Breaking Technology

The Designer’s Perspective
by Matt Nuccio

Toys and Family Entertainment, Feb 09

At the current moment I am sitting in a travelers lounge inside the Hong Kong International Airport after the second leg of a three-legged journey heading to Singapore. I’m passing my time trying to keep myself amused. In the last few days I have flown five plus hours from New York to Los Angles and just completed a fifteen hour flight from Los Angles to Hong Kong. I’m now waiting to embark on a five hour, third leg of my trip to my final destination, Singapore. All in all I’m tired, cranky and bored to death. I finished reading the book I brought along hours ago and I’m already completely sick of rereading the same two magazines. I just fruitlessly attempted to sketch the passers by. I figure I’m just burnt out from jet lag. Now the question has become, “what to do during my four hour layover?” It seems like an eternity to waste before my next flight. And if I’m going to stay awake I’m going to need some mental stimulation.

I’m heading down to Singapore on a three day trip to meet with new technology partners. I’m hoping to bring back something new and exciting to the toy industry, so the simple idea of technology is on my mind. And so, with time to kill and an expansive airport to explore, I set off on my search for interesting products.

For those of you who have never been, the Hong Kong International Airport is essentially a massive mall with a comparatively small tarmac and some planes. One can easily get lost for days on end there.  This ridiculously large mall of an airport is honey combed with trendy clothing shops, makeup counters, coffee bars, restaurants, gift shops, toy shops, bakeries, high-end electronic stores and much more. Being just too large of a Caucasian to fit into any of the clothes on this side of the world I find myself wandering towards the electronics and toy shops. I’m looking mostly for neat gadgets and gizmos. I pass the time flipping through odd and quirky products that light up, flip around, spin and make countless noises. In general I’m surprised by the overall simplicity of the products here. I find very little in regards to the high-end technologies I expect to see in Asia. The consumer electronic stores are just filled with iPod accessories, cell phones and cameras. There is nothing new, nothing odd, nothing I can’t find in the states.

Directing my focus to the toys and gift shops I start to take notice that most of the innovation I’m spotting is actually very low tech, non-electronic type items. Simple twists on classic stuff. I start to wonder is there any innovation here? And then I ask myself a more important question: what constitutes innovation? The trend these days seems to be scouting for the latest hand held digital devices. I see it on every toy company’s inventor wish list: “innovative electronics”. But innovation is not only on a motherboard. It can be a simply engineered device, a change of color, or even a new texture. It doesn’t necessarily have to always mean digital or electronic goods. Basically, anything is innovative as long as it’s clever.

Having time to kill and being too cheap to buy anything, I find myself a spot to soak up some free wifi. I sign onto google and start searching through key words like technology, innovation and invention. I am looking for a connection and some clarity by definition. I’m having trouble clearly defining the words in my profession circumstance. The definitions I find seem to overlap each other. The word change seems to keep appearing. I continue to search and after about thirty minutes I stumble across an ancient Chinese proverb (probably because I’m googling in China) that states, to paraphrase, “change is like an open field of grass. A new trail is only created after many people have walked along the exact same path”. And then I think to myself, that’s it... innovation is the ability to lead the forces of change. Technology, thoughts, inventions can all be innovative. It’s whether or not it’s embraced that leads to change.

And so, for the moment, I feel comfortable with my conclusion. I feel a sense of definition to my task ahead. I realize that I’m not necessarily looking for technology for technology’s sake. I’m looking for an innovative way to provoke change. I’m now able to pack up and set off to Singapore with a clearer purpose. My search for change has begun.

Product Design

The Designer’s Perspective
by Matt Nuccio

Royaltie$, June 08

I constantly ask myself how a well-designed product is defined. What makes a smart design? What makes it edgy? Is it something that just hits you right away? Is it something that is right in your face and assaulting you non-stop? My gut feeling is to say, "Yeah!" But then I draw a parallel to own my interests, such as music, and I notice that I couldn’t stand most of the artists I like now when I first heard them. Most of my favorite musicians have never had a top ten hit, nor have they ever won a Grammy. Yet they go on for years, selling millions of albums and selling out venues all over the world. When I think of the song that caught on right away and won a Grammy I recall a plethora of one hit wonders. "Ice Ice Baby," anyone? Product design is very much the same way. It can be a trend or a staple. When analyzing this I start to realize that I need to ask my clients right off the bat, "Is this bubble gum pop or classic rock?"

