Public Survey Tally

This surveyed has been tallied by totally the amount of key words used the public used to describe themselves. The majority of people surveyed where between the ages 14-19. Indie is a music genre and although in the questionnaires it was used to describe a fashion style aswell as a favourite music genre it has been tallied to one category. Comfy was surprisingly a word used often to describe a style. From observing the publics behaviour it was a question people struggled to summerise, often possibly an approach to look modest while others may have been to young to have identified where they felt they fit in with society. The tally varied that the public are majoritly influenced by music and celebrities. These catergories are major influences because people look up to them as they are deemed successful, people use them as safe guards, as something you can't go wrong by inspiring by.

2/3 of the public surveyed were shopping for themselves, in a season when there aren't any public occassions such as christmas or easter coming up this seems understandable.

70% of the public surveyed like alternative music, this has been catergorised by placing the following genres under the alternative music as it hasn't been classified as mainstream yet, these genres are indie, rock, metal, punk, electro, emo, folk, acoustic. While the other genres are classified as popular music.

60% of the public surveyed said they dress alternatively, this has been categorised by placing the following styles under the alternative bracket, they are trash-glam, scene, freestyle, glam-goth, scene.

Definition:	a catch-all term for the newest rock music, which has not been around long enough to acquire a specific name
Example:	Alternative music embodies many sub-genres including: Indie Rock, Alt Folk, Gothic, Brit-Pop, Alt Country, Adult Alternative, Shoegazer, Heavy Metal, Grunge, Post-Punk, New Wave, Post-Rock, and more.

Public Surveys

I went to Manchester on Wednesday and did a public survey to generate a trend report. I visited 4 outlets, Urban Outfitters, Topshop, Paperchase and Afflecks Palace asking a total of 19 people over 15 questionnaires. Some people doubled up. The survey was to compare, contrast and analyse the answers.

2/3 of the public surveyed were shopping for themselves, in a season when there aren't any public occassions such as christmas or easter coming up this seems understandable.

The questionnaires verify that the public are majority influenced by music and celebrities. These categories are major influences because people look up to them as they are deemed successful, people use them as safe guards, as something you can't go wrong by inspiring by.

Indie came up as the most popular genre, being used to describe both music taste and style.

Indie definition:

Adj.

1.

indie - (of pop groups) not affiliated with a major recording company independent - free from external control and constraint; "an independent mind"; "a series of independent judgments"; "fiercely independent individualism"

70% of the public surveyed like alternative music, this has been catergorised by placing the following genres under the alternative music as it hasn't been classified as mainstream yet, these genres are indie, rock, metal, punk, electro, emo, folk, acoustic. While the other genres are classified as popular music.

60% of the public surveyed said they dress alternatively, this has been categorised by placing the following styles under the alternative bracket, they are trash-glam, scene, freestyle, glam-goth, scene.

Definition:	a catch-all term for the newest rock music, which has not been around long enough to acquire a specific name
Example:	Alternative music embodies many sub-genres including: Indie Rock, Alt Folk, Gothic, Brit-Pop, Alt Country, Adult Alternative, Shoegazer, Heavy Metal, Grunge, Post-Punk, New Wave, Post-Rock, and more.

This co-insides with my belief that the alternative market is becoming more popular. It terms of market, I think my cards will have a commercial market to sell into.

Publisher Nineteenseventythree

Nineteenseventythree are a greetings card designers, manufacturer and distributor. On a recent trip to Afflecks

(28/09/10) I counted 10 different nineteenseventythree cards in a display of about 8 other distributors. All their cards had an eye grabbing attraction to them, fresh colours, graphic imagery, humorous designs, ranging from simple one of motifs to complicated patterns. There range really appeals to me and I was also be contacting them as 1 of my portfolio visits.

Natasha Clayton - Rebel Rocks Interview

Rebel Rocks started in July 2010 by Natasha Clayton, she sells handmade jewellery & accessories with some custom orders and gift boxes. She works at home. Natasha currently sells her work through an online shop on Facebook, payments are made via Paypal. This was an emailed interview.

Business Name?
Rebel Rocks (London)

What inspires your product design?Tattoos, Rockabilly, sweets, music.

Where did your business idea come from?
To be honest I came up with the idea because I was so bored with my full time office job, fed up with working for someone else and making them rich! lol, and always being skint! I wanted to make extra money by doing something fun. I still have the boring office job, for now!

Who is your target audience?
Mostly young women around the 18-30 age group. It is a very social age group and I thought that they would be more likely to spend money on fashion jewellery than any other age groupor sex. I have tried not to appeal to one type of person though (eg. just scene kids etc) as figured that would narrow my audience.

