In this chapter of our web series ‘Layer-by-Layer: Our journey from pixel to product’, we would like to take you into the fascinating world of brand and product development. Find out how we at Umami Creative GmbH have built a strong brand and how our creative products are created.
Brand development
A strong brand is at the heart of every successful company. It was crucial for us to develop a brand that reflects our values of creativity, innovation and sustainability. The brand development process began with defining our mission and vision. We wanted to ensure that our brand was not only visually appealing, but also conveyed a clear message.
We approached the brand development from different angles. As our products were to stand for sustainability, the reference to terms such as green and eco was initially obvious. But somehow it didn’t feel quite right. In the end, we simply opted for ‘Umami Creative Shop’. It may seem unimaginative at first, but the values we stand for – sustainability and conscious consumption – reflect the same values as in our agency.
To ensure that our brand remains consistent in all areas, we have developed a comprehensive style guide. This contains guidelines for the use of logos, colours, fonts and images so that all of our communication tools – from the website to social media posts – appear uniform and professional.
Development and selection of products
After the successful brand development, the next step was to turn our creative ideas into real products. Product development is a complex process that involves many steps from the initial idea to the finished product.
1) Brainstorming and concept development
The first ideas for our products came about in a relaxed evening on the sofa, in front of the TV and with a good bag of crisps on the iPad. In these brainstorming sessions, we collected creative approaches and sketched out initial concepts. We make sure that our ideas are not only innovative, but also realisable and sustainable.
2) Partnership with artists
We quickly realised that we couldn’t design all the products ourselves and that the costs for the chip bags we needed would have got out of hand. That’s why we entered into a partnership with a talented artist. This collaboration allowed us to quickly offer a variety of collections and products. Our task was to make the products unique and put our own stamp on them.
3) Individualisation options
What makes a customised product? That it’s mine. I designed it, it was produced according to my specifications. In addition to the shape and function, our customers should also be able to freely choose the size and colour of their products. This led to new challenges: How many colours should we offer? Which sizes make sense? In the end, we decided on 16 colours and 8 sizes, resulting in 128 possible variants per product. This variety allows us to offer customised and personalised products that meet the individual wishes of our customers. So everyone can have their own unique piece.
4) Design and prototyping
This was followed by the prototyping and testing phase. With the help of our 3D printers, we can produce these prototypes quickly and cost-effectively and test different designs and sizes.
But the path to the perfect product is not always easy. There were also failures and challenges. Not every design is suitable for every size, and sometimes it turned out that certain combinations of form and function did not work as planned. These iterative processes of testing and optimisation ensure that every finished product meets our high quality standards.
... lots of testing
... a great deal of testing
...
We have extensively tested the materials, shapes and colours. Has this missed our goal of sustainability
failed? No, quite the opposite. Thanks to proper planning, our tests were consistently positive. We were able to sell all test prints directly at a reduced price so that nothing was wasted.
Conclusion
Brand development and product development are central elements of our project. By carefully designing our brand and developing products with precision, we can offer a unique and consistent shopping experience. These steps are essential to reflect our values of creativity and sustainability in every aspect of our business.
In the next chapter, we will look at the selection of the right shop system
the right presentation of the products
and the legal challenges
of the online presence. Because we’re still in Germany, it’s not supposed to be that easy 😉 Stay tuned and follow us on our journey!
