and styling photo shoots so trying to keep on top of recording everything has been quite testing. Explaining rounded up key stages of my progress through blogging has been incredibly helpful but in a bid to show Darwin & Gray in its truest, most refined form I chose to show case my work as a booklet. Initially the article intended to be a process book that followed the important aspects of my journey to essentially make it easier to understand for assessment, but after much consideration I realised that following University how much use would this be to not only myself but my brand. This being said, my process book soon transformed into a wholesale look book; a stylised and carefully pieced together publication that would present each product available to purchase, behind the scenes content and a little insight into the company as a whole to send out to try and entice suppliers across the UK to stock Darwin & Gray in their bricks and mortar shops.

Accumulating such a variety of photographs from the shoot with Liam ensured that I was able to be selective and only chose to photos that I felt would portray Darwin & Gray in the strongest way possible, the hardest part was to decide how much information would be too much information as suppliers don't need to know the ins and outs of your business.

M I N I  B O O K S.

As happy as I am with the outcome of the booklet now that is it printed, I couldn't help but feel that it was lacking information to be assessed. In addition to the booklet for my hand in, I decided to create a small series of mini books to pinpoint and explain certain areas in more depth regarding my logo and branding, the ways in which I use technology and how I have stuck to my guns regarding making everything by hand. To begin with I wanted these to be A5 booklets that would be attached within the A4 book but I soon realised that they wouldn't open very easily and would probably take away the clean, simplistic effect that I have created.
The final outcome are three A3 sheets, double sided that fold down into A5 books. Each book has a front cover, a double page spread and a back page to then be unfolded to reveal a full print on the opposing A3 side (the opposing print is relevant to what the booklet discusses).

F I N A L  O U T C O M E.

006. | P R O M O T I O N

Having researched promotional methods and consumer traits throughout the duration of my dissertation, specialising in the ways that benefit indie craft businesses in particular, this combined with my own understanding and personal use of promotional tools such as social media and online apps I feel that I am in a good good position to promote my brand effectively.

I N S T A G R A M

Visuals are the strongest, most engaging way to promote a product so I personally opt for visual based content above anything else and so the best app for this is Instagram. Upload photos or videos along with a caption to your following viewers, the best thing about it is that you aren't forcing it in the faces or people that don't want to be exposed to it, anybody that follows you have chosen to do just that. So......I best mention the 'bulk follow' bugs that are now floating around, they're purchasable bugs that basically buy followers for you to essentially fake that you have grown a substantial following and are popular in the land of Instagram. In my opinion, why would you want to pretend to yourself above anybody else that you have established a following? Gather attention organically and it feels far more satisfying to know that the people following you are genuinely interested in what you have to offer and not that you've taken the easy way and bought the recognition.

So how to engage an audience? Strong, consistent content is the key as well as communication and being a real person behind the keyboard. I use Instagram to follow a bunch of fellow creatives from all over the world, I gain most of my inspiration for future products or ideas from photography accounts in particular. Using Instagram for much more than just a means of uploading photos to show off your creations means that you'll stick with it, it'll become a part of your daily routine and not feel like a chore and although a little ashamed to say it...the more recognition you get and the higher you see your followers count get, the more addicted you become.

C O M P E T I T I O N S  & E V E N T S.

Also (this is new to me), keep an eye out for competitions that could potentially give you some exposure. Etsy have recently just launched their first ever Etsy Awards. Despite feeling confident in my brand and pleased with what I have accomplished over the past few years I have never entered competitions in fear that I wouldn't meet standards or expectations a.k.a I don't want to feel disheartened. Pushing my pride to one side I went for it, although I did wait until the very last day to enter because I was umming and arring for weeks. Not only do they have category winners but there is also a prize voted for by the public as well as a collaboration with John Lewis and then the opportunity to exhibit at an upcoming event. All of which could push Darwin & Gray a little further in the right direction. 

Another Etsy supported venture....but when contacted about opportunities, TAKE THEM! I have been incredibly fortunate to have been featured or even asked to be featured at certain events including ITV's 60 Minute Makeover last year and then this past Christmas I was included in Etsy's 'Win The Wall' campaign (spot one of our personalised baubles that we sell just at Christmas dangling from the small box). Opportunities like this are beyond valuable to a brand, it is the equivalent to when designers are asked to do free projects to get their name out there and expose their work, hoping to gain further recognition and work from it. As well as this, I have gained contacts that could benefit Darwin & Gray later down the line as well as making genuine friends. 

P H Y S I C A L.