What is your actual target audience?
As well as 18-30 year old women, I have also received orders from older people and as well as customised jewellery to fit children, so I am pleased that it is appealing to a wider audience.

Any unexpected expenditures?
Not yet! I pretty much had planned for everything I would need to pay out for, tools, materials, packaging, advertising. No nasty surprises yet! I have purchased my domain names for mywebsite however haven't set the site up yet. I'm currently learning Photoshop then want to go onto Illustrator/Web Design so I'm hoping I can save money by setting it up myself.

Are your profits what you expected?
To be honest I really didn't know what to expect, I hoped to at least break even to start off with, however sales are better than I expected, especially considering how new the business is. I wanted to start selling my items at low prices to start with, so as to attract more customers and make my name known, so although I am making a profit its not huge right now.

Have you received any funding?
Nope. I pay for everything myself.
How do you publise your product?
At the moment I publicise on social networking sites - Facebook and MySpace. These sites are used by such a wide range of people I thought it would be a good place to start advertising. It is also free, so that helps! Also by word of mouth, if people are happy with my product I'm hoping that they will spread the word!
I own my domain names and will be setting up my website in due course.

What do you expect to happen in the next 12 months?
I have no idea what to expect. I have always believed that if you don't expect too much then you will never be disappointed. Of course I'm hoping that my business will become more well known and popular, and make a bigger profit. Within the next 12 months I am hoping tostart designing and printing my own clothing - t-shirts, vests and hoodies for women and women, and t-shirts and vests for babies.

Did/Have you considered an online shop/a retail shop?
When the website is set up customers will be able to buy online. I love the idea of having my own shop. But I don't think that will be happening any time soon!

How have Art & Craft Fairs retributed your product?As my business is so new I have not sold my products at any fairs or markets yet. I am hoping that I will be able to do this next year.

What percentage gets spent on overheads?
I work from home, in my spare time, so no shop or office to pay out for. Pretty much everything I sell at the moment is made my hand so the biggest expenditure at the moment is my time.

Are you an independent seller?
Yes.
Do you sell through commissions/distributors?
No.

What is your price range?
At the moment my cheapest product is £1 and the most expensive is £11.

Crown Earrings £2.50, Cherry Necklace £3.50, Cupcake Necklace £6.00, gift box £1.50

Has your business been involved in fundraising?
Not yet but I would be willing to get involved with this kind of thing once by business is more well known.

How long have you had your own business set up?
I made my first items in June 2010 and set the Facebook and MySpace up in July 2010.

Like you I would like to set up my own business but in Stationary, do you have any advice on setting up your own business?
Make a list of everything you need to get started: materials, tools and equipment, packaging, advertising... and how much it will all cost. Is there anyone that can help you out advertising wise? Do lots of research online to see what other products are out there and try to make yours unique. Also research materials suppliers as there are millions and you can usually find the same items much cheaper if you look around. Think about how much it will cost you to make an item, how much of your time it will take to make it, and what you will sell it for. Go with your own ideas, thats what will make your product 'you'. Good luck! :)

An extract from Rebel Rocks bio on their site -
Inspired by: Kitsch, Tattoos, Graffiti, Junk, Trash, Kids, Punk, Emo, Rock, Kawaii, Pin-up girls, Rockabilly, Cupcakes, Vintage, Disney, Dolly, Hair, Cute, Movies, Art, Sweets, Snowboarding, Motocross, Surfing, Indie, Music, Anime, Scene.

Incognito Publisher

Really keen on this publisher, they are aiming exactly at the niche market I would hope to aim for. I've seen Incognitos designs in Afflecks Palace and in boutiques around the Northern Quarter in Manchester. They are humorous and illustrative, this style appeals to the market drawn to the Northern Quarter. As well as being a publisher for other artists, Incognito sell their own work which is housed in 3 outlets 2 in Manchester and 1 in Slovenia. I'll be making contact with the manchester outlets and contacting these as one of my portfolio visits.

Art Angels Publishers

(l-r) Brie Harrison, Angie Lewin, Andrew Pavitt, Alice Melvin, Frank Kiely, Alice Steveson.

I'm drawn to this publisher, there are artists work that I have looked at before as I've found their work inspiring. They seem like a publishers that is keen to publish current quirky designs, juxtaposition prints, bird, landscape and wildlife motifs. Images look designed in Illustrator. I could see these ranges being sold in WHSmith, commercial middle market.

Andrea Mastrovito Portrait of the artist as a young Batman 2005

This work is quite similar to an artist who I have previously looked at Carlos Amorales - Black Cloud 2007 piece and could be the same for Andreas Kocks - Paperwork piece. They are all black on white so this perceives quite a dramatic look in all their work as well as feeling quite gothic but new.