I started this brief by producing a critical thinking mind map. Basically reflecting on the work I did last year, what went well and what didn’t, What are my best and worst attributes and what themes and topics are interesting to me and what I want to do in the future?
This then helped me choose a task/topic I wanted as a brief.
I decided to produce my own brief instead of choosing one from the list. I wanted to create my own business producing personalised event stationery and vinyl prints for quite a while, so this was the perfect opportunity, along with building my own website from start to finish.
I have been planning on eventually starting up my business creating personalised event stationery and vinyl prints so this was the perfect opportunity. I am quite creative and hands on and have been purchasing stock and equipment for the past few months.
I firstly re-designed my logo, I was going to continue using my original logo I had from last year however after receiving feedback we noticed a few issues with spacing and inconsistency.
I changed the font, aligned and spaced the letters to make them look more compact. I modified some of the letters to make an horizontal slash. The letter y has been purposely placed to sit on the letter s, the stem on the d has also been altered to align with the finial of the e. It features a Pantone green colour inside the eye of the e and is all lower case.
Before Re-designing After
After this I then produced a basic brand guideline for my new logo. I purchased some thick 300gsm A5 paper from house of card and printed from home (this took a couple attempts) after I was happy with the prints, I then crafted a booklet using my wire binding machine.
I was really happy with the result, however after going back through it I noticed a few type issues. These were amended and I crafted a second book using but this one I added a calendar to the opposite side so it could have an additional use.
I purchased a domain then built a website which is still on going and needs images and prices adding. This will be updated once my stock has arrived and I have created the items. – greeneyedesigns.co.uk
I purchased a business email: info@greeneyedesigns.co.uk.
I still have to set up a business pay pal account once I have fully updated my website.
I created an account on social media for Facebook, Instagram and twitter to promote my business.
I mocked up some business cards and letter heads:
I spent a lot of time on the government website looking into self-employment and new business set ups etc before writing a full business plan with my objectives, strategies, sales, marketing and financial forecasts.
I researched help with finance, possible grants and start up loans. I registered with HM Revenue and customs as self employed and decided that my type of business would be a sole trader. (Victoria Clegg T/A Green eye designs)
I have to now wait ten days for a confirmation letter after this I can ring them with my UTR code and ask about tax, insurance and working tax credits. My website still needs a PayPal button which I will add once iv set up a business account with them in the next couple of days. It will need the products adding as and when they are made.
The brief did state to mock up some of the products if the equipment was purchased in time of the deadline, I have purchased a wire binding machine, an 8 in 1 heat press machine, craft tools and stationery however I will still need other equipment to fully set up like a vinyl cutter and transfer sheets etc which I am hoping to possibly fund with a grant or loan by the end of this month.
After receiving feedback, I scraped the brand guidelines booklet idea as it didn’t seem relevant to a solo business start-up, instead I have included an about me page to the website and social media sites.
I also have now purchased a cameo 4 desktop cutting machine for my projects which cuts vinyl, cardstock, fabrics and much more, I have produced lots of items which have been photographed and listed on the website.
When I started producing more stock, I realised I hadn’t really considered prices for my items, and how time consuming each piece takes. This led me to look into other craft based and event stationery companies and what they charge etc. I joined lots of forums and social media groups whom are all in the same area of business which have proved really helpful.
I browse the groups daily for updates, help and inspiration, in fact one of these groups shared a post about a craft pricing calculator app (which I downloaded) to help me with pricing my items. You simply enter the total cost of materials used, the number of handcrafted items and how long it takes to make each, and it then gives a fair price you should charge without undervaluing my time. However, the more I researched and learnt, the more stress and challenges occurred.
I had already spent quite a lot of money on my equipment and stock before realising in order to print on mugs, plates, caps and t-shirts, which I had purchased all the machinery for, I would need a sublimation printer which was going to cost anything between £300 to £500. The reality of setting up this business was getting stressful and I had to put these certain items on hold until I could afford this particular printer. They are still listed on the website but as coming soon items instead.
I discovered in the forums and feedback that I had also not thought about customer expectations, policies or returns especially on personalised items. I looked into this then updated the returns and shop policies on my website, created application instruction’s for vinyl and HTV products which will be sent out with every order and a disclaimer will also be sent out for large orders like weddings or parties prior to production and also for personalised gifts/items that will cover me for customer mistakes etc.
My logo also needed some attention to detail and made to feel more personal and craft based, I was set on the name and it being a font logo but agreed it required some TLC particularly to make the colour more appealing. I first started researching the words ‘green eyed’, and did a second mind map, I then sketched some ideas, using things like eyes, envy, craft tools, hands, Gemini sign (both children share this star sign), different shades of green, and experimented with different fonts. I then started thinking more hands on and using some paint and other objects I got a little creative and started playing around with making black paint splatters, which I then took pictures of and uploaded to photoshop. I edited the photo, brightened up the colour, resized the image and played with the layout before settling on the finished outcome.
I have really enjoyed this project and cannot wait to see what the future holds for my new business, which will constantly be changing, and requires updates almost daily. There has been and probably will be more issues and obstacles to overcome in the near future especially in the next 12-18 months. I am always researching and discovering new ways to promote or create new products for my business and site and I am positive I will make this a success.
Victoria Clegg 