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Design Glut's in-house product design studio is known for our line of intelligent, socially-relevant products. We also provide innovative design solutions to outside clients. Learn more.
LATEST NEWS
November 19, 2008
NEW PRODUCTS
Check out the online store for new products by Design Glut! We've launched the World Links necklace, which has the continents of the world connected by links of chain around your neck. And our new Cubic Switchplates play tricks with your eyes. They're only 3mm deep, but it looks like they're protruding inches off the wall.
October 14, 2008
NEW ONLINE STORE AND PRESS
We just redid our online store to make it easier for our customers. The new layout is simpler to browse and has some additional functionality. Fancy Schmancy! We also have new press to report: Elle Decoration, Max, and 5 Au Clock.
September 21, 2008
NEW PRESS AND STORES
The October issue of Metropolitan Home covers the Slow Food Tray as part of a group of products using words as decoration. We also have three new stores: Spring and Stewart and Stand here in NY, and Composition in Colorado.
September 2, 2008
NEW PRESS: SURFACE
The new edition of Surface reports of the trend of designers "using oil as fuel for thought." Crude Black is included.
August 22, 2008
NEW PRESS: DFUN
The Crude Jewelry was just featured as the cover story in the current issue of DFUN, a Taiwanese fashion and design magazine.
July 15, 2008
NEW PRESS: WALLPAPER
The August '08 issue of Wallpaper is hitting newsstands right now. Check out the interviews with "NYC's new design wave": Todd Bracher, Design Glut, Takeshi Miyakawa, and Test Collective.
July 10, 2008
NEW PRESS: WATCH
The Smoking Gun was just featured in the latest edition of Watch.
July 9, 2008
ABOUT DESIGN GLUT
We’ve expanded the About Us area - check it out to get a better feel for who we are and what we do.
June 30, 2008
NEW PRESS: MAX
The fashion magazine Max just published a great-looking piece on Crude Black. We can't actually read it, but we're hoping they said nice things.
June 23, 2008
SMOKING GUN NECKLACE
The Smoking Gun is now available on a chain! It makes one pimped out necklace.
RECENT PRESS
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WHAT'S YOUR STORY?
Are you a creative entrepreneur? Tell us your story. If it's a good fit for the site, we'd love to interview you.
ALL INTERVIEWS
(Alphabetical)
• Brad Ascalon
• Brooklyn Salsa Company
• byAMT
• Cake
• Character
• Citizen:Citizen
• Curatorium
• Diaroogle.com
• Domestic Aesthetic
• Exit9
• FuckOffSarahPalin.com
• Harry Allen
• Mint
• Nooka
• NOTCOT.com
• Pomp&Clout
• redstr/collective
• Reiko Kaneko
• Robert Langhorn
• Skinny Vinny
• Sonic Design
• Supermarket
• Swiss Miss (upcoming)
• Todd Bracher
• TZ Design
MONTHLY ARCHIVE
• July 2008
• August 2008
• September 2008
• October 2008
• November 2008
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
ALL INTERVIEWS
(Alphabetical)
• Brad Ascalon
• Brooklyn Salsa Company
• byAMT
• Cake
• Character
• Citizen:Citizen
• Curatorium
• Diaroogle.com
• Domestic Aesthetic
• Exit9
• FuckOffSarahPalin.com
• Harry Allen
• Mint
• Nooka
• NOTCOT.com
• Pomp&Clout
• redstr/collective
• Reiko Kaneko
• Robert Langhorn
• Skinny Vinny
• Sonic Design
• Supermarket
• Swiss Miss (upcoming)
• Todd Bracher
• TZ Design
MONTHLY ARCHIVE
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
August 22, 2008
Interning at Design Glut
We asked our summer intern, Karl Zinsmaster, to write a bit about what it's been like working here. Read below to find out how he got the internship, and what advice he has for his fellow students.
So, I’ve been at Design Glut working on product development and helping with small business responsibilities for almost three months now. I’ve met some interesting people, learned a lot of new presentation techniques and seen how a couple of young designers can make a name for themselves, not to mention a bit of money.
My name is Karl Zinsmaster. I am a student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, looking at two semesters left in the furniture design program. In May, I decided to relocate to the East temporarily. I moved here with the plan of seeing what the magical and mysterious New York City had to offer a young designer. I didn’t, however, have much planned out past that.
