Design and the market - 'this is not business studies!'

This module is all about introducing us to an enterprising way of thinking and eventually creating and analysing our own business vision. Prof Mike Press spoke enthusiastically about the world of business and design and how if we embrace this ever evolving world then our future as T shaped designers is bright. He mentioned a few graduates that had gone on to create successful businesses out of there deign ideas. How textile designer Johanna Basford and Jeweler  Kate Pickering have created there business models were particularly interesting to me. Johanna has become successful as a commercial designer through effective self branding. Also Kates big online pressence has helped her set up her company Vanilla Ink and her new jewelers collective. All the designers that Mike Press featured were very inspiring and showed what can be achieved by using design and business knowledge together.

A few comments and phrases that stood out from todays lecture were-

• Make a job - Don't take a job
• How do you stand out from the crowd? 
• How do you brand yourself successfully?
• Reinvent yourself when things are going well
• Takes risks 

I am looking forward to this module and the different skills it will teach us about networking and being entrepreneurial. Our 1st task is a group project to create a presentation on a successful designer or company about how they developed their business into what it is today. Some designers I would love to learn more about are Orla Kiely and Celia Birtwell. In a way both of them are similar with their nostalgic yet modern feeling designs and highly successful companies. 

Celia Birtwell has an amazing new book out at the moment. It includes an archive of  her drawings and prints and pictures of her 60s and 70s bohemian lifestyle. Beautiful! Can't wait to get my hands on it.

Orla Kiely has worked her way up through the industry starting as a junior designer and building her business up to the international company that it is today. She is an inspiration.

First things first though, learn how to spell BUSINESS!