Connecting Latin American designers with international retailers The easiest way to expand your business internationally
How things got started?
How can we help Latin American designers grow their business? As Latin American designers we have face the struggles that designers have along the way when they are trying to run & grow their own business. After reflecting from our experiences, last year we started doing a research about How can we help Latin American designers grow their business? By understanding their behaviors, cultural aspects and their main challenges.
We met some inspiring people along our research...
Different perspectives from across the design industry
Along our research we met a lot of inspiring people who motivate us to continue in our journey. As we wanted to have different perspectives from all across the Design industry, we interviewed designers from different fields, as well as people who work on the business part of the design companies. Among them: ●
Designers (emerging & established)
●
Business (incubators, coaches, start-ups)
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Design Event planners (Fairs & Events)
●
Retailers (gallery owners & retail buyers)
Scarves Designer One of the stories that inspire us the most was the story of Maria a Colombian Artisanal Silk