Hit products come and go, but strong, sensible design lingers for years. When approaching a new design I’m very conscious of adding value to a client's product. It’s one thing to have amazing function, but it’s double the punch to have it look great. An elegant or smart design can help raise the perceived value of your product, helping to give it that needed push against its competition. If the retail shelf is stacked with a hundred clone products, you may want to push the envelope a bit.

Don’t be afraid to look different — it may help you stand out. Like the garment business, designers have a strong influence on trends, and a well-designed product can dictate a sense of fashion. Remember the iMac? It seemed like the world was inundated with transparent colors for years after its introduction. A friend of mine even had an iMac orange toilet seat. It doesn’t get any more elegant than that.

Looks aren’t everything. Not only is that the story you’ve heard from your friends over many a blind date, it is also the truth behind product design. Eliminating manufacturing overhead is extremely important when designing or redesigning a product. If it looks great, but adds considerably to the cost, it may be over designed. A smart design should try and keep in mind the manner in which an item will be manufactured while maintaining integrity and safety. Even if it looks amazing you might want to reconsider rotocasting a slide-in tray when a vacuum form would do the same job for a fraction of the cost. If necessary, try working backwards. Start off with a price point and tweak the product until you hit it. If this is the case it may be wise to consider limiting the amount of molds, material and assemble actions required to produce. The old "less is more" theory holds especially true here. A difficult production process can cause delays and raise costs. If you create a design that requires a factory to outsource for labor and/or material, you need to anticipate headaches, considering that factory capabilities are a big must in product design. If you know you are going to be using a specific factory, you may want to inquire about its capabilities. What process does it use? What might it need to outsource? Whether your product is plastic or wood you should inquire about material availability. Some materials are commodities and are subject to market value. If necessary, be sure to indicate exactly what you have in mind, but be open to the factory's suggestions. Many times factories have simple solutions that you may have overlooked. Make sure to keep the communication open and always insist on seeing samples before production has begun. Many issues can be corrected simply by reviewing a sample beforehand.

Looks may not be everything, but they're very important to the consumer. A smart design can be very refreshing, but be careful not to reinvent the wheel. It is good marketing to leave some semblance to a product category. You may not want to blur the lines too much between markets. Buyers can get lost when this happens — they may love the concept, but they become unsure about which department the item belongs in, leaving your product in retail purgatory or even worse, the wrong retail aisle all together. Be sure to visually announce what your product does. Simple features are the easiest to convey in packaging or on the sample floor. You can’t always rely on TV or in-store demos, so make sure it speaks for itself.

Whether you like classic rock or bubble gum pop, you must make sure your design is sensible. Adding value to a client's product and eliminating unnecessary manufacturing overhead is important, as is product integrity and safety. Now let's get out there and help change the retail world one well thought out product design at a time.

The Whole Package

The Designer’s Perspective
by Matt Nuccio

Toys and Family Entertainment, Feb 08

It is amazing how many times a new client will approach me with a beautifully designed box that they paid a bundle for, and want it redesigned. They’ll walk up to me and show me an elegant, sophisticated layout that is astonishing to look at. I’ll scratch my head and think, “This is amazing.” I don’t feel right changing it up. Usually I’ll inquire, “What’s the deal?” Why are you looking to redesign this? The most common answer, Wal-mart won’t touch it.