I started my stay by going to ICFF and Design Week to gather contact information from whoever was interesting. I built a website and a new resume, and without any real clue as to whether or not I would be worth a damn in the eyes of design professionals, I put some feelers out. I contacted everyone in the New York area that I was excited about from Design Week. I trolled the internet for Brooklyn-based industrial and furniture designers, and began trying to make myself visible.
Within a few weeks I had weaseled my way into a number of interviews, and gotten a satisfying amount of feedback. I was talking to people from gigantic companies with corporate jobs (and budgets to match) to solo designers and artists working out of crawl-spaces and concrete sardine cans. Those types were stuffed into old factories, walk-ups and warehouses. Out of the few who I clicked with, Design Glut was the one I was most excited about. Their conceptual philosophy aligned itself well with my own, and they seemed honest and passionate about the work they were doing. After meeting with Kegan and Liz, I decided it was the place for me. (Luckily, they thought so too.)
The best bit of information I’ve picked up here is that it’s not magic that makes you a noteworthy designer. It’s just good ideas, solid skills to begin realizing those ideas, and bullheadedness in promoting something you believe in. My experience in New York has been so far, so good, and all it really took was a bit of confidence and some shots in the dark. Continue Reading....
So, I’ve been at Design Glut working on product development and helping with small business responsibilities for almost three months now. I’ve met some interesting people, learned a lot of new presentation techniques and seen how a couple of young designers can make a name for themselves, not to mention a bit of money.
My name is Karl Zinsmaster. I am a student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, looking at two semesters left in the furniture design program. In May, I decided to relocate to the East temporarily. I moved here with the plan of seeing what the magical and mysterious New York City had to offer a young designer. I didn’t, however, have much planned out past that.
I started my stay by going to ICFF and Design Week to gather contact information from whoever was interesting. I built a website and a new resume, and without any real clue as to whether or not I would be worth a damn in the eyes of design professionals, I put some feelers out. I contacted everyone in the New York area that I was excited about from Design Week. I trolled the internet for Brooklyn-based industrial and furniture designers, and began trying to make myself visible.
Within a few weeks I had weaseled my way into a number of interviews, and gotten a satisfying amount of feedback. I was talking to people from gigantic companies with corporate jobs (and budgets to match) to solo designers and artists working out of crawl-spaces and concrete sardine cans. Those types were stuffed into old factories, walk-ups and warehouses. Out of the few who I clicked with, Design Glut was the one I was most excited about. Their conceptual philosophy aligned itself well with my own, and they seemed honest and passionate about the work they were doing. After meeting with Kegan and Liz, I decided it was the place for me. (Luckily, they thought so too.)
The best bit of information I’ve picked up here is that it’s not magic that makes you a noteworthy designer. It’s just good ideas, solid skills to begin realizing those ideas, and bullheadedness in promoting something you believe in. My experience in New York has been so far, so good, and all it really took was a bit of confidence and some shots in the dark. Continue Reading....
August 20, 2008
New York International Gift Fair
We just attended the NYIGF at the Javitz Center in New York. Here are our top picks from the show.
Faces of the Moon by Makiko Yoshida
Pop jars by Jonathan Adler
Druggist jars by Jonathan Adler
Black Baseball, Black Deck of Cards, and Animal Shot Glasses by Goody Grams
Perspective Mirror by Landscape Products
Built On Sand jewelry by KleinReid
Little Architecture by Pico Design
by Designfenzider
by Designfenzider
Skull Candles by D.L. & Co
D.L. & Co Booth
Straining Spoon by Ferran Adria
Baroque Skewers by Ferran Adria
FACES by Ferran Adria booth
Continue Reading....
Faces of the Moon by Makiko Yoshida
Pop jars by Jonathan Adler
Druggist jars by Jonathan Adler
Black Baseball, Black Deck of Cards, and Animal Shot Glasses by Goody Grams
Perspective Mirror by Landscape Products
Built On Sand jewelry by KleinReid
Little Architecture by Pico Design
by Designfenzider
by Designfenzider
Skull Candles by D.L. & Co
D.L. & Co Booth
Straining Spoon by Ferran Adria
Baroque Skewers by Ferran Adria
FACES by Ferran Adria booth
Continue Reading....
August 13, 2008
Vincent Lai of Skinny Vinny
Vincent Lai is a native Brooklynite who recently launched an amazing bag collection. With a product designer's eye and love of function, the minimal bags serve your every need. I couldn't resist buying the Rimu, after hearing his story and seeing the pieces in person.
Skinny Vinny
www.skinny-vinny.com
I know you were involved with overseas manufacturing - why did you make the decision to go that route, and how did you find a factory?
