Research - The Client

Below are concise details regarding the client. It is important for me to get a full and frank understanding about who the client is, the small business that she runs, the products she makes and how she makes them. Also, how the client is currently promoting her business and what I can do to help her by producing new promotional materials.

BACKGROUND:

Crafty Ginge Designs was founded by Kelly Joseph in 2010 and is a handmade craft business with an eco conscience. The business involves making and selling handmade cards, cushions, jewellery, clothing, decorations and accessories while also aiming to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

RANGE OF PRODUCTS:

-   Cushions

-   Birthday, Christmas and special occasion cards

-   Clothing

-   Bags

-   Badges and buttons

-   Door hangers

CURRENT METHOD OF PROMOTION:

Crafty Ginge Designs is currently promoted only by a Facebook business page. The client photographs all her new products and designs herself and uploads to this page -

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crafty-Ginge-Designs/219332154759166

NEW PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS:

The client wishes to expend the promotion of her business by creating her own business website and to open online stores at folksy.com and etsy.com

I will produce photographs of all her current designs and products to be used in online promotion.

These photographs will also feature in a handmade book created by myself.

From this research into the client's background I can look at the websites she wishes to use to promote her business and see how other craft designers have chosen to display their products. This will give me ideas on how I can photograph the client's designs and products and also look at other designers who have made handmade books.

Areas of research

It is important for me to narrow down the areas of research that I will be printing off to present in the research file. I have been saving many website bookmarks and links online using delicious.com and marking useful materials in books etc. I now need to compile this research clearly. The areas of research I have been looking into are...

The Client
- Client background
- Client ethos
- Range of designs and products
- Current method promotional methods
- Online craft store the client wishes to join

Product Photography
- Styles and techniques
- Studio based product photography
- Commercial photography
- Lighting

Sustainable Living
- What is sustainable living?
- What organisations and groups promote this?
- How is the client involved with this?

Recycling
- What can we recycle?
- How and what does the client recycle?
- What recycled products can I use in this project?

Printing
- Ethical printing techniques
- Costs
- Suppliers

Book Binding
- How are books made?
- Tools and materials
- Different methods, styles and techniques

Suppliers and Sourcing Materials
- Recycled paper and card suppliers
- Book binding suppliers
- Other materials and tools
- Pros and cons of each supplier
- Costs


All of these areas of research will aid my understanding of what the client wants out of this project and help me meet her needs. It will also help me in the development part of the project. All these areas of research are needed to ensure the development of the book and other promotional materials are executed effectively.

In the next blog posts I will post the details of each area I have been looking at.

Catching up with my blog

I have working steadily over the past few weeks researching and communicating with the client but I feel my blog has been suffering because I have been concentrating on other things.

I will now update the blog with all the areas of research I have been compiling. Updating my blog regularly will ensure I have enough material to reflect back on when writing a full evaluation once the project is completed.

All the different sections detailed in the Professional Practice brief are of equal importance and I do not want to fall behind on writing my blog and risk losing marks on such a key area.

Critical Incident

Due to my financial situation and the fact that Student Finance were delaying my loan I had to find a part time job. I found a job locally but it required 4 weeks of training over 5 days per week. I needed to take the job to support myself while Student Finance processed my application. This meant I was attending college classes 4 days a week as well as working 4 evenings a week and all day Saturday. Some days were 14 hours long.


The amount of time I had to spend at work directly impacted on my college work. I was unable to complete tasks that I would have normally been able to and I could not dedicate sufficient time to researching and reading. I also had to leave classes early on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays to get to work on time. 


I explained the situation to my tutors to ensure that they didn't think I was purposely falling behind with the project. 


Although my hours at work have been reduced to three shifts per week the impact of taking the job is still affecting me in terms of having to catch up with research and reading that could have been done in previous weeks. 


I feel that I have always managed my time well but this incident has taken time management to a whole new level. I planned the few hours I had spare each week during the training period to get important tasks completed. Although I didn't feel as though I was getting very much done these few hours spent concentrating on the project were very beneficial. 


I have learnt that even a few hours of concentration on a particular task can produce good results. I will learn from this experience and use my time wisely for the duration of the project.

Materials, costings and bookmarking

I have recently been researching into the cost of materials from various online and in store suppliers. I have compiled lists of tools and materials for book binding from recent book purchases, the costs of recycled paper and card and printing costs.


Paper samples -
I have sent off a SAE to Eco Craft to get some free samples of recycled paper and card. Once received I can show these samples to the client and decisions can be made on colour and quantity of these materials to make the final product.


Business cards and postcards -
I have found numerous printing companies that except personal designs that can be uploaded online for printing. All of these companies use recycled materials and ethical printing techniques. I am unsure which of these companies I will use but this will be discussed with the client at the next meeting. 


Costings spreadsheet -
I have created a costings spreadsheet from research I have done into various suppliers. This spreadsheet will help me make decisions on where to sources my materials and help to cut down on overall costs. 