This is where my job really begins. Why would Wal-mart, or any of the big boys, neg a smart and bold layout? Why? For exactly that reason. The package is too sophisticated. They are selling to the common market, and want consumers to look and say, “wow.” They understand that a layout can pigeonhole a product into a much tighter demographic simply by being overdesigned. An understanding of the marketplace is the most powerful tool a designer can utilize. Before even hitting the ground, I really try to analyze the marketplace. I’ll go shopping and surf the internet. I try to become aware of what the retail environment currently looks like. After all, whatever I design is going to have to sit on the shelf next to its competition. It’s my job to make sure that the consumer knows what they are looking at before they read a lick of type. Behold the power of the package!
There are many factors that go into designing for the marketplace, but there are no rules, only principles. Since a package is generally made up of numerous elements, a stale design can be refreshed simply by analyzing color, fonts, construction, photos, illustration or element positioning. What can generate greater appeal for your product? On a shelf where everyone is blue you may want to be red. The trick is making sure the correlation between market and package is there. There is a reason Barbie’s not in a black box. There is a reason you can’t always read half of the logos on the Hip Hop stuff out there. There is even a reason why most action figures come on blister cards and not in polybags with headers. There are reasons for everything. But not all of them are good. It’s the designer’s job to review and figure out what to differentiate and what to keep in line with the rest of the market. Ask, look and observe constantly and the designs that you create will stand out. Say nothing, ask nothing and do what you want and you’ll be out of business. Think, why wouldn’t you put Barbie in an all black package?
Color can make or break a package. I see it all the time. Sometimes a color change can double your sales numbers. Color can be trendy and color can be conservative. Use color to aim at your demographic. Fashion is a great place to see what is trending. At least this is the excuse my wife uses to get me to go shopping with her. Color should not be overlooked. All too often a client will request a color change, simply because their grandson’s favorite color is orange. That’s fine and great if it’s orange juice, but not the most logical choice for lemonade. Color can just as easily confuse as it can attract. Color is an important factor in production as well. Not every color can be hit on press in a basic four-color printing. For instance, orange can look brownish, losing that punch the designer probably intended. If you really want that in your face bright orange, go the extra expense on the fifth color press. It will be worth it.

When designing a package I like to believe you need to think out of the box, in the box, and back out of the box. Structure is a key ingredient to the packaging. Unlike color, changing package styles to differentiate oneself may be the kiss of death. If your product is planogramed to be sorted on peg hooks, why would you want to design a box? The shape and style of your package enables a buyer to place it into a planogram. Design it right and you won’t have to resize it for every vendor. It may sound logical to make a large package that billboards in the aisle, but if the stock boy can only put two out at a time you may want to see what everyone else is doing. If they are getting six on a shelf you should be looking to get the same. On the other hand, shrinking a package to gain more self space may be more of a horror show. If the competition is out at the same price with a larger box they’ll win via perceived value. Try and keep your packages in or around the same size as the rest and you’ll be fine.

Designing a T.I.A. Committee

The Designer’s Perspective
by Matt Nuccio

Toys and Family Entertainment, Oct 07

Early one morning a few months back, before the studio officially opened, I was sitting at my desk performing my daily ritual of drinking coffee and thumping through the industry’s rags when I received a call from a long-time business associate. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary since he, like myself, is a morning person. (Probably due in part from years of bouncing back and forth to and from Hong Kong). We chatted for a while about the usual industry jargon, whose sales are through the roof, who’s going out of business, who’s acquired who, and so on and so forth. The conversation eventually made its way to the product we had on the development board for his company. We discussed some slight changes of color and touched on a few technical questions about molding.

Our conversation went on lightly for a long while. It was, for the most part, a standard Design Edge call. I believe we were drawing to a close when he said, “Matt, how would you like to represent the independent toy and graphic designers on our new Associate Council of the Toy Industry Association (T.I.A.)?” At first thought my mind ran to images of myself competing in some sort of toy industry version of the Battle of the Network Stars. I envisioned myself scooting across a log over a pool of pudding trying to receive the flag as I ran neck to neck with the team captain of the “Sales Department”. Then my Walter Mitty moment faded and I realized that was not what he was talking about (although I am up for that challenge any day the week). He then went on to inform me that the T.I.A. was putting together an associate panel and that I was nominated by the committee to voice the needs of the collective toy designers of our industry. To be honest, up until that moment I had never even given the T.I.A. any real thought. As a T.I.A. associate member I was, to my own fault, only aware of a couple fringe benefits such as “Toy of The Year” voting rights and a reduced admission into tradeshows.
“What does the job entail?” I asked.

