Identifying customer markets, Materials and Techniques,
Design brief and freelancing and working to commissions time management and difficult clients
A target market is a specific group of customers I would
sell my work to. I would be aiming to look at the higher end market. To find
out who would be my target market I would look at age/sex/style etc.
The sort of techniques I would look at is embroidery digital
print or screen printing I would look at the profit I would make and how much
the material would cost me. I would have to check out the market I would sell
to this would influence how I would cost my product and how many I would make. If
I was been commissioned I would have to look again at costing and look at
discussing this with the client. It is very important to look at the budgeting.
I would look at where can be cheapest to have my work produced, that maybe
different parts of the world.
When working with clients it’s very important to look at
ideas together, it’s important to say if changes are made this will cost them, I
would need to make sure everyone is happy, I would look at the aims and
objectives, where does the client see the work going, how much time is there to
complete the project, time management is very important.
Freelancing I could do this independently would I be on a
daily or hourly rate, how much I would I charge, I could research different
designers and find out how much other people are charging taking into account I
am a new designer and my name isn’t out there. The problem with freelancing is
I would have to fund all travel costs, it takes a lot of time, it is important
to be confident about my work it freelancing alone I would get a 100% of the
money. But I would have to chase people up for payments. Independently I could
build up good relationships.
I could use an agent but the agent would take a cut, An agent
would do the traveling and selling then I could spend all of my time designing there
also isn’t a cost form travel and trade shows with an agent but all of the
feedback would be second hand, the agent can take a cut of 40/50% of my work it
would be good to negotiate a price. It can be hard to find an appropriate
agent. Some agents visit trade shows trust would be very important and communication
would have to be exceptional.
How would my client find me I would have to look at
advertising, where I display my work, this can be important for getting
noticed. I would talk to the client so a good relationship can be established. Every
commission should have a brief and a budget which includes a deadline, how will
the work be presented always remember a budge, I could create a plan and tick
things of as I go, contact the client of there is a problem, keeping on top of
time management is very important.
Getting paid I would need to think do I need any payment
upfront will this depend on the project and if I have any money to run with it,
I would need to sort out payment times upfront how long can I wait, if I was at
the end of the payment date and I haven’t been paid I could send a polite email
to remind them. It can help by getting everything in writing, keep a track of
email could help in this stage. Have face to face contact often could be
through Skype meetings, I would need to listen to the client their maybe fussy I
need to remember there are the client.
