Always Be Hustling

Class blog for "Entrepreneurial Product Development" at the University of Illinois at Chicago — Craighton Berman & Ted Burdett, Instructors

[always-be-hustling]

Shhh, this blog is sleeping

As you may have noticed, this blog was active from 2014-2017, orver the three years Craighton Berman taught this class at UIC. Craighton is currently taking a break from teaching, so while the class is continuing, this blog is going into slumber-mode. 

If this is your first time here, I encourage you to hit the links above to get a sense of the class. The syllabus is a good start, as are the links to each years’ Kickstarter campaigns. Finally, diving into the archives is a great way to get a taste of what the students were thinking about and the insights they gleaned from our guest designers.

If you have any questions*, feel free to reach out to Craighton here. 

*Also, this class was distilled into a zine, which you can scoop up here.

[always-be-hustling]

NRA Show

This is my first year attending the NRA show in Chicago ... that is the National Restaurant Association show, not the gun group.

https://show.restaurant.org/Home

And after one day, I think this might be my new favorite trade show. I didn’t expect it but NRA actually has a big variety of exhibitors.

You want to see some automation? Okay, here’s an automatic sushi making machine. Sure it isn’t the same kind of automation you get at IMTS, but that’s okay because it smells way better than burnt oil coming off of a cnc mill!

You wanna see furniture? Well apparently this is the trade show where furniture producers sell to restaurants (surprise?). So there are tons of examples of dining furniture. EMU takes the cake in my opinion. http://emuamericas.com/products/arm_chairs

For the most part the show content is all mixed around. You walk down the aisle and see pizza ovens, then frozen seafood, then a there are snacks! Walk a few more booths and then more snacks! Sharon and I covered the show in one day – an 8 mile walk – so snacks are pretty vital.

The best part? There are at least three gyros companies exhibiting and they all have big cooking operations. So not only can you get your fill of gyros, you can compare all of your chicago favorites to see who really makes the best cone of gyros in the windy city. My vote is split between Kronos and Olympia Foods in Franklin Park. So I’m going back tomorrow for a tie breaker.

[joel-levenson-blog]

Don Lehman - Starry

First off, let me say that I hope this company really takes off. We desperately need more/new options for internet service and Starry’s tech seems to be the real deal. When listening to Don speak about the design of products for the company, one thing really caught my attention. It was when he spoke about making Starry’s antennas a visually attractive addition to buildings. He first described some other companies antenna’s visual additions to buildings and landscapes and made me realize just how hideous they are. It is a feature of the cable/internet industry that I see everyday and do not even think about, but a great area of opportunity for some much needed aesthetic improvement. This is a great reminder for me that I look at potential design possibilities everyday without noticing and need to keep my eyes open!  Thanks Don!

[simplynabzdesign]

STARRY Ooh after this chat, I had so many questions to ask that I didn’t know where to start so I missed my chance unfortunately. An interesting topic brought up I felt was the place of a designer when one finds themselves working with a technologically driven project. We are in such a diverse practice, with much of design being inter-disciplinary. In turn, you find yourself comprehending the complexities of all subjects that engage with your craft from manufacturing, engineering, sciences and more. However, often you would still lack the depth acquired through a specialized background of study in just that field alone so instead you try to fill that void with experience and your designer skills of observation and research. You begin carving a new position for yourself, one where you are needed still, but different from where you might’ve started originally with that label of ‘designer’. Well that’s where I find myself during during certain projects and what I got from what was shared during our chat.  The concept of Starry reminded me of my Sky-Fi Project in terms of redesigning internet connection to be wire free. I hope it continues to be successful and look forward to seeing where it goes.

[andy-p-x-graham]

Don Lehman

Last week in EPD we had a discussion with the very accomplished designer Don Lehman. Don is currently working with a startup ISP called Starry and has some ten plus companies that he has worked with and/or for over the course of his career. One particular comment by Don stood out for me. His current position at Starry has allowed him to fulfill, what sounded like, a career goal. That is to work with a group that lets him do his “best work.” This should be on everyones check list when picking an employer. Unfortunately, this would seem to be one of those wait and see attributes of a gig. What could you look out for during and interview to know if your coworkers are going to be inspiring or draining? It’s almost easier to know what holds you back than what pushes you forward. For me fuzzy project briefs with open deadlines does not promote good work. For me worrying about punching a clock does not promote good work. For me not celebrating successes does not promote good work. Don’s comment has got me contemplating what helps me do my best work and I’m going to have to spend some time filling it out.