“You’ll need to attend a few meetings and vote on issues, raise issues and help create an awareness,” he told me.
So I listened to everything he had to tell me and told him I would think about it. Up until this point I had very little political experience. My resume consisted only of a Classroom Representative stint back when I was a forth grader at the Lakeside Elementary School. That was eons ago, and my job was to meet with the other fourth grade Classroom Representative and vote on major issues such as how to decorate the lobby bulletin board for Thanksgiving. I wish I could tell you I was instrumental in decorating that bulletin board, but the truth is I spent most of the time staring out the window and drawing pictures of the General Lee from Dukes of Hazard.

So you can imagine my hesitancy upon accepting the position on the T.I.A. panel. My previous and only political experience did not seem to gel with me. The only thing I was able to drum up from the student body was a few kudos on my General Lee sketches. Unfortunately this time around the Dukes of Hazard is a failed movie license. If anything, I would need to focus my efforts on sketching Jessica Simpson rather than General Lee if I wanted any attention.
Before I could commit to any T.I.A. responsibilities, I needed to broaden my understanding of what the T.I.A. was all about. I began to fiddle on their website and realized there is a bit more to the organization, such as health care, product liability insurances, lobbying and of course, (my favorite) cocktail rights. I felt that this time around in a political position, I might be able to actually participate and help achieve at least a little change. So I called up the guy who offered me the position and told him that I’m in. A few weeks later I found myself sitting at a round table of sorts discussing a myriad of agendas from all walks of the associate members (rep groups, licensing, inventors and, of course, designers). Everyone had something to add. But to me it seemed that the biggest issues were simply finding the issues. That’s when it hit me. This column is a great opportunity to get feedback from individuals in the toy industry and learn what the associate members of the industry truly needs.

What can the T.I.A do to better assist its associate members? Do you feel that the T.I.A. is properly representing the industry’s interest? I’d like to know. Please email me at info@designedge.net, subject title “I Love My Cocktail Rights”.

Less Is More

The Designer’s Perspective
by Matt Nuccio

I grew up in this business and I remember a time when the showrooms of the New York Toy-fair were events of their own. Each product had a section and each section was insane with detail. Beautiful models recited scripted sales pitches and salesmen dressed in fine suits and nailed down orders on the spot. Only ten years ago I was helping to fill the 200 Fifth Avenue building with custom F-14 fighter jets that crashed through walls at actual scale. We built barns with assorted animals and large forests with fairies and elves, all of which were painfully constructed with love from foamcore. Back then I thought it was unreal how companies seemed to just throw fortunes into their showrooms. Sadly now, I miss those crazy days—the glory days of toy-fair. And so now we live in the new era of the less is more sells approach.

It’s a reality now that buyers simply don't have the time for a two-hour sales pitch extravaganza. They need to get in and get out quickly, so therefore manufactures are forced to make impacts fast and smooth. How does one make sure they've delivered that much needed impact into the memory of the buyer? The answer is not nine-foot Battleships of foamcore. Nope, its not. Buyers don't write orders at shows anymore; they write them a few weeks later at their desk once the dramatic showmanship of toy-fair is merely a faded memory. You need to visually take a chance with sales materials. If you want to sell a product you'll need to work intelligently. I know, I know... that’s a generic answer, but working smart is figuring out what "smart" means. How can your company appear smart? To arrive at an answer I would first define the product or company by highlighting its personality visually. Define if it’s slick, cool, funny, crass, or even boring. Use that image to create the mystique. When a buyer looks for the next successful item they are essentially looking for that spot of personality that translates into retail sales. This personality comes from the way a product is organized visually. It’s a combination of packaging, signage, and sale material. After the salesperson has done their job, it is up to the sales materials to give that extra push.