Business cards are the basic, most simplistic way to get your name out there. They're small, can be packed with information and are easily picked up and saved without taking up too much room. as supportive as I seem to be of business cards, I have never actually made any as such - I've created small tags for my products before but never a card. I've created sample after sample over the years but simply because I never really knew where I'd give them out I've always avoided them until now. I'm attempting to create not only business cards but also postcards that feature a design or quote on the back so that they double up as not only promotion for Darwin & Gray but also a piece to be kept held of whether it is to frame or stand on somebody's desk as a mini print. Blurring the lines between promotional content and a keepsake.

005. | W E B S I T E D E S I G N

My online home for the last three years has been Etsy (www.etsy.com), a handmade business supporting website that acts as a marketplace to kickstart small enterprises. I couldn't be happier with Etsy, they have helped the growth of Darwin & Gray enormously and just from looking at my statistics I can see regularly that I get a reasonable amount of digital footfall from their viewers that just so happened to have stumbled across my shop through Etsy's search engines. As much as I love being a part of the Etsy community, I, along with a vast percentage of Etsy users (according to their own statistics) state that their goal is to open an independent website for their company.

So, where do I begin? I scribbled down the pros and cons to every website hosting platform possible when searching the internet. Through personal experience and the fact that I have multiple people that I can turn to for help regarding this website, I went for Shopify. Shopify is an online hosting platform, they have themes and easy design tools to assist you in the creation of your site. I personally didn't want anything too fancy or in-your-face for Darwin & Gray, especially as this is my first website and I didn't want to over complicate the process for myself to begin with.

Having been on a trial for 14 days to test my images and content in a website format, I was satisfied enough with the outcome to sign on a monthly contract costing roughly £18-£20 a month along with the transaction fees that will correspond to the amount of sales processed. In comparison with Etsy, the transaction fee is slightly less but the fact that you pay a fee to be on Shopify every month boosts the expenses going out, I personally feel that it is worth it though to have my own independent space of the internet to call my own.
Using the domain I have owned several years, I transferred all of the relevant codes to ensure that www.darwinandgray.com is linked to my website and no longer my blog which has now (for the time been) gone back to www.darwinandgray.blogspot.com. Within the online store is its own blog, I intend to create the idea of a 'lifestyle' brand through this blog, including everything from recipes to crafty tutorials as well as day trips especially out and about in Derbyshire and Yorkshire in which Darwin & Gray is based. Through my internet awareness I have learnt that consumers are far more drawn into brands that have a back story, that are relatable and above all else have a real person communicating with them.

T H E  L A U N C H .

Having closed my shop over a month ago I have been attempting to create a bit of a buzz about the relaunch of Darwin & Gray, part of this has been through beginning a newsletter that will be sent out monthly with little snippets about the brand, offers and exclusive content. The first newsletter to be sent out on Sunday 1st May contains a secret password that allows anybody that has signed up to enter the website 24hrs before everybody else.

WWW.DARWINANDGRAY.COM  

The public launch follows this at 8pm on Monday 2nd May. 

004. | P H O T O S H O O T.

I've always said that contacts are truly what can transform a brand, knowing the right people to gain advice or even help from is invaluable. Having worked on a fashion based project for ASOS recently with a local photographer called Liam, I merely passed a comment about my project and everything I was doing to then find out that he was a commercial photographer too, I instantly arranged a shoot with him for Darwin & Gray.

Arranging a photo shoot may sound easy but it is beyond complicated and challenging. I had a week to create as much stock as I physically could, with complications of stuffing not arriving and having to delay the shoot several days it was truly testing. I've always loved interior design, it was actually my 'what do you want to be when you grow up' dream job and so although hard, it was actually an absolute pleasure to do.

T H E  F I N E R  D E T A I  L S.

Again, avoiding extortionate expenses by discarding renting a studio space, instead I just cleared a space in my studio, I put up a bunch of frames and created a 'gallery' wall to include my prints and banners as well as getting my dad on board to build me a bunch of fake floors for my products to be photographed one. From the photos above you can see the difference between two particular pieces of floors we created, after a bunch of test shots I opted for the lighter wood so the pieces didn't (particularly the cushions) stood out more.

The next thing is props, being an interior obsessed hoarder I have accumulated a bunch of bits and pieces over the years as well as being a lover of plants - all of which I used to pad out the photos, to add a little bit of interest and to compliment the products.

Below are a sample of the product shots we captured one cropped down into squares to fit the product page grid system I have used for my website. By keeping the camera in the exact same position we ensured that there is fluidity throughout the photos. I didn't want the photos to look like they were shot in a studio, I feel that much more home-like environments suit the brand better then just being a floating item on a white background. 

A 9-5 day of shooting followed by endless hours editing time for Liam and I was almost 400 photos up to support Darwin & Gray. Having shot everything myself in the past, arranging an external party to come in to shoot and edit for me was hands down the best decision I've made for Darwin & Gray, it saved me a tonne of time and I basically got to do the fun part of styling and not the not-so-fun part of editing. Without the photos I personally think that my booklet, website and promotional content would not be as visually strong as it has turned out to be. 