Growing up, my mom worked in a garment factory. To save money, rather than going to day care, I spent a lot of time in the factory. I would help out and I learned pattern-making. So when I started Skinny Vinny, I planned on using her factory. It turned out that they didn't have the right machines, though, to go through all the thick layers of fabric. I couldn't find factories here. But my mom has childhood friends back in China, and I got hooked up with a factory through a friend of a friend of a friend... It was really small; they don't work for overseas clients.
I ended up going to China for a month or two to figure the factory thing out. I speak Cantonese, but all the workers spoke Mandarin. It was horrendous. I had to completely rethink my way of communicating. In school, I was taught how to do technical drawings, but I found that the factories didn't read those well. I had to get them a real prototype to get the best results. I sourced fabric in the markets, and almost got pickpocketed. And they didn't do deadlines well.
I finally got to the point where the samples looked good, and came home. I'd told them to make a second set of samples for their reference. They didn't, to cut costs, and they "forgot how to make them," so I ended up having to send the samples back. Then they skimped on materials. I started working with a second factory in China, which was much better but they had huge minimums I would have had to order, and I couldn't do it. So I ended up buying a machine and doing the production run here.
How do you incorporate sustainability into your company?
A percentage of every sale goes to the National Resource Defense Council. I wanted to create everything out of eco-friendly materials, but as a small business, I just can't afford them. It's so expensive, about ten times more.
What led you to become a designer?
I went to public high school in Brooklyn, where we had one art class. I knew I wanted to do art but I didn't know what exactly. When I started thinking about college, I was planning on staying in New York. I applied to all New York schools as a fine arts major, with one exception: I also applied to the design program at Carnegie Mellon University [in Pittsburgh]. When I interviewed there, I fell in love with the facilities. And so I ended up in design school.
How did you transition from design school into into the world of manufacturing and selling objects?
Like everyone, I found that looking for a job after school was hell. A connection through a friend led me to an internship at Pollen. After 3 months they asked me to stay. I was there for almost a year total. It was design boot camp: school doesn't teach you a lot! My time there really increased my skills and boosted my confidence. After a while, though, I started to feel that the soft goods industry would be a better fit for me. I wanted to combine industrial design with my pattern-making experience. So I left Pollen and started looking for something new.
I planned on eventually starting something, though definitely not this soon. But when I couldn't find the kind of job I was looking for, I decided to just go for it. I figured it's easiest to stumble when you're young. My bags are all designed from a ID point of view. I see them as products, not fashion. They're functionally driven rather than decorative.
How has the internet helped you as an indie designer?
The bags recently got posted on NOTCOT, which sparked a lot of interest. From that, other blogs picked them up - Refinery29, Coolhunting... And that led to little boutiques emailing with orders.
What advice would you give to young designers looking to start manufacturing and selling their products?
If you're manufacturing in China, abandon your Western ideas of doing business. You're going to get your feelings hurt. It may be shocking, but the way of getting them to do things is bribery. All they see are dollar signs. It's very different.
When it comes to the design, be very, very specific about everything you submit. They take everything very literally. I once corrected a sample where a seam had been put in the wrong place by drawing a red line where the seam needed to go. The next sample came back with all red seams!
You also have to stand very firm when dealing with the manufacturers. They make a lot of excuses and try to do it the easier or cheaper way. For example, I got them to use really nice hardware on the samples, but when it came to production they said they "couldn't find" that hardware anymore, and used something much cheaper. I told them to find it, and stood my ground, and they did.
Continue Reading....
Skinny Vinny
www.skinny-vinny.com
I know you were involved with overseas manufacturing - why did you make the decision to go that route, and how did you find a factory?
Growing up, my mom worked in a garment factory. To save money, rather than going to day care, I spent a lot of time in the factory. I would help out and I learned pattern-making. So when I started Skinny Vinny, I planned on using her factory. It turned out that they didn't have the right machines, though, to go through all the thick layers of fabric. I couldn't find factories here. But my mom has childhood friends back in China, and I got hooked up with a factory through a friend of a friend of a friend... It was really small; they don't work for overseas clients.
I ended up going to China for a month or two to figure the factory thing out. I speak Cantonese, but all the workers spoke Mandarin. It was horrendous. I had to completely rethink my way of communicating. In school, I was taught how to do technical drawings, but I found that the factories didn't read those well. I had to get them a real prototype to get the best results. I sourced fabric in the markets, and almost got pickpocketed. And they didn't do deadlines well.