Today’s less is more approach to tradeshows allows the smaller guys a chance to visually play in the same league as the big boys. While once you couldn't compete with large budgets for display work, you can now focus on the essentials on common ground. Creative sell sheets, order forms, catalogs, signage, and lighting are your tickets to equality. Great prototypes and a slamming package are just as important as your sales material. Just think of it as the entire visual. Create a complete presentation with all the information a buyer needs. When creating a sell sheet or catalog make sure it is has the cube, weight, item numbers, ages, and anything else you feel is necessary to make their job easier. From there it’s all about the visual punch. Buyers are inundated during trade shows and really don't have the time to sit and read through never-ending paragraphs of sales jargon. If the story can be told in one illustration and a simple line of copy, the chances that they'll remember the item increase.

You should put your best foot forward with quality prints and not cheap out with ink jet prints and Kinko’s color copies. Four-color prints on a nice paper stock will give the appearance of a commitment to your line. The cost is not as extravagant as some may think, and if you need to save, then buy in bulk. You may think your saving by ordering 100 sell sheets at a time, but the reality is that the cost decreases when you buy larger quantities. If you are on a tight budget, then try having the printer gang up two sell sheets onto a sheet of eleven by seventeen inch paper and then cut them in half yourself. For a couple of bucks you can pick up a paper cutter and run through the job in no time. There is a myriad of ways to cut costs. Ask your designer to help figure out what way works best for you. Larger budgets don't necessarily create better designs. If you work with your designers and give them the info they need, then they'll be able to give you what you’ve been looking for. It doesn't take much either. Just tell them what the product does, who it’s for, and supply any other info you feel the buyer should know.

And so, yesteryear is gone and upon us is the age of slot wall, trade-booths, and sell sheets. Sales materials are now more important then ever before. With a little ingenuity, the up start in the back corner booth can leave just as lasting of an impression as a mammoth corporation upfront and center of the tradeshow. Don't be afraid to take visual risks. Buyers are always looking for the next thing. If you stand out visually you have a much better chance of them believing in your item.

So remember, less is more. You don’t need flashy overbuilt displays or prototypes made of gold. Spend your money where it counts—on you sales materials.

Inventing For A License

The Designer’s Perspective
by Matt Nuccio

Over here at Design Edge/ BuyProduct we’ve invented, patented and licensed tons of items over our twenty year of existence in the design industry. We’ve touched on just about every avenue of juvenile products. We have created games, plush, furniture, room décor, garment, action figures, dolls, sporting goods, vehicles, pool items and so on and so on. It seems that no matter how energetic, obvious and/or strong an item is there has always been open constant that helps to drive sales in almost ever categories imaginable, and that is licenses.

In the present market place licenses adorn just about everything, but only as recently ten years ago, most of our cliental was hesitant and very wary about which, if any license they would even consider thinking about. Today things are far far different. We all live and work in a license driven world that seems to be ever strengthening and expanding. No longer is it a decision of whether or to put a license on an item, it is now almost completely a the call of which license to choose. It would seem that if a product at retail is going to have just about any legs at all it needs to be license friendly. Good or bad, licenses have stretched beyond simple slapped on labels to become possible brands and categories of there very own, if they are not already. Many large and small manufacturing companies have now anchored their foundations in six sometimes seven figure deals. They are banking on these risky deals in hopes of sizeable box office receipts, nelson ratings and publishing translating to retail sales. One thing is certain, no matter how proven, tried or true a license is, it is simply nothing with out the right quality product to back it up.

I used to hear time and time again that “product is king”. Today product has a queen called marketing. An item is ultimately the driving force that brings the consumers in, but the license is what may call attention to it. No matter how strong or recognizable a character or logo is it is not just the license alone that brings an item to the register, it is the products function that creates a buzz. In our industry an item absolutely needs to look great, entertain and be flat out fun. A product, no matter how hyped the license is, needs to have legs of its own in order to truly hit the ground running with or with out a good license. The two halves simply compliment each other. True some licenses have natural extensions simply by virtue. But be wary since sometimes they are too obvious. For example just how many Spiderman 3 web shooters can the retail world absorb. Personal, through Design Edge alone I’ve seen water, foam and dart webshooters, at every price point. I can only imagine what I haven’t seen. Regardless manufactures push forward knowingly with hopes that retail will narrow them down to only one or two. Then its time allow the consumer to vote with there wallets.