003. | P A C K A G I N G.

Now that all of the products are finalised and ready to launch, the next issue is what will they be sent out in, how should customers receive their products and how much money should I put into it? I personally think that packaging is all apart of the experience of the brand, if something is wrapped well and is noticeably considered then I believe that it contributes to the product too. 

Packaging is probably one of the key areas in which money is 'wasted' so being savvy and taking your time to shop around is key. I found an endless amount of printers that would create custom printed boxes, each one featuring anything from my logo to my website and all over artwork but they came at a hefty price. Boxes aren't the only thing to consider, there is tissue paper, bubble wrap, business cards and leaflets advertising your brand further - all of which add to the packaging costs.

Buy in bulk? Personally I've avoided this as such, I've bought in batches of 25, 50 or 100 boxes at a time and yes I could possibly save money in the long run by buying larger quantities but for me Darwin & Gray has never had certainty so far and each order is taken as a complete surprise so buying enough to see me through a month or two has been satisfactory.

I mostly use Ebay or Amazon for my boxes.....

Being a handmade endorsing brand means that I can get away with imperfectly printed packaging. Using stamps that I have had made by The English Stamp Company, a UK based stamp supplier I am able to print each and every one of my boxes by hand. In all honesty, I'm a bit of a sucker for mundane, tedious tasks so popping a TV show on my laptop or some music on for an hour whilst I print isn't as long winded as it sounds. 

Time Consuming? Yes.

A hell of a lot cheaper? Yes.

Incredibly Satisfying? Yes.

T H E  O U T C O M E.
A variety of box sizes for a range of different products all printed with identical exteriors, I put aside an hour every week to stock my ready made boxes up to ease the dispatching process.

002. | P R O D U C T S.

The most important part of any small business is the products, they're what your customers are visiting your shop for and hopefully purchasing. For me, this is the most stressful part, you can't predict what will be the most popular piece and 8/10 times the product that you don't like so much proves to be the favourite. At Darwin & Gray I make everything to order at the moment, this avoids space in the studio and my time being taken up for no profit. 

 L E T T E R S

A forever staple within the Darwin & Gray family, they are what started this venture and continue to be our front runner with regards to sales. They're super simple and don't require much publicity to sell. Also, the fact that I've made them for that long now means that I can whip them out in half the time that it took me originally.

B A N N E R S

My favourite piece to test the boundaries with are our banners, having seen similar banners popping up in the likes of Primark & BHS I decided to take matters into my own hands and test new ways of creating them, changing the string to faux suede and the wooden dowel to much better quality wood. Also, the backgrounds....rather than being plain all of the time and simple I took to marbled, dip-dyeing and hand painted different patterns before overlaying the design on top. They're also my favourite piece to customise for people. 

T O  T H E  M O O N

On the 17th January 2016, I launched our first capsule collection called 'To The Moon' and it featured cushions, prints and banners that reflected patterns and quotes that revolved around the idea of the moon. It was incredibly small but super popular and it appeared that small exclusive ranges were the way forward for us. 

& W H A T  I S  N E X T ?

Following on from 'To The Moon' I tried to think of something that was in keeping with where I currently was in life, being incredibly overwhelmed with work I take to the outdoors to breathe and just not think for a moment, introducing....

I N T O . T H E . W I L D E R N E S S

A capsule collection based on the natural world and the stillness that it can create within us all. 

Initially I brought together a bunch of images myself and my boyfriend had taken at Derwent, they captured the beauty of the outdoors perfectly but were far too dark for the branding of Darwin & Gray. The plan in the future is to create a sideline blog within the website that I have created to really show off what Derbyshire & Yorkshire have to offer so these photos are perfect to take forward into that but for this collection they just didn't work.

001. | L O G O & B R A N D I N G

As with most things in life, change and ultimately progression is necessary. A logo however is difficult, it is essentially the signature of your brand so giving it a complete overhaul regularly can stint your business' look. A logo should strive to be a familiar or relatable image to your brand and instantly recognisable once established. This being said, I have attempted to change my branding several times over the last three years for Darwin & Gray but I have always found myself resorting back to the original concept of Darwin as a silhouette, it's somewhat predictable but incredibly relevant. 

W H E R E  A R E  W E  N O W ?

The marketing and branding of Darwin & Gray has become increasingly brighter and more minimalistic as of lately, therefore I felt that the logo should follow suit. I actually went with two logos, the same content but laid out differently to suit whatever it was to be used on; a simple rectangle and a circle. The idea of the circle purely stemmed from the idea that Darwin has and always will be the main focal point of branding and so, the logo shall physically revolve around him.