[arielllynne]

Talk with Chad - Big Idea Design

–> Once again listening to a successful designer talk about the route to success and happiness and hearing that you’ve just got to surround yourself with good people, work hard and take your own path. There really isn’t any sort of recipe to follow with getting to where you want to be in the design world. 

–> Interesting to see that Chad doesn’t mind the longer campaigns, the stress of that would probably kill me.

–> Chad and his partner seem to be really good at finding a unique need that everybody wants. Like the universal pen thingy.

–> Prefers eCommerce to retail, ‘cause retail is a pain in the ass

–> Manufacturing in China seems like the bees knees if you what you are doing and have a budget. Someday I’ll get there.

Thanks Chad!

[joel-levenson-blog]

CHAD PARKER- Big Idea Design

Co-founder of Big Idea Design, Chad Parker came into our class to share his own and his company’s history and experiences. Chad was full of great advice and knowledge about the entrepreneurial path. So much, in fact, I would probably have to write a small book on this photo’s caption to begin to cover it all, so I will only touch on a couple gems he gave us. First, Chad told us to look for things that work in other industries and try to implement them into what you are trying to accomplish. This is golden, and I have done this in the past without realizing it with positive results. I will try to pay attention from here on out. Next, Chad recommended not to try and do everything yourself in running a company/campaign. If you can’t do something, do not waste time with it, and have someone else do it. There is nothing I dislike more than grinding through something I feel I am not good at, which includes sometimes admitting I am not good at something. Awesome visit, tons of great info and he even brought swag! Thanks Chad!

[simplynabzdesign]

What’s the big idea? ‘Start small and local’ was Chad’s biggest piece of advice. Running Big-i-design he shared his whirlwind of a journey in entering the entrepreneur field.

His advice on expanding your company, team and capability was this - Consider your vision of where you are and how you want to define yourself. What’s your place or position within a bigger picture and the parameters you do or don’t want to operate out of. You need to decide when it makes sense for you to take the time to learn to do something versus when that task is better to outsource to someone else. You have to weigh money you can afford to spend bringing in an expert versus your own productivity time. “Let those good at what they do, well do it.” There is a team effort and it is important you pay attention to and cover all your bases, after all “you’re only as strong as your weakest vendor.”  Establishing and working to maintain strong relationships with all levels and participants is not only smart, but essential to your growth.

On a more personal note, it was pretty awesome of Chad to come to the class in person and even bring in some great giveaways. I am very appreciative of the one-on-one advice Chad took the time to give many of us on our own project inquiries. His personability shows through in his products and brand which are inviting, creative, cleverly useful and intuitively smart of both user and industry. DO MORE CARRY LESS

Photo source: https://www.instagram.com/bigidesign/ Learn More: https://bigidesign.com/

[andy-p-x-graham]

Chad Parker with Big Idea Design came to visit UIC and the EPD class last week. Chad’s take on product development and business management are really motivating for the small business entrepreneur who wants to stay in control. Big Idea Design’s choice to be the primary reseller of their products not only keeps more of the revenues in their pocket but also seems to remove a lot of the stress associated with using big retailers. With the internet making tools of the product development process available to more people it’s surprising that at the retail level the designers/developers are still beholden to the contracts of retail outlets. Of course BigIDesign wouldn’t have this luxury without their following. Their rapid and consistent kickstarter campaigns helped get the word out about their EDC designs. This is a great way for a small product designer to build up a following and keep control of that last step of the development process.

[loewamitai-blog]

Chad the Rad

Chadwick Parker of Big I Design swung through EPD the other week, and it was pretty darn great. 

His story was interesting; starting with a background in manufacturing and then a couple of failed projects. It was really kind of neat to see how Big I focused their product style through a sort of trial-and-error system on Kickstarter.

Couple of takeaways:

- Trying to convince people to buy your stuff sucks (I knew this already, but nice to hear someone successful tell me that)

- Don’t do it just for the money! Always ask yourself why you’re doing a particular product.

- Retailers: find ones that align with your product values but can also reach audiences you’d never find on your own since you’re starting small.

- The good old piece of advice - your old backers are your return customers and best customers. Do good by them and love them and they will reward you with dollars. 

Thanks for the nifty gadgets, btw.