So how in a world of licensed goods can one stand out. As an inventor I’m not to keen on companies simply slapping logos on packages and products. Licensors aren’t fans either. The idea is to enhance the brand and product not pimp it. Companies need to stay really different and creative in order to truly capitalize on a great licensing to consumer push. True more and more manufactures are getting wise to the game. Some come to us right out the gate looking for simple twists to expand upon there already proven products, while others are looking for patentable mechanisms to expand there categories breath.

Lining up the right license with the proper product concept can be done in a variety of ways. There are really no specific formulas, positions or even rules per say. You just needs to make absolute sure that the license and product make absolute sense together. They really need to honestly compliant each like any good couple. A strong product with a bad license can sink really fast at retail. In the end it kills any future for the product to live on, no matter how good of any idea it was. It can just as easily effect a licensing program by just collecting dust on a shelf therefore lending to inventor returns and discounts at great a lose.

Generally when assisting a company with their licensing or retail pitch we review all the categories the company holds in their contract and try to cater to there specific manufacturing strengths. We push strengths.

Licensing and product are here to stay. Long gone are the days of new brands built around single products without a license adorning the package. Good, bad or indifferent this relationship with persist, as one cannot survive with out the other.

A Digital Camera World

The Designer’s Perspective
by Matt Nuccio

Some of you may remember typesetters. For those of you who may not recall, these were the men and women who, as recently as ten years ago, would literally and painstakingly set down type for the printing presses. In the not so distant past, if you needed a line copy laid out for a magazine, a package or just about anything, your designer needed to call these experts up to do the job. Over the course of history, typesetting has evolved from calligraphy to wooden cut blocks to cast leadd to photographic films. So important was the art of type setting that when Johann Gutenberg invented moveable type in 1450 he revolutionized the world by making the printed page available for the common man. In the centuries to follow typesetting had become a big industry. And then, almost over night, it was silenced. Centuries of learned craft had become the causality of modern technology. And thus the age of desktop publishing.

With the advent of specialized software to generate typeset-quality text known as desktop publishing, typesetting has become completely intergraded into everyone’s art department. Nowadays CEOs, Assistants and interns can all hammer out copy that can be ready for production. They simply forward it to their designer who then makes the necessary tweaks. This practice has become so commonplace that one does not think twice about. The old gave way to the new.

About the same time that typesetting was being simplified by desk top publishing, digital photography sprang up. But unlike desktop publishing, digital cameras did not remove the craftsman out of the equation. This is partly why digital photography was not an overnight success. The fact is that the original digital cameras produced blurry pixilated images that were of insufficient quality for reproduction. It took some time to really take hold. Eventually digital photography began to produce higher quality images. At first only still objects were ripe for digital photography, because a person’s slightest movement created a blurry image. Models had to be shot with traditional film. Eventually even that changed, and everyone from the art director to the janitor was very excited. No longer did anyone need to wait days to get a photo developed. Things became instant for better or worse.

When photography became instant it was a mixed blessing. True—it meant that the photo development industry had gone the way of typesetting. But it also meant that there was no more waiting for photos. Proofs could simply be printed out. Everything instantly became ready for production. Or did it? Everyone has become so smitten with the marvel of modern digital technology that they have forgotten the most important part about photography—the photographer.

Over the last few years there has been a steady decline in professional photography studios. This doesn’t mean that photographers are going the way of typesetters. It means their equipment has. In fact now more than ever the world needs great photographers. We need people who not only snap photos, but those who use lighting, staging, crispness and clarity to help capture the image. Photography is not as simple as pointing, clicking and voila, a snap shoots to remember grandma Ethel’s 80th birthday. Unfortunately this is not the case, but it is the issue.

More and more I find my clients have simplified photographers in their collective corporate head. To them a photo should take about five minutes and off to the next thing. The problem is that in order to capture the best image possible you can’t just throw the product on a table, point, and click. You need to set up lighting specifically for the shoot. It is not enough to just shine the light and use the flash. One needs to light an object in a way that compliments what needs to be glamorized.

