Interested in my own design - how possible is this?? Honest productive opinions, plz!

[artistic76]

Hello,

I would like to get your honest and productive opinions on this idea. I am interested in creating my own stationary design, everything from greeting cards to stickers, journals, note cards, and this sort of thing.

I have a 01 bus. mgmnt degree and just recently, I have written & illustrated a children's book that I've just sent out for publishing review. I have also submitted a few ideas for greeting cards to this retail chain.

Unfortunately I do not have any degree in art, however, with so many books in bookstores I've managed to build my own home library with so many art books and graphic design books that I can say that I know the basics on this subject. Plus, a lot of this is firmly based on creativity and self expression.

I would like your opinions as to how I may begin to look to the right direction as to how i may begin developing my own line.

[Andreya]

Having an art degree is probably not all that important..

More important is, have you done market research? How different/or similar would you be to other similar lines? What would be your main difference & appeal?

Do you want to sell your own line to a company (I wrote a bit in your other thread) or start a company selling your stuff? (in that case, it comes to start-up money, doing all the 'biz'-related stuff, finding suppliers, printers etc)
W&A Yearbook says many artists/photographers get tempted to start their own biz, it's not easy though.. How much marketing etc are you willing to do or delegate/pay for?

I found some people online doing it, & they seemed interesting & had unique ideas..
For example:http://www.cartolinacards.com/ specializes in eco cards with retro-inspired design

So, maybe clarify a bit what you had in mind..? :)

[Folofop]

Hello,

I would like to get your honest and productive opinions on this idea. I am interested in creating my own stationary design, everything from greeting cards to stickers, journals, note cards, and this sort of thing.

I have a 01 bus. mgmnt degree and just recently, I have written & illustrated a children's book that I've just sent out for publishing review. I have also submitted a few ideas for greeting cards to this retail chain.


To be honest, there isn't going to be much money in illustrating/designing stationary for another company to buy and sell on.

Depending on what contracts you have for copyright ownership it will make you little money, in the long and short term. i.e will you grant full ownership of the designs or partial?

My advice, keep illustrating children books, great money that is. As for stationary you could still design your own, get them printed and/or made and use them for promotional items for your illustrating career. Or even do as you intend but keep it as a little side earner.

[artistic76]

Thank you both for your honest opinions.
I really wanted to do this right after college - unfortunately, I did not have the capital and I had little faith in myself as a designer, just because, I guess, I didn't believe that I could do it!

Looking back to my years in high school, I remember that I was always complemented on my clothing style with respect to my color coordination. I never thought to even consider taking this seriously in college, meaning design. But nowadays, I cannot help pass the stationary section at bookstores and such, without thinking "i can do this better!" Just yesterday, I saw a "handmade journal, maybe 40 pages in all, relatively thin, selling at $30!!! That is crazy! It said that this is a one-of-a-kind handmade, and stated the price. Wondering now, will it sell? I wasn't too thrilled of the look myself.

You are right - I have not done any mkt research - truth is, I don't know how! I'm just going by what I see in stores. What I am aiming, if I can call it this, is to develop a line with the use of my color coordinations, moreso, and my creative design. I would like to start by creating my own line of journals. I've looked online and found great sites with affordable paper, great stationary paper, in various colors that I can coordinate. In addition to this, I have a few artistic designs for cards. Aside from the ones I have submitted, if they do not get accepted, maybe I can work on them a bit me and start selling myself.
I just need a direction of where and how to get my foot in the door...if there is a door out there anymore.

[Susie]

Although I don't have advice for you (wish I did), :welcome: to the GC forum. It's great here.

[Starhorsepax]

You could put your stuff on Zazzle or Cafepress and sell it. There is also greeting card universe, which just does cards. At worst, no one buys. At best you sell. You have an edge on me over there as I don't have marketing and I think that's part of my sales problem. Of course the other part is photo's over illustration has been the in thing for years. I know I've seen stuff (mine is mostly horses) that is not as good as mine selling in stores. But one needs skill and money to promote it. (Both of which I'm lacking!) Then again you never know. Someone invented this silly fang faced square thing called Domo over in Asia. Looks like a kid's drawing. Last I saw it was selling on cups in 7-11. Wouldn't you love to have that marketer? That person could probably sell sand in the desert!

[southernwriter]

I wish SOMEONE would create a new card company! I buy a lot of cards and I'm always wishing for something different out there. In the 70's, I found the best cards in a head shop. In the 80's there was a company called Paper Moon that had awesome ones, but I don't know whatever happened to them. In the 90's I had to make do with what I could find. A new brand popped up in the 00's, but I am packing to move, and those I saved are packed, so I'll have to get back to you about their name. I like cards that are irreverent and edgy--no dogs, cats, adorable kissing kids in adult clothing, elderly people in ridiculous clothing, or gimmicky stuff like holes that appear to reveal something naughty (that's not), a reflective surface that's supposed to suffice as a mirror, sexy guys with six packs or sexy women in bikinis to wish me a happy birthday--they're all so cliche and b-o-r-i-n-g. Off the top of my head, how about a card with a graphic of a gangsta sitting in his hip hop limo that on the inside says, "If I wanted to hear your speakers, I'd be sitting in your car,"? Or a graphic of a strutting rooster that inside says, "My cock gets up at dawn,"? Or a sexy (not lurid) graphic of someone tied up in shibari knots that says, "The 27th way to leave your lover," or two women facing away from each other that says, "Don't worry. I've got your back." Give me cards for occasions that other companies don't cover, like the loss of a pet, job, or "The One" that got away. I need a "housewarming" card, a new job card, a "sorry your boss bites" card. A meet me in the back seat at 9 o'clock card.

[jollyjeff]

I used to submit to Paper Moon. Never sold them anything but I was told I came close. They sent me a batch of pictures to caption which I did but they didn't buy any. Maybe that's why they went out of business:)

Jeff

[peg]

Southernwriter, try:
http://www.smartalexinc.com/
http://www.nobleworkscards.com/
http://www.baldguygreetings.com/servlet/Page?template=defindex
http://www.carascissoria.com/
http://www.coffeyparkgreetings.com/
http://www.maggiesquill.com/
http://www.queenofcards.com/pages/audience.htm
http://www.raingardenpress.com/
http://www.ella-studio.com/shop.htm

Artistic, ...guess you lost interest.

[southernwriter]

That must be exactly why, JJ.

And thanks for the links, Peg. Some of those are just my type. Since you mentioned wedding and save-the-date-cards, I thought I would tell you about Lindsay & Cory. I happened to find their card on the ground, and it led me to their website, which is so cool. They probably designed it themselves, but for someone who knows how, it seems to me it could be a lucrative business.

This was the Save-the-Date card:

http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k503/lesiavalentine/headsuprepaired.jpg

And this is their website (Rolling Stone marries Maxim).

http://coryandlindsaygetmarried.com/indx.cfm

[peg]

TOO FUNNY! :evil

[jollyjeff]

Love it:) Jeff