Friday, 13th of June

Today was the final day of class, which meant that my classmates and I all had to present the finalized version of our business plan. Mine wasn't drastically different from Monday, though I included much more visuals and refined some aspects of it. I described my brand, (which is still nameless) as,

"a luxury women’s footwear brand, which aims to reinvent the wearability of women’s footwear by guaranteeing high quality footwear that is comfortable without sacrificing fashionability and personal style."

"Instead, it considers how women dress based on their mood,"... "One aspect of the brand can be described as masculine, grungy, and dark, with clean cuts and new silhouettes. The other aspect is feminine, colorful, intricate, showy, and even tacky at times. With two moods in mind, XXX still promises footwear that guarantees comfort while displaying meticulous attention to detail, in shoes that does not need to be enhanced by your other garments or accessories, but that can also compliment or complete a look when need be."

I also found an answer to Monday's question about why I wanted to manufacture in Italy when it would in many ways be easier to manufacture my footwear locally. The answer is because of the combination of Italy's expertise and name. First of all, they are the number one luxury shoe manufacturing country in the world, having refined the craft for decades into perfection. Secondly, just having "Made in Italy" branded on my shoes is a bonus in itself, as it immediately associates my footwear with luxury and quality, something which would not carry the same connotation if it said "Made in China," even if the shoes were of excellent craftsmanship.

It was also wonderful seeing what all of my classmates had come up with, and to be honest I've been shocked by just how passionate they've all been about their different products and services. It's definitely one of my first classes where everyone has been so engaged in their work, even if they didn't begin the class thinking that they would be, and it's exciting to think that a good majority of them will probably end up launching their different business ideas. 

Overall, this class has been a very rewarding experience, and I've actually been surprised by how much I've learned. Even though I am still far away from launching my brand, it's given me a heads up on all the elements I need to consider before I start, and made me realize that even if I make beautiful shoes, there are so many other aspects of the branding that also need to be perfected in order to make a successful product. I think it's also helped clarify what I personally need to improve on, and made me consider what I can contribute to the brand beyond just designs. The class has also helped put things into perspective, and made me realize that it's easy to talk but much harder to do, and only discipline and taking action is going to help launch my brand.

Wednesday, 11th of June

Despite having tailored my brand aesthetic a little more, I was still afraid that the whole concept of basing my designs of moods was a little vague. However, I showed my professor the idea and I'm glad to say that it seemed to make perfect sense to her! So that's a start. I also came up with a solution for the "What's next?" chapter, which would be to simply attend a course or get a degree in shoe design after or during college, before I go about doing anything else. It's a pretty obvious answer, but I think in the past I've always believed in my designs enough to think that I could do without any help, but the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to realize it's a slightly foolish and naive idea. I think it all goes back to what I mentioned briefly on my first homework assignment for the class, when we were asked what activity made you completely loose track of time. My answer was that few activities did, since I'm always very conscious of the time. After all I don't have much of it, so it can't be wasted. However, I suppose it would be an even larger waste of my time to launch a brand only to have it possibly fail due to personal incompetence.

Tuesday, 10th of June

After reflecting on the feedback I got yesterday, I was actually able to further narrow down what my brand aesthetic is! I've realized that my shoe designs have two very distinct looks. One is quite hardcore and edgy, usually using dark colors and clean cuts, whereas my other look is extremely feminine, with lots of colors and added accessories such as feathers, crystals, and anything else that's sparkly and tacky.

I realized it is probably due to the fact that I have always designed my shoes based on my mood at that given time. I think it's definitely something that translates into how women dress. After all, everything in our lives is essentially based on our moods. You may see yourself as a certain type of person, yet what you choose to wear on a particular day, where you want to eat, what you want to eat, who you want to hang out with, and if you want to sleep early or stay out late, is all based on your mood there and then.

I believe that what my brand does is that it caters to these moods, creating looks for days when you want to embrace a more masculine and toned-down self, as well as for when you want to embrace your womanhood or the spring weather completely and drown in colors and sparkles. In one sense I can see why describing my brand in such a way could be confusing. Then again, it makes a ridiculous amount of sense. 

Either way, I definitely think my aesthetic has yet to be tailored to perfection.

Monday, 9th of June

Today, I had to present part of my final project to the class, to receive critique and feedback on the idea. Our assignment was to cover the following: 

- What is the idea? 

- Why is it important? 

- Who would the main competitors be? 

- How would the business work? What would the process be? 

- What would be the next steps to make the business a reality?

A vague summary of what I said was that it was a women's luxury footwear brand, aimed at making "eclectic" footwear, mainly dress and casual shoes priced at between $600-1200. The brand would be important because it would aim to deliver excellent design as well as comfort, something that is strangely enough quite rare to find in much of women's footwear these days, regardless of the brand. Main competitors would be any brand that worked within the luxury sector, as well as upcoming designers. The process would be that the shoes were designed in New York, manufactured in Italy, and sold through wholesalers in America (at least to begin with). And the next steps would be to acquire the right funding, and to hire a team of people such as a design team with knowledge of shoe design, a PR representative, and someone to deal with the business aspects of the brand. 