Photography is not about assembling prefabricated typefaces into a wedge to create a paragraph, it’s an eye for art. Industry must maintain a respect for the craft or be willing have bad snap shots promoting their product and/or service.

On occasion I have had clients e-mail bad low res jpegs asking us to use them as the primary shoot to promote their product. Even though I explain to them that the photo needs work, they insist on using the photo nonetheless. After all is said and done it takes more time and cost retouching the photo just to clean it up, than if we had shot the item ourselves properly.

A digital camera may remove the development time, but it does not create master photographers out of everyone. Even amongst the greatest photographs I’ve seen, some are better than others proving that photography is as much a talent as illustration or piano. It’s nothing like lining type on a tray.

Over Built, Over Priced

The Designer’s Perspective
by Matt Nuccio

At the current moment I'm sitting in a jet-lagged daze at my desk in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong. It's mid-January, and it seems as if the entire Toy Industry has descended into surrounding hotels, restaurants and bars. Everywhere you turn you see a salesman, a rep, a buyer or a manufacturer. It seems as if the entire city has been overrun by the toy industry. Fortunes are being made and lost all round me.

If you sit at any of the sidewalk cafes you hear the same words in the air. “Walmart”, “Kay Bee”, and “Toys R Us” ring loud alongside a faintly murmured “Cost”. This simple single-syllabled word hovers like white noise, drowned by passing cars and street vendors. But it's there and it's important. Cost is the word that lands you on the shelf. Cost is the word that helps the consumer vote with their wallets. Cost can make or brake you. And while there are many ways to save a penny, there are a few common mistakes I see now and again. If an item is over built it will be over priced.

So how does one go about building an item that has perceived value while minimizing cost?

Rule #1- Determine what is the main thing you want your item to do and make it do that best. Don't fall into the trap of adding useless and costly extraneous bells and whistles. If the item doesn't hold its own on its main function, all that glitter won't help.

Rule #2- Know your market and competition (if you have any) and pick an ideal price point. But don't lock yourself in because a lot can happen during the costing process to affect the final cost. Keep your mind open.

Rule #3- Try to have models and control drawings for makers to look at and discuss when you are working with them. This makes it easier for them to understand what exactly you are looking for. Be sure to listen to their comments and suggestions. Take the time to understand their concerns. This alone will give you a great payback because you can head off costly issues and irreversible mistakes before expensive tooling is complete.

Rule #4- Pay attention to technical details; if this is not your forte, find someone with the proper experience and knowledge. Cost hides in overbuilt wall sections (and the price of plastic is only going up). It's in poorly built molds that cycle poorly, are not cooled properly, eject slowly, and warp. Believe me-one way or another you are paying for those discarded parts. The faster the molds can output, the cheaper the parts.

Rule #5- Educate yourself when to use virgin polymers or reprocessed plastic. You can cut costs if you review all possible options with your manufacturer. Make sure that if you are paying for virgin polymers, that is precisely what you are getting. If you are using reprocessed plastic, have the maker test the material to make sure it is not brittle and fracture-prone.

Rule #6- If the item is electronic, make sure the wiring is the simplest and as accessible as possible. Maximize your chip buys if possible to reduce piece price and use stock electronics when possible. Also, make sure the item uses the appropriate battery size. Don't under or over power.

Rule #7- Pay attention to packaging. How big is your box-run and how big is the press size to maximize your packaging dollars? If you have windows in a box, are you utilizing that empty space to run some blister cards or other implements? You're paying for it, so use it. Believe me if you're not using it, the printer will use it for someone else!

Make sure you buy reclaimed board, but also make sure it stands up. It must be blanched a pure white (some are grey-nasty!) and it must be stiff.

Don't package with that cheap soft e-flute either. Your package must make it in a container ship and then be trucked cross-country and survive shelf ware. And make sure your blisters don't crush or have parts falling out!

Make sure the package size is appropriate for the product. Don't Super Size-it will cost you in freight.