I finally got to the point where the samples looked good, and came home. I'd told them to make a second set of samples for their reference. They didn't, to cut costs, and they "forgot how to make them," so I ended up having to send the samples back. Then they skimped on materials. I started working with a second factory in China, which was much better but they had huge minimums I would have had to order, and I couldn't do it. So I ended up buying a machine and doing the production run here.
How do you incorporate sustainability into your company?
A percentage of every sale goes to the National Resource Defense Council. I wanted to create everything out of eco-friendly materials, but as a small business, I just can't afford them. It's so expensive, about ten times more.
What led you to become a designer?
I went to public high school in Brooklyn, where we had one art class. I knew I wanted to do art but I didn't know what exactly. When I started thinking about college, I was planning on staying in New York. I applied to all New York schools as a fine arts major, with one exception: I also applied to the design program at Carnegie Mellon University [in Pittsburgh]. When I interviewed there, I fell in love with the facilities. And so I ended up in design school.
How did you transition from design school into into the world of manufacturing and selling objects?
Like everyone, I found that looking for a job after school was hell. A connection through a friend led me to an internship at Pollen. After 3 months they asked me to stay. I was there for almost a year total. It was design boot camp: school doesn't teach you a lot! My time there really increased my skills and boosted my confidence. After a while, though, I started to feel that the soft goods industry would be a better fit for me. I wanted to combine industrial design with my pattern-making experience. So I left Pollen and started looking for something new.
I planned on eventually starting something, though definitely not this soon. But when I couldn't find the kind of job I was looking for, I decided to just go for it. I figured it's easiest to stumble when you're young. My bags are all designed from a ID point of view. I see them as products, not fashion. They're functionally driven rather than decorative.
How has the internet helped you as an indie designer?
The bags recently got posted on NOTCOT, which sparked a lot of interest. From that, other blogs picked them up - Refinery29, Coolhunting... And that led to little boutiques emailing with orders.
What advice would you give to young designers looking to start manufacturing and selling their products?
If you're manufacturing in China, abandon your Western ideas of doing business. You're going to get your feelings hurt. It may be shocking, but the way of getting them to do things is bribery. All they see are dollar signs. It's very different.
When it comes to the design, be very, very specific about everything you submit. They take everything very literally. I once corrected a sample where a seam had been put in the wrong place by drawing a red line where the seam needed to go. The next sample came back with all red seams!
You also have to stand very firm when dealing with the manufacturers. They make a lot of excuses and try to do it the easier or cheaper way. For example, I got them to use really nice hardware on the samples, but when it came to production they said they "couldn't find" that hardware anymore, and used something much cheaper. I told them to find it, and stood my ground, and they did.
Continue Reading....
August 12, 2008
Charles of Exit9
Exit 9 is one of our favorite gift shops in New York. The collection ranges from high design to kitsch, and it's pretty much impossible to not find something you fall in love with. We caught up with the owner and founder in their Brooklyn store.
Exit9
Manhattan: 64 Avenue A
Brooklyn: 127 Smith St.
www.shopexit9.com
Do you have any advice for designers trying to wholesale a new product they have developed? How should they approach you?
If the product is something hand stitched or hand made, it has to really stand out. The craft market has its own place. In our store, if it looks hand made, the customer thinks, "I could make this at home." It's not like they WILL go home and make it, but since they think they could, they won't buy it.
As far as approaching me, email is best. Send all the information to submit[at]exit9.com. Walking in off the street works, if I happen to be here. It's better if you call first and set up an appointment.
What tips can you give young designers about presenting their work?
Bring samples of a real, actual product. If it's a prototype, it needs to be very good quality. Be totally solid about what the prices are going to be, wholesale and retail. And have all the information on a piece of paper that you can leave behind for me. I may not order right away, but if you leave something with me I can file it and may order in a few months.
Another thing to keep in mind when approaching stores is territory. Stores don't want to all have the same thing, so don't just go down the block and stop in every place. Be choosy. Pick the store that you think is the best fit and approach them first.
When did you open the store, and how did it start?
I started Exit9 in the village in '95. It was a series of fortunate events. I came into exactly enough money to open a store, and a space was for rent just around the corner from my apartment at the time. Before opening the store I had a clock business, designing clocks and selling them to stores. So I filled my store with clocks and other things I'd made. Eventually I got into selling other people's designs. We opened the Brooklyn store two years ago.
Do you still sell things which you've made?