My main critique was that my brand aesthetic was much too vague, and that I needed to define the style beyond "eclectic," and that my next steps were somewhat unreasonable. After all, I can't always rely on a "team" that magically makes things happen. What can I do that others cant? What am I contributing that is special? As for the funding, I was told to not even think about it. After all, what in the world do I know about finances. The question of why I wished to manufacture my shoes in Italy was also raised, when I could technically find places in Brooklyn and surrounding areas to remove shipping costs. I think at first I got a little defensive. When you believe in something so strongly I think it's easy to get wrapped up in the idea that no matter what, your plan is flawless and everything will be fine and you'll win the lottery tomorrow and then before you know it your business has set up shop in every large capital in the world. However, after reflecting a little more on it, I realized I definitely had some things to consider.

Friday, 6th of June

Today we watched a documentary in class called "How To Make A Book With Steidl," about German Steidl and his publishing house. In it, the viewer is given all access to the management of his business, following him as he meets with clients all over the world and helps tailor each of their desired books to perfection. What I think was the most interesting about the documentary though, was how  he ran his business, being fairly exclusive about who he chose to work with and represent, and taking on projects based on what he genuinely believed in opposed to only aiming to work with big names.

I think it brings about the question, when is it enough, and when do you say stop? When you start a business, is it really necessary to make it into a large international corporation? Or, as the expert and mastermind behind it, is it more important to tailor your craft to perfection by never taking on more than you can handle so that you can always personally guarantee that everything is done to perfection?

While potentially beginning my own shoe brand is still fairly unattainable for a couple of years, it brings about the question of what comes next after I've gained brand awareness, a fan base, and some decent revenue. At what point do I expand the design team, and how many people will I really allow to be part of it? Will increasing the design team only lessen the aesthetics I take so seriously, or will it actually aid the success of the final product? When the opportunity arises to expand into accessories like bags and scarves, do I personally take charge of those elements as well even though I know very little about the design of other accessories, or do I hire someone else to be in charge of that, which again, could cause a disconnect between the vision I have for my brand and its' aesthetic? They're all questions that I do not think need to be considered yet for the final project for the class, but it's definitely something I'll have to start considering if I were to actually implement my brand.

Wednesday, 4th of June

Today, Julien Brinas, a former student at NYU and an internet entrepreneur came to speak to the class about the development of his career. I was surprised to discover that his advice was much more applicable for my business than I would have imagined, and he really made me reflect on the numerous aspects that were important to consider when wanting to establish a successful online presence. 

A business will often hire someone to create a fully functioning and brand-appropriate website, which may cost up to 100k (depending on how complex you want your website to be), but which will also be the winning ticket to more views and online purchases. The first step when hiring a web designer is making sure that you have conveyed your brand and your brand image to them, guaranteeing that no detail is left up to interpretation. If possible, you should let them know how you want your product backlog to work, meaning the number of steps it takes them from the home page to the final purchase. You must consider your customer's demographics and which payment cards they are most likely to use, and whether or not to accept those companies and what the different interest rates would be. Response time will have an effect on how long a visitor chooses to browse your website, and knowing the scalability of areas of your website you want to grow will help focus web design efforts in the future. 

Everything mentioned above does not even mention the graphic designer, which is completely separate from someone responsible for the user experience. 

Julien also advised us on steering away from offshoring your business, at least in the beginning stages. After all, offshoring is more useful for large-scale operations, and good communication is much more important to begin with. This was advise I found particularly useful, as I initially assumed I would outsource my entire production starting on day one, when in actuality, it is probably smarter for me to oversee production the first few months, or even years in order to be fully involved in the manufacturing process. 

Today, we were told to begin our business plans, which should be broken up into the following stages: 

1. Executive summary

2. The team

3. Summary purpose

4. The problem

5. Proposed solution

6. Size of opportunity

7. Competitors

8. Differentiation

9. Market and customer acquisition plan

10. Financials

11. Next steps

I still haven't thought of a brand name though, which is stressing me out. 

Tuesday, June 3

After getting feedback on the vision I had created for my shoe brand, the number of questions raised has made me realize that I'm still far behind. 

The first issue that needs to be addressed is the name of the brand. At first, I assumed 'Ane Johannessen' was a logical brand name, but after giving it some thought, my name is very long, can be difficult to spell, and is certainly not easy to pronounce. 

Maybe I could add numbers, like 3.1 Phillip Lim? 

Or do an acronym, like A.P.C. (Atelier de Production et de Création)? Or one that incorporates my name, like DKNY (Donna Karan New York)? 

Or maybe shorten my name, like A.W. Anderson? 

My professor also wanted me to understand that it was not the number of sales that would determine my success but instead the number of models I proceed.

With all of this in mind, my next step is to focus more of my research on the process of manufacturing shoes.

