Hello – and happy New Year! I hope you had a fabulous Christmas break and you’re back feeling full of energy and inspiration for 2014. One of the things I am most proud of is the confessions of a design geek bursary, as part of which Fanny Shorter has won a prize worth £10,000, including her products being stocked in the Southbank Centre shop and included in the window display. So what better way to kick off the New Year than to talk to confessions of a design geek mentor and Head of Buying for the Southbank Centre Shops, Adam Thow?
“I’m a fan of design, a fan of Home London and a fan of Confessions of A Design Geek, so how could I say no to being involved in the bursary?! Everything the bursary offers and stands for is hugely aligned with what we aspire to and integrate into our shops at the Southbank Centre, so to be able to be a part of that in the wider world is fantastic,” says Adam.
“My advice to all the shortlisted designers is to imagine you are working in your own shop and give the people who visit your stand the service that you would want to receive yourself – be courteous and approachable, but don’t jump on people and overwhelm them with information. Don’t sit and look bored whilst flicking through your phone even if you are exhausted and it is the last hour of the last day! If I am in two minds about a product line, the designer’s body language and ‘approachability’ can make all of the difference as to whether I decide to have a further look or not.
“Have enough trade price lists, business cards and product sheets – if a buyer wants to take information with them, they are far more likely to refer back to it after the show than an email which can easily get lost in amongst the hundreds of others they will receive post show.”
“The best advice I was given when I was starting out was how to calculate profit margin allowing for VAT. It is a fundamental in whether the product will have sufficient margin for a prospective buyer and even if the designer is not VAT registered the retailer still has to account for VAT within their selling price to the consumer. An astonishing amount of new businesses get this basic part of the equation wrong – if the margin isn’t there, most of the time the product won’t be considered for inclusion.
“If I could give one piece of advice to a new designer it would be: use your biggest asset – YOU. Allow your personality to shine through in what you do – whether that manifests itself in your product design, website or the tone of voice or graphic content of your marketing communications. I think a major benefit of supporting and buying smaller design companies’ works is that you are dealing with ‘real people’ and not a faceless organisation that projects a personality dreamt up by the marketing agency. Enthusiasm and passion for what you are doing can’t be faked and it also can’t be overvalued.”
Don’t forget to come and see all the shortlisted designers at Home London at Earl’s Court, London, 12th – 14th Jan 2014.
With thanks to confessions of a design geek bursary partners: Home London, the Southbank Centre Shop, wallunica, Yeshen Venema, R&A Collaborations, Seen PR, Mini Moderns, HAM, Decorum, October Communications, The Design Trust and Jessica Hogarth.