No, I don't have time anymore... There are so many other people out there that are so great at their craft.
How do you do your buying?
75% of it happens at trade shows. We go to the big gift fair at the Javitz. The other 25% comes from people who contact us and people who come in off the street and show us their products.
What do you look for in new products these days?
I really like things with more than one function. We have a ring that is also a bottle opener, which is fantastic. It shows that the artist is thinking and innovating.
What is your favorite object in the store right now?
This "I Tap N Y" reusable water bottle. [above]
Also, there's this ashtray. It says, "Jesus hates it when you smoke." The designer is a guy who came in off the street and approached us. We've been selling it for 8 or 9 years now. It's pretty rare for a product to have that long of a staying power. [below]
Who is your typical customer?
It's different between the two stores. In the Village, it's 18-30, single, hip artists. In the Brooklyn store, it's 25-50, a more established crowd, people who own property in the area, and moms with strollers.
Have you noticed any recent trends in terms of what people are buying?
There was a huge micro-trend with these crystal sparkling bouncy balls. A few of the kids brought them to school and everyone had to have them. We've also done really well with kitschy items. You can buy pretty much anything in this neighborhood, except for the funny stuff. Novelty breath sprays are very popular, people in the neighborhood love them. Another trend we've noticed is that there are lots of European tourists in the store. They're buying everything up because it's cheap here.
Continue Reading....
Exit9
Manhattan: 64 Avenue A
Brooklyn: 127 Smith St.
www.shopexit9.com
Do you have any advice for designers trying to wholesale a new product they have developed? How should they approach you?
If the product is something hand stitched or hand made, it has to really stand out. The craft market has its own place. In our store, if it looks hand made, the customer thinks, "I could make this at home." It's not like they WILL go home and make it, but since they think they could, they won't buy it.
As far as approaching me, email is best. Send all the information to submit[at]exit9.com. Walking in off the street works, if I happen to be here. It's better if you call first and set up an appointment.
What tips can you give young designers about presenting their work?
Bring samples of a real, actual product. If it's a prototype, it needs to be very good quality. Be totally solid about what the prices are going to be, wholesale and retail. And have all the information on a piece of paper that you can leave behind for me. I may not order right away, but if you leave something with me I can file it and may order in a few months.
Another thing to keep in mind when approaching stores is territory. Stores don't want to all have the same thing, so don't just go down the block and stop in every place. Be choosy. Pick the store that you think is the best fit and approach them first.
When did you open the store, and how did it start?
I started Exit9 in the village in '95. It was a series of fortunate events. I came into exactly enough money to open a store, and a space was for rent just around the corner from my apartment at the time. Before opening the store I had a clock business, designing clocks and selling them to stores. So I filled my store with clocks and other things I'd made. Eventually I got into selling other people's designs. We opened the Brooklyn store two years ago.
Do you still sell things which you've made?
No, I don't have time anymore... There are so many other people out there that are so great at their craft.
How do you do your buying?
75% of it happens at trade shows. We go to the big gift fair at the Javitz. The other 25% comes from people who contact us and people who come in off the street and show us their products.
What do you look for in new products these days?
I really like things with more than one function. We have a ring that is also a bottle opener, which is fantastic. It shows that the artist is thinking and innovating.
What is your favorite object in the store right now?
This "I Tap N Y" reusable water bottle. [above]
Also, there's this ashtray. It says, "Jesus hates it when you smoke." The designer is a guy who came in off the street and approached us. We've been selling it for 8 or 9 years now. It's pretty rare for a product to have that long of a staying power. [below]
Who is your typical customer?
It's different between the two stores. In the Village, it's 18-30, single, hip artists. In the Brooklyn store, it's 25-50, a more established crowd, people who own property in the area, and moms with strollers.
Have you noticed any recent trends in terms of what people are buying?
There was a huge micro-trend with these crystal sparkling bouncy balls. A few of the kids brought them to school and everyone had to have them. We've also done really well with kitschy items. You can buy pretty much anything in this neighborhood, except for the funny stuff. Novelty breath sprays are very popular, people in the neighborhood love them. Another trend we've noticed is that there are lots of European tourists in the store. They're buying everything up because it's cheap here.
Continue Reading....
August 1, 2008
Not Your Neighborhood Flea Market
It seems fitting to end our first week of blog posts with the story of how Design Glut started. It was the spring of 2007, and we were a couple months from graduating college. Kegan discovered this thing called the Designboom Mart. The Mart gave us access to the world of trade shows, introduced us to the world of design as a business, and convinced us to form a partnership.
