Product - First of all my product is me as a graphic designer/ illustrator. The product will also be what I produce, whether it be illustrations which could be contextualised within a child's book or promotional materials for a company such as a website or advertisements. As I have many skills in different areas within my field the products that I create will be diverse. Depending on clients budgets and the briefs that are set, will also effect the product produced. Design companies such as Seymour Powell take a diverse approach to the range of products that they produce, whether it be reinventing the horse saddle or inventing Felix the cat. They create a variety of products that target different markets and their briefs have been set by a wide range of companies. Responding to consumer needs is important when producing products and will effect the success of them.
Screen grabs Taken from Seymour Powell's website
Many of the products that I produce will be tangible such as an illustration or a postcard. However the products may be augmented if I were to frame them or print an illustrated t-shirt. I could describe myself of the products that I produce in different ways in order to generate interest. This could be including features in my work such as marking my illustrations with "limited addition" or writing 1/10 on prints. This will show the customer that what they are purchasing is one of only a few that have been made. I often screen print posters that are hand printed. I could use the word handmade on my product to show the consumer that it is original and not mass produced.
Place – Being a designer, my product may be distributed in a variety of places depending on the product. For example illustations for a sale in Selferidges may be used on promotional materials such as posters or could be used for an in-store shop front. However a brand identity for Whittard's Tea may be seen on their website and on the bag and products within the store. Marketing channels of the product will be important to get my product to the the consumer. For example if I produce an illustration for The Guardian newspaper the illustration would need to be transported to where it is inserted in the newspaper, then the paper would be printed via a rotary printing press and the paper would then be packaged and sold. Finally the paper would be bought and read by the consumer in their home or on the train etc. Using a retailer would offer me a fixed location, such as a department store or a boutique to sell my product, this would offer me a good location in prime spot where my product can be seen. It would also enable my work to be sold in a concentration of similar businesses such as other illustrators whether is be book, or t-shirt based etc. However competition within a department store may hinder the sale of my products unlessI have a good USP. The benefits to my consumers would be the convenience of my product to be situated in an easily accessible location and I would reach a broader market. As i am still in university the best places to sell my product will be via an online store on my website which I hope to set up in the new year, or at craft fares as they are cheap to get involved with.
Price – The average sallary for a graphic designer is £25,000 according to http://www.salarytrack.co.uk/.
However price will depend on lots of factors and my income will depend on where I work or what I charge.
The price will also be the amount a customer is willing to pay for a particular product. The price will be determined by a number of factors including competition of what other designers charge per hour or per brief. The cost of producing design work will be a huge factor when I decide what to charge a client. For example I have to take into consideration time costs, stock and ink cost, the scale of the publication and how many of what I design will be produced and what production method will be used, may it be digital printing or screen printing and how many colours are used etc.
Expenses and overheads will need to be considered in order to calculate a successful price that will be fair and consistent to consumers, but will also give me a good profit return.
Pricing strategies such as competitive pricing so pricing my design just lower that competitors could attract business to me initiallyas I get started up in the field, I may also price the same as other Designers however offer more i.e give myself a USP such as if I create an illustration/ etching that I sell I may offer to frame it this may help to build good customer relationships. When pricing what I want to charge I need to be aware of cost plus pricing as I need to have by labour and time covered at least. My hourly rate would work out as the time I have taken on a particulat design plus my overheads such as rent for a studio or lighting, heating etc. If I was to undertake a one of brief for a client, I would look to charge the cost of my time and expenses. I need to ensure that my pricing id fair and consistent and represents value for money. When discussing pricing with a client I would leave room for negotiatio and still enure I allow myself room for growth in the field.
Promotion - As I am now in my second year self promotion is key. I already have a blog that has been up and running for 2 years and it is an easy way to show potential clients and employers what design you create and how you think. in our second module, design for print, I hope to set up a website which I feel will establish myself fully within the world of design. Business cards are affordable and an instant way of promoting one self . Usual business cards are a7 landscape, however changing the format and using innovative stock and type may generate myself a USP. Also general networking on websites such as Facebook is useful as a young designer. Flyer's in general I feel are a waste of time any money and often get discarded so I would tend not to use this to promote myself. I am hopefully going to be involved in an exhibition in April with a few others from my course, it is early days, however this would be an excellent promotional tool and a priceless way to get myself on the may. Discounts of my work may temporarily boost sales, howveer it is expensive and maybe irrelevant to my field of design. When I do get established, I could use direct marketing and offer customers invitiations to an exhibition for example, this would create a personal touch and help build a good reputaion howver it is potentionally expensive and a high cost per consumer.