Rule # 8- When in doubt visit the factory. See how they work. Are they efficient, neat, and fast? By visiting, you show how important your item is to you and in the end the professionalism and ability to ship affects your final cost.


Well I didn't cover everything-who can with or without jet lag? Have a successful new year!

Interpreting Someone Else's Vision

The Designer’s Perspective
by Matt Nuccio

While studying painting in Barcelona, the great Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali was once confronted with a challenge headed straight on. As the story goes, his academy instructor had entered the painting studio full of vigor for the day’s project. The instructor set up a beautiful model, decorating her in flowing cloth and lighting her with a warm atmosphere. The instructor was so overwhelmed with the model he found that he challenged the class to observe, study and interpret every minor detail, every nuance and angle with excitement, love and playfulness. He wanted his students to create a piece that felt “alive”. Dali was beyond excited for the challenge. He had longed to dive into a piece with pure emotion since entering the academy. Since beginning his studies he had felt trapped by the restrictions of the academy’s methods and wanted to breakout. And now this was his chance.
 
And so he began diligently working painstakingly rendering every detail to create a masterpiece that appeared “alive”. For hours upon hours he worked while blocking out everyone around him. When the allotted time had run out, he glanced around the studio and became excited since his peers, he felt, had missed the point of the project. Dali then openly proclaimed his work as the "liveliest" in the room and pranced about it proudly. The instructor, charged to see what Dali had created, quickly ran over to view his painting. To Dali's shock and great dismay the instructor began flaying and screaming at him for wasting his and the class’s time. Dali was appalled. Feeling publicly humiliated, he openly proclaimed the instructor an imbecile and stormed out of the academy never to return. While the entire class had painted the model, Dali had painted an anvil.
 
While hearing about this incident in art school I found it simply entertaining. Recently I found a similar story in his autobiography "The Secret Life Of Salvador Dali" ( Dial Press,1942). This time around I decided to read a little more into it. While I know Dali was one for tall tales and irreverent imagery, this incident does touch on a serious point in design. How does an Artist define someone else's vision without seeing what is around them?
 
As a designer I receive e-mails daily asking to create specific feelings and emotions visually. Words like fun, exciting and cute are often thrown around as peppering to highlight the visual mood manufactures are striving for. Translating words to images can be a great challenge. Now I would never put an anvil on a Bratz package in an effort to make it more "hip"— I am aware there is a lot of room for interpretation. How can a designer interpret marketing jargon?
 
The answer lies in observation of trends within your industry . A designer should understand who it is they are designing for. Who the client is and where is going to be sold. Open dialog with the client. Chat with them and find out what is "exciting" or "hip" for their particular market place. Do not be afraid to ask tons and tons of questions no matter how odd, embarrassing or obvious they may seem to be. If something feels off tilt, raise concerns. There is no use in laboring for hours only to miss the point. Your input counts and thats why they gave you the job. Make sure you are on the same mark.
 
If things continue to seem unclear. then its time to search out examples. Perhaps you've been down this path before. Many times the same problems present themselves over and over again. Don't be afraid to reference your own portfolio. Send examples of past work as a reference point. If you've tackled it before, you have an upper hand, take advantage of it. If you’re still off-base, then it’s research time. Scour the internet for related images. Gather as many as you can find and shoot them off to the client via e-mail. This is a quick and easy way to try and land on the same page. If that method doesn't work, then it’s time to walk retail with your trusty camera. I constantly use my camera phone to capture the retail work as reference. I'll snap as many pictures of packages, products, poster, ads... with that "feeling" or "hipness" that we are looking to convey. Take your excursions out of the studio a step further, walk not just the isle that this item is for—venture about the store to see what else is out there to input. Look for unrelated items that tell the same tale you're look to tell. Just because you are working on a spiderman frisbee doesn't mean you can't find inspiration at the makeup counter. Be adventurous. It can be a very powerful education to see how other industries solve similar problems. Every industry has their standards and limitations, therefore different styles are created . By comparing them you can expand upon what other industries have learned. Don't be scared to use these influences. Working in a vacuum can only create an Anvil while the rest of the class has painted the model.