Bookmarking -
I have started to compile all my online research on ikeepbookmarks.com
http://www.ikeepbookmarks.com/browse.asp?folder=3263452
I have created several sections of relevant research including product photography, costings, suppliers, lighting ideas, printing, craft designers, recycling and sustainable living. Saving all my online research in this way will save a lot of time when printing documents for my workbook. Also, I can go back and refer to things I would have otherwise forgotten about.


Next steps -
Await paper and card sample to arrive from Eco Craft.


I will need to purchase the book binding tools I have listed in order to start making prototype books to show to the client. I may use cheaper materials to make the prototype designs in order to save on cost and ensure that I do not waste expensive materials.


Research more into product photography and lighting ideas. I will need to begin photographing the client's products and designs in a few weeks time to ensure I am keeping to my set time scales. 

Writing a Brief

I have never written a professional brief before so it will require some research to source some examples for guidance. Johny suggested looking at the D&AD website for some examples of professional client briefs but despite signing up to the website there are no examples present. I have looked for other examples via Roses Awards but still I have haven't been able to find anything to help me. I have now resorted to Google to find examples.


In the examples I have found there appears to be some similar criteria I can follow to help in writing a professional brief for Crafty Ginge Designs. These include a background on the client, 'the problem'/requirements, timescales and deliverables.


I feel if I break it down into sections I will be able to write a comprehensive brief.

Below is the first draft of the brief...

BACKGROUND:

The client - Crafty Ginge Designs was founded by Kelly Joseph in 2010 and is a handmade craft business with an eco conscience. The business involves making and selling handmade cards, cushions, jewellery, clothing, decorations and accessories while also aiming to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

The client now wishes to expand the business to include online stores, a business website and promotional materials.

REQUIREMENTS:

-   Digital images of designs and products to be used online

-   A handmade book containing images all designs and products

-   Business cards

-   Postcards

All promotional materials must include some sort of handmade element.

All promotional materials must be made from recycled or ethically sourced materials.

Photographs, business cards and postcards must be printed ethically by an ethical printing company.

SPECIFICATIONS:

The client uses a specific font that she wishes to keep and include in new designs. The client will provide the font file for the design process. All text will be provided by the client.

The client has a logo which she wishes to keep and include in new designs.

The book size will be 230mm x 230mm and will contain images and text.

Business card size will be 85mm x 55mm and will feature client logo, client contact information and a photographic image.

Postcards size will be 148mm x 105mm and will feature client logo, client contact information and a photographic image.

Images will be of professional quality and taken in a studio or on location using professional lighting.

Digital images will be provided on disc for the client to keep and use for online promotion.

DELIVERABLES:

Digital photographs. These will be used for advertising designs and products on a business website and online stores.

Handmade book. This will feature photographs of all the client’s designs and products broken down into sections/chapters.

Business cards. Originally designed featuring a photograph and printed on recycled card.

Postcards. Originally designed featuring a photograph and printed on recycled card.

TIMESCALE: The project will run over a 15 week period from 3^rd October 2011 until 2^nd January 2012.

DEADLINE: 2^ND January 2012

Meeting with client 9/10/11

DATE: 9/10/11

TIME: 12.30

CLIENT: KELLY JOSEPH, CRAFTY GINGE DESIGNS

LOCATION: FUEL CAFE, WITHINGTON

COSTS: Lunch and drinks

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS: Within walking distance of home

This is the first meeting between Alison Hoyles and Kelly Joseph of Crafty Ginge Designs.

AIMS OF MEETING:

-   Introduction. I have met the client briefly on two occasions but this is meeting will serve as a foundation for our working relationship.

-   Presenting initial ideas for the project.

-   Working together to formulate a brief.

-   Establish what the client’s wants, needs and expectations are for the project.

-   Presenting each other’s work and learning more about each other as practitioners.

-   Gaining further information from the client to begin researching into different styles, products, resources and ways of working.

-   Gaining information and resources direct from the client, i.e. websites, organisations, groups


MEETING OUTCOMES:


I feel the meeting was very productive and has provided me with a deeper insight into what my client expects and requires from the project. 
The client requires professional photographs of all designs and ranges of products to help set up online stores on folksy.com and esty.com and images for a new business website. We have decided that I will also create promotional materials that include a handmade book/catalogue, business cards and postcards. All promotional materials must be handmade from recycled or ethically sourced materials and be ethically printed.
Next steps will be to research into book binding, sourcing recycled paper and card and finding an ethical printers either in Manchester or that offer an online printing service.
I will also need to book studio space to begin professionally photographing all the client's designs and products to build up and catalogue of the client's work.
The client has also provided some useful links and resources for me to read about and include in my research.


NEW RESOURCES:

-   Action for Sustainable Living – Charity organisation www.afsl.org.uk

-   Stitched Up - Manchester-based ethical fashion collective offering workshops and swap shops www.stitchedupuk.blogspot.com

-   Esty – online shop for craft makers to sell products www.esty.com

-   Folksy – online shop for craft makers to sell products www.folksy.com

I don't think I could have asked any more questions of my client at this initial stage and the information provided by the meeting is sufficient to continue researching in a lot of different areas to move the project forward.

When my client and I meet again I will be able to show what research I have undertaken and this will provide the client with the opportunity to have more creative input and perhaps provide some guidance.