Script for Presentation stage 2

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.