OUCE255 - Poster Comparison

Design 1:

Although the first design adequately visually describes the event being held, it could be greatly improved and changed to be much more effective. The first change I would make is the font used for the title of poster. It is very simplistic, so although it is easily readable, it could be a more aesthetically pleasing font, with the possibility of a wider range of colours. The use of capital letters, in this case is fine, but it should be limited to just the title, and not any other text, as it is much harder to read text which is in capitals.

I feel that there could possibly be more information regarding the event on the poster, such as a small quote, from possibly a philosopher in the furniture making field, to add a little context and interest to the poster, and would possibly make people stop and study the poster further.

Another issue I have with the poster is the amount of white empty space surrounding the main picture, and the way she blends in, almost making her look like a floating head. I feel that the background could be a slightly different shade, emphasizing the main purpose of the poster.

The final point that I would change is the information regarding it's location. Depending on where the poster is located,  whether it be within the college, or external to the general public, as it doesn't tell you which building, and where the exhibition is taking place within the college.

I like the concept of the person vs the size of furniture but I feel that the space is taken up to much of the person, and could of been a close up of her hands, or possibly an eye looking through gaps within the furniture.

Design 2:

Design to seems much more aesthetically pleasing, with one of the main reasons being the use of the magnifying glass to highlight what the event is about, without taking the emphasis off of the pieces, unlike the first design. It also is laid out much better then the first design, with the image being framed from the bottom right hand corner. The space is also filled well, with very little white space on the page.

I also like the use of the text rapping around the magnifying glass, as it grasps the audiences attention, although I am not sure if the font is appropriate, as it doesn't really match the rest of the text.

I still think that there should be more information in regards to what the exhibition is about, its location, and possibly a quote relevant to the exhibition. Finally I wouldn't include the whole images of the pieces, but possibly close-up shots so it still leaves a lot to be seen and understood, but gives the audience a taste of what to expect.

OUCE255 - Business Cards

I have designed my business cards to match my website design, and have included a QR Code which links back to my website, screen shots of the front and back are below:

Above: Business Card Front

Above: Business Card Back 

OUCE255 - Pricing Strategy

I have selected three similar products to my chosen piece, which is a garden bench. I will take these prices and designs into consideration before choosing my own pricing strategy for the piece.

Makers: The Toulouse Garden Bench - £1950

Sustainable Furniture: Teak Garden Bench - £280

Bracken Style Furniture: Marlborough Bench - £300 

I have broken down the costs into subsections, so it is easier to work out how much I would have to sell it for:

The total time of production was around 64 hours, which when working to £30 per hour, is £1920. This already seems like a huge amount of money compared to the other three pieces.

The cost of materials was the lowest expenditure  mainly due to the choice of using tanalised timber. In total, with one spare board at a total of £105, including all the fixtures and glue required to complete the build. To make some of the jigs I used scrap MDF which I haven't added into my costings, but may not be available in my own workshop, and may increase the price a little.

I also have calculated the cost of all the machinery that I used, I have included a list of the machines below:

• Dimension Saw
• Surface Planer
• Thicknesser
• Mortiser
• Tenoner
• Laser Cutter
• Bandsaw
• Disc Sander
• Bobbin Sander

In total the basic machinery would cost nearly £10,000. This does not include taxes, workshop bills or transport costs. 

Due to the requirements of a specific client, it was initially designed to be a bespoke piece, although it could quite easily be mass produced if required, as it was mostly machine produced. This could have a big impact on the total price, as it could be made much quicker then I made it for the first time.

In total just the cost of the bench would be £12,025, a huge difference compared to the three existing products. To be viable in the current market it would have to be priced at around £2500 - £3000, and this is called competitive pricing.

OUCE255 - Mission Statement

I have selected and listed a variety of different mission statements from existing businesses to help with writing my own:

"Give consumers and businesses what they want, when they want it. We never stop improving our world class operation's by putting our customers - and their needs - first."

- Ebuyer.com

"Microsoft’s mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential."

-Microsoft

"Skype’s mission is to be the fabric of real-time communication on the web."

-Skype

I have tried to write my own mission statement which is below:

" I am committed to crafting high quality furniture to suit the ideal needs of the customer, meeting personal, social, and economic aims." 

I have also decided to make a smaller version, which fits better on my business cards:

"Crafting High Quality, Bespoke Furniture"

OUCE255 - SWOT Analysis

This is the SWOT table for the furniture maker Andre Chalmers, www.andrechalmers.co.uk:

This is the SWOT table for the furniture maker Tim Whitfield, http://www.timwhitfieldjoinery.com:

Comparing the two within the SWOT Analysis, I felt that they both had the same kind of strengths and weaknesses, as they are both located in similar areas, producing the pieces to similar clients. 

Where the two differ is within the strengths and weaknesses that each professional has. One of the main differences is the use of a professional website, which I believe makes the designer  look much more professional and business orientated, rather than just a hobbyist. 

The main weakness I felt that both of them had was that they looked more like "Handy-men", rather than a professional furniture maker. This has a big impact of the way a client may perceive the business, and may have a significant impact on the type of jobs that they may get. 

Comparing this two my personal business there are some significant things that I can apply. One of these is two create and use a professional website, containing contact information and previous work I have created. I will also be careful on what skills and services that I supply, so I do not look like and odds job handyman. Some of the best Opportunities that I will have is the lack of local competition, although I will still have the threats of economic pressures, and wider competition from the likes of IKEA and other large furniture making companies. 

OUCE255 - Value Proposition

From my studies and from the experiences I have gained I have decided to make high quality, contemporary furniture. This will include custom and new joinery techniques, new use of materials and a wide range of shapes, including bent wood.  My furniture will also include all aspects of manufacture from hand crafted components, to Computer Aided Design and CNC Components. One aim I have is to be as sustainable as possible; including sourcing materials from FSC approved sources, and minimising waste. Another aim I have is to all ways push myself and the skills that I have in order to make the best product possible, and the fastest possible speed.

I will also listen to any customer’s needs and want’s, which may include changing a design to suit their purpose. As “a customer is all ways right” mentality, I will never be happy until the customer is happy, which also includes before, during and after care on anything that is sold.  


One key value that I feel drives my work is being meticulous and also precise in all manners of practise, to produce the highest quality pieces as possible. Another key value is to be imaginative and bold, to produce unique pieces, with a strong story and selling point.

OUPD202 - Going Green for 2016...

For our task on Monday I found this article is a suitably named journal called "Sustainability" in January 2013  issue. This article was talking about the key points of sustainability, specifically in the housing sector. One of the key points within the article was that the UK government wants all new builds to be completely carbon neutral.  The image shows one design concept which incorporates new design and construction methods.

Above: Sustainability 2013 Journal