[jasonvaccarello-blog]

Last week was a special week for me. We got a visit from Chadwick Parker of BigIdesign and he gave us an incredible amount of his time and was very transparent about his experiences launching products on Kickstarter. My fascination with the power of crowdsourcing/funding started with Quirky.com I thought their model was a genius way for independents to get their product to market, but then I found Kickstarter and Chadwick’s Versatile Pocket Bit was one of the first products that I saw. I was floored by the simplicity, the genius and the success. Chadwick shared his journey launching product on kickstarter and how they found their niche, letting their own interests come first.

[ve-r-es]

“tune into what your customer is interested in”

Lisa Smith, Chief Design officer of Areaware skype called us “today” heres some insights into retail/wholesale.

- Areaware is like a record label or a publisher 

- designers get royalties for their designs

- fulfilment vs wholesale

        fulmilment: more expensive, new model, pays for itself

        wholesale : varies , keeps mobility down

- can secure volume with manufacturing by asking for volume pricing.

A few tips designers may not want to hear:

- will make more money if they follow a format “that sells” (prescribed standards) 

- Know your market, buyers don’t care about the design story only about “best sellers”

Thank you so much for these insights Lisa! 

[austin-curry-blog]

Lisa Smith, Chief Design Officer of Areaware, give our class a great little overview of her business, how she makes decisions for the company, and the type of relationships Areaware builds with their designers.  Heres some of the info that stuck with me:

1. Lisa is in charge of overseeing product development, deciding who, what, and how products are made.

 - Before cutting any old products, be positive new products have a solid chance.

 - Its true people get sick of old products, but those old products have made you the company what it is today, be aware and respectful of that.

2.  How relationships are maintained - Royalty at 6% (thats pretty damn good)

 - Independent designers make up the majority of Areaware’s design team, with that, Lisa talked about wanting to trim down the number which she employed. Lisa is looking for a more “record Label” type feel with the company, a higher level of cohesion.  

I totally agree with that, cohesion is key.

[joel-levenson-blog]

LISA SMITH - Areaware

It was very nice of Lisa Smith, Chief Design Officer of Areaware, to give our class an inside view of the inner workings of her place of employment. This was my first personal experience with a company that has a royalty-based pay system for contracted designers. I knew the system existed,  I just never had the opportunity to hear how it works straight from the source. Since our talk with Lisa, I have gathered information that leads me to believe that  Areaware has one of the better royalty rates out there for their designers. Way to go Areaware! One last bit of info Lisa gave us that really stuck with me was that not so positive press might actually drive better sales of products. I am now of the mindset that any press for your designs can be potential good press, even if you might think it is negative at the time. Thanks Lisa!

[jasonvaccarello-blog]

We spoke to Lisa Smith, Chief Design Officer at Areaware. She shared some great insight on curating the right inventory, how social media can help retailers merchandise products to help sell that inventory, and a lot of tips on licensing designers. There was a lot of talk about this idea of old vs classic products that I found interesting. Classic is old but keeps the customers coming back, but the “old” is what drives customers away. I think analyzing these trends and collecting that data is an interesting part of entrepreneurial-ship that I hadn’t given much thought too.

[andy-p-x-graham]

Lisa Smith of Areaware gave the EPD class a fantastic view into the workings of marketing and selling designed objects. There are all sorts of strategies that go into selling unique objects that I did not know but really didn’t surprise me: buyers like to know what are the best selling items, older established products drive revenue, or putting your distributor in Indiana/Ohio keeps costs down. What I didn’t expect is the amount of curation required to keep a company like Areaware a cohesive brand and how their stable of designers makes it easier for retailers to merchandise products in-store. Of course my favorite stores always have a style and/or theme to them that comes from a curation of the products available. Which is probably one of the reasons I can’t stand big box stores.

[simplynabzdesign]

In a big world with lots to see, Much still escapes our SIGHT, With so many people and design, Much still remains UNSEEN. So on the invisible they shine light, Through this online magazine, They bring unique design to the public eye. It’s not about the sell, But capturing good stories to tell. The process that is holistic, Holds depth far more fantastic. From the commercial giants to small, Opportunities can connect them all. In design and visual arts they showcase, what’s new and next, but with a special focus, On independent makers beyond disciplinary tradition. To see new talent in creative pursuits they are the destination, With exhibitions, pop-up shops and events full of inspiration. Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer welcome readers to a world of design, art, fashion, food, photography and creativity that might’ve remained a SIGHT UNSEEN.

With great advice on photography clicks, To short introductions and proper image links (send with low res, link to high res) Monica stressed the importance of design fundamentals, From color, desirability, quality, solution, brand fit, justification and essentials Great advice on improving press release potential, For everything shared and learned through this encounter I am grateful.

[always-be-hustling]

The poems return!