Liz Kinnmark and Kegan Fisher, NYC Designboom Mart, 2007
www.designboom.com
The DesignBoom Mart was stepping into the unknown for us. It is a cash and carry market that happens every year at ICFF, as well as at other trade shows worldwide. The folks at Design Boom describe it as "...an unprecedented opportunity to meet the young avant-garde, and become familiar with their work.”
For us, it meant a chance to participate in ICFF without throwing down thousands of dollars. We applied through their website, submitting images of our products. We got the good news that we had been acccepted, paid the $300 fee, and suddenly it was happening. We had an entry point into the coveted trade show.
We also had a four foot table to fill with an egg cup and a coffee cup. This seemed like a waste. We put our heads together... How could we come up with more stuff to fill the space? It was in that moment that we started meeting in our spare time and designing together. Looking back, Design Glut probably would not exist today were it not for the chance stumbling onto Designboom.com. The Crude collection and the Hookmaker were designed in those last-minute brainstorming sessions right before the show.
We entered the show as two designers sharing a table. We came out of the show realizing that we worked so well together, we should probably start a company. We came up with the name Design Glut, bought Designglut.com, and hastily put something up there, mainly because we'd met Harry from MoCoLoco.com at the show and he'd told us he'd blog the Crude Jewelry, but only if we had a website. It was there, behind that four-foot table, with our respective business cards guarding our products, we realized we needed to flush out all those little details that give one the appearance of having a company. After all, when someone asks what your brand’s name is, you certainly don't get very far with the response, “We don’t have one”.
And while yes, we did sell products, and came relatively close to recouping our investment, the real advantage of the Mart was everything we learned, the people we met, the confidence they gave us, and the boost of press coverage.
I recommend the Mart to any young designer looking for an inexpensive way in to the design world, but I caution, this is still ICFF. The level of quality of everything there is very high and very intimidating. Be prepared, make business cards, figure out packaging, price points, wholesale costs and shipping. Write down every possible question you would ask yourself, and then answer them. Half the battle is how you display your products. You have a table surface, and a wall; apply your skills as a designer to distinguish your presentation. Everyone drapes a cloth over their table; think bigger. Always think bigger.
Continue Reading....
Liz Kinnmark and Kegan Fisher, NYC Designboom Mart, 2007
www.designboom.com
The DesignBoom Mart was stepping into the unknown for us. It is a cash and carry market that happens every year at ICFF, as well as at other trade shows worldwide. The folks at Design Boom describe it as "...an unprecedented opportunity to meet the young avant-garde, and become familiar with their work.”
For us, it meant a chance to participate in ICFF without throwing down thousands of dollars. We applied through their website, submitting images of our products. We got the good news that we had been acccepted, paid the $300 fee, and suddenly it was happening. We had an entry point into the coveted trade show.
We also had a four foot table to fill with an egg cup and a coffee cup. This seemed like a waste. We put our heads together... How could we come up with more stuff to fill the space? It was in that moment that we started meeting in our spare time and designing together. Looking back, Design Glut probably would not exist today were it not for the chance stumbling onto Designboom.com. The Crude collection and the Hookmaker were designed in those last-minute brainstorming sessions right before the show.
We entered the show as two designers sharing a table. We came out of the show realizing that we worked so well together, we should probably start a company. We came up with the name Design Glut, bought Designglut.com, and hastily put something up there, mainly because we'd met Harry from MoCoLoco.com at the show and he'd told us he'd blog the Crude Jewelry, but only if we had a website. It was there, behind that four-foot table, with our respective business cards guarding our products, we realized we needed to flush out all those little details that give one the appearance of having a company. After all, when someone asks what your brand’s name is, you certainly don't get very far with the response, “We don’t have one”.
And while yes, we did sell products, and came relatively close to recouping our investment, the real advantage of the Mart was everything we learned, the people we met, the confidence they gave us, and the boost of press coverage.
I recommend the Mart to any young designer looking for an inexpensive way in to the design world, but I caution, this is still ICFF. The level of quality of everything there is very high and very intimidating. Be prepared, make business cards, figure out packaging, price points, wholesale costs and shipping. Write down every possible question you would ask yourself, and then answer them. Half the battle is how you display your products. You have a table surface, and a wall; apply your skills as a designer to distinguish your presentation. Everyone drapes a cloth over their table; think bigger. Always think bigger.
Continue Reading....