Key: Georgina
Catherine
Beth
Script
Introduce.
Following on from our research from
both stage 1 and stage 2, we decided that consumers are emerging touch-point in
this sector. Therefore, they are our main focus for the implementation. The
following factors were concluded:
Consumers of today ….
Shop Around- Our target consumers
are not loyal to brands, they shop for both fashion and interiors in varying
places each time.
They are not afraid of pattern and colour- shown through consumer
interviews where stripes, geometrics and fuchsia pinks are favourites.
They look for reassurance- our research found our consumer
preferred to look to family and friends for reassurance on their purchases.
This gives them confidence.
They are Individual- Based on research
using the rosette personality test, we found most of our consumers belong to
group B; “They are decisive in rejecting anything that would
threaten or restrict the individuality. Their desired lifestyle is
individualistic and unique, and not infrequently “alternative”.
They are organised and considerate purchasers- our consumers like to research
and plan before they buy.
They are online and offline- our consumers use both physical
and digital platforms to categorize.
They seek expert opinion; research shows
consumers like the advice of a professional as shown through our case studies
outside of the sector; most notably in fashion where google hangouts
collaborated with the fashion council to give consumers styling advice straight
from the designers.
The want an active role in the creative process- this has been noted
by interior designers as more are bringing in their own moodboard’s etc. They
look for their own inspiration from a range of sources as shown in our consumer
scenarios.
The Big Idea
Following this; our big idea is:
Consumers as Curators.
Consumers are becoming more confident and are more involved in the
creation of the outcome. They want a more personalised service.
The Big Creative Idea:
With this in mind, we have created a bespoke pattern book
service that will operate across both physical and digital platforms. This
fully meets the changing demands and expectations of the new consumer and is
currently not available in the interiors sector.
Our Creative Outcomes:
Our creative include: branding, a website, a mock-up of a
physical pattern book and a press pack.
The Branding
Firstly, it was vital to
establish what it was we wanted to get out of our branding;
We wanted it to be:
·
Personable
·
Shareable
·
To reflect the
tastes and expectations of our consumer
·
To convey the big
idea
·
And to celebrate the
industry and surface pattern
We wanted our name to reflect
all of these; but in particular our big idea (consumers as curators) as this is
our point of difference. After considering lots of different names around this
area we decided on the name CURATE.
Following this, we developed the
CURATE aesthetic; it is hand-drawn to make it personable and inclusive, and the
masking tape and ripped paper suggest a scrapbook/moodboard feel. In terms of our colour palette- the aim is to
keep it simple as it is important not to draw attention away from the patterns
as these are the core focus of our service. Therefore, we used neutral tones with linear elements.
The latter reflects the art and design industry- and was the
preferred style of our consumer shown through their choice of font and their
favourite brands during primary research. We also included pops of colour
(fuchsia pink) as a visual contrast and be used as a highlight to draw attention
to important details. Also, we replaced traditional black with a dark teal for
fonts and lines to add warmth and compliment the aqua colours. Our
logo here (point) also incorporated these hand-made aesthetics.
The CURATE tone of voice is shown through our mission statement
which will be shown on the website and in promotion:
CURATE is a bespoke interior pattern books service that puts you
at the heart of your creations. Here at CURATE, we believe you should not be
limited to one fabric collection and instead have the opportunity to browse
through hundreds of brands. We want you to be at the core of every step of the
creative journey. You are curators.
The Website
The CURATE service
will begin with the website and this is the landing page:
This page will feature
emerging designers, competitions and any other promotional activity for the
brand.
Once the user has
entered the site, they are faced with the homepage which explains in a step by
step guide how to use the service and allows users to sign up or log in instantly.
All users must sign up
to use the CURATE service by filling in their details on this page.
Once this has been
submitted they are taken to a filter system for their interior requirements
which will help us to curate a bespoke service.
Once they have
entered their requirements they are presented with a personalised swatch
library.
Users are able to
click on swatches to gain further information such as material and price. This
page also shows popular samples and ‘liked’ swatches from other users. Once a
user has clicked on a swatch they have the option to go straight to the
designers website for further inspiration, but this also acts a source of
revenue for us in terms of ‘click throughs’.
The user can
select samples to add to their own digital pattern book.
Once the swatches
have been chosen, the user can drag them onto CURATE’s pattern book template;
they can also add annotation and tabs to make this an interactive and personal
experience.
Once the user is
happy with their book, they are presented with a digital preview. Some parts
are greyed out for consumers who are not paying members of the community as
they are presented with the option to upgrade. Those who are paying members are
taken to this page where they have the option to buy a physical copy of their
book.
If a member does
choose to buy their book, they are presented with a standard payment page.
Paying members also
have access to CURATEus, the CURATE community. This is a platform for users to
share and get inspired through trending swatches, expert interior designer
webinars and look books. All content within the community can be ‘liked’-
storing inspiration for future reference in a user’s CURATEme area (their
online profile).
The CURATEme area also
acts as a bookshelf where all the users digital books are displayed.
The Physical Book
We mentioned
earlier that paying members of the community could purchase a physical copy of
their pattern book following feedback from consumers regarding the importance
of ‘the need to touch’. We collaborated with an architecture student to create
these mock ups to show you what the physical book would look like. The key
features that we felt were vital to include following our research are:
·
An opening Spine to allow users to mix and match samples creatively.
·
Tabs (these would have been designed digitally) will categorize
the samples chosen.
·
A surprise section- this is designed by CURATE and will feature
recommended samples and inspiration that users may not have considered
themselves and encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone.
The book is also
incredibly environmentally friendly as it only features the samples the user
wants- also any sample the consumer no longer wants can be sent back to CURATE
in return for a discount off their next book.
Press Pack
To promote CURATE
within the industry we have produced a press pack. This is an important step in
launching CURATE as new service and it will create a conversation amongst press
and media.
This includes:
·
A Press Release
·
Business Cards
·
And Postcards which display snapshots of the website
Opportunities (swot hand-out)
The following opportunities can act as CURATE’s long term goals
in order to evolve in a changing environment- to future proof CURATE.
In 1-2 years, CURATE will establish competitions within the
CURATE community; starting with a best book competition.
CURATE will also begin to showcase new talent as shown on our
website landing page.
In 3-4 years, CURATE will have established a strong relationship
with interior brands which will provide opportunity for collaboration; this
could be in the form of advitorials or consumer competitions.
In 4-6 years, the CURATE service could extend beyond textiles and
additionally offer soft furnishings and accessories to fully compliment the consumer’s
creation.
Conclusion
CURATE is a unique pattern book service that fully understands
the changing needs and expectations of our target consumer. It offers a service
that has been proven throughout our research to be in demand and currently not
available in the interiors sector. The ‘curate’ trend is certainly something
that is prominent and expanding with a huge potential for further growth.
Furthermore, CURATE addresses some of the key problems with the
existing format of the pattern book. The ring spine decreases fabric wastage as
individual fabrics can be removed easily, and the website allows consumers to
fulfil their need for hyper-connectivity. Although, some consumers may be
reluctant to test a new pattern book format; we believe this is the future of
the sector.
There will always be the need to touch, but in an increasingly
technology driven world, it is vital for the pattern book to exist across both
physical and digital platforms.
