How do I choose a good design for a product?
How often do you find yourself walking in a store and all of a sudden your eyes fall on a product where the design reaches out and sucks you in… in other words, it’s eye-catching. A good design grabs a hold of special place inside you that triggers an emotional response. That’s a lot of pressure for us as designers right?
So is there a magical formula for creating show stopping, jaw dropping artwork for product? Ha ha, unfortunately no, however, once we know who we are creating artwork for, we can really start to understand what is going to pull at their heart strings.
What I want to point out is that you can create incredible art and make it for art’s sake and to fill your cup with a love for creation with no intention of selling. This is wonderful. This post is about selling your product with your artwork- these are two very different things!
Here are a few things to consider when creating art for product to sell:
Really learn about your audience. Who are they? Where do they shop? What are they going to use your product for? Once you have an idea for these point, you can then create artwork in your style that you can see in their homes or where they shop! Pretty cool, right?
Is it good artwork for the product? If I am creating an all over pattern, I know that it can work on wrapping paper. If I am creating a spot graphic, I am not going to put that on wrapping paper because you won’t see the full design. Knowing where your design is going to be used will help determine the end product.
What kind of artwork are you seeing on similar products? Do a little market research. Let’s use tea towels as an example. I am NOT saying you need to copy what you are seeing in the world. Go to Target and speed walk the towel aisle. Close your eyes at the end and think about what stood out. Were there common themes that stand out? This is a good indicator of what people remember and will go back and buy.
Really look at your art and be honest with yourself. Does your artwork fit where you want to see it sold? It will help you to ask peers or people you admire to direct you where they see your art.
Remember to make art that excites you and that you feel proud of. We are not cookie cutters and our art shouldnt’ appeal to everyone. If we are excited by our art, once we have products in hand, it will be easier to market and sell them to our people!