Monday, June 2

Today, my classmates and I had to do individual presentations on the museums we had chosen. While many elements of the business models remained similar or the same, it was interesting to see how each museum also had unique selling points that made them stand out from the others. For the Museum of Art and Design for example, it was that they host studio sessions where visitors can watch and interact with an artist at work, and that they mainly sold items made by artists around the world in their gift shop.

Weekend 1

My assignment for the weekend was to think about the vision I have for my shoe brand. What new value do I see myself bringing to my consumers? The simple answer is that I wish to create beautiful shoes in order to contribute to a better dressed world. That being said, it's not just about the shape of the heel or choice of materials. In today's busy world, women don't have the patience to mold their uncomfortable designer shoes to fit the shape of their foot, nor the time to continuously buy cheap and short lasting footwear. I would aim to sell designs directed toward affluent clients that guaranteed both quality and comfort, a surprisingly rare combination to find these days in the luxury shoe market.

Friday, May 30

I want to create a shoe brand, but I'm still very unclear about the specifics of my company. I already know what my brand aesthetic is and who my customers are, though I have yet to flesh out all the details. However, with a vague starting point in mind, I begun my research last night, taking advantage of my library's extensive database to find information on the shoe industry, both in the US and globally, and luxury items and consumers.

Thus far, Market Research, IBISWorld, and The Boston Consulting Group, have provided me with excellent thorough reports on different markets of interest. Now the final step is finding information on shoe manufacturing itself, and of course, reviewing all of it.

In class today my professor spoke about the importance of establishing what made our business ideas and brands stand out. 

What makes me different from other shoe designers? 

What exactly is my design philosophy? 

Why do I even create what I do? 

How will my customers learn to recognize my brand? 

My design philosophy should articulate both my aesthetic and my values. 

With this in mind, I begun to think beyond just my shoes themselves, but also about how my stores will look, how I want my employees to dress, how my website should function, and more. 

Thursday, May 29

I spoke to my professor before class about my ideas, and she really helped clarify which of my three choices would be most ideal for my final project, based on the current market and with the time constraint of the class and my personal knowledge and interests in mind. 

I settled on the last idea on yesterday's post. A women's footwear company based on my own designs. However, even though I love shoe design and believe I am capable of producing an accessory that would be well received, I do not know anything about footwear manufacturing so I definitely have a lot of research in store. 

--

In today's class we discussed logos, and how a logo can both represent your brand and communicate what it does. Tricks include trying to add an element of timelessness through representations and figures and maybe even by manipulating colors to evoke a certain feeling.

One of my favorite logos is definitely Versace's logo which depicts Medusa. As a child I used to think she was a beautiful woman who just happened to have poisonous snakes living in her hair. It wasn't before later on that I learned that Medusa's story was far more depressing, and that she was actually punished by Athena to look so horrid that men turned to stone when they saw her. 

That being said, I suppose Versace wanted their brand to be associated with a powerful woman, and to also maybe bring about the idea that men will be "frozen" or stop in their tracks when they see a woman wearing Versace. 

Versace brand logo

That being said, it's not much different from the Starbucks logo. 

With the idea of timelessness in mind, I've been wondering if I can find inspiration from something I've learned in art history to create my own brand logo.

Wednesday, May 28

Our final project requires us to come up with our own business model from beginning to end. There aren't really any limitations to the type of business we choose to do, other than that it should be remotely related to art, and preferably based on something that we truly love. 

I actually had some vague ideas in mind prior to joining the class, and I suppose the next step is narrowing my ideas down from four to one. 

The first idea involves flashcards, art history, bookstores, and students. 

The second idea would be a nightlife venue that incorporated graffiti and merchandise. 

The third idea was a great idea, until I googled it only to discover that it had already been done, but completely failed, and I do not think I can bring a unique enough twist to it to make it relevant. 

The fourth idea would just be a personal fashion brand, based of my own work as an amateur shoe designer. 

I plan to speak to my professor about them, and hopefully she can help aid my decision. 

Homework for Monday is for each of the students in the class to do a short presentation on a museum here in New York. I was assigned the Museum of Art and Design, which I have not visited yet, so I'm excited. 

Tuesday, May 27

What do I wish to get out of this class? I simply want to gain a better understanding of the art industry. 

I actually come from a family who works within the arts, which is what initially inspired my interest in the field. As a kid, I spent my time drawing and painting. But now, with some technical skills in store and plenty of unused art history knowledge (with a college degree currently in the making), I feel it is about time I learned to put my interest in art to better use. This is especially the case considering I've had a few remotely art related business ideas in mind for a while, but never known what the best starting point was. 

My professor said that a good entrepreneur should tick curiosity and tenacity of their personal traits list.

I’m not only a journalism major, but I’m a journalism student who truly loves the field, which I think requires a natural curiosity for the world around you. I’d like to think that I have tenacity as well. Then again, I suppose most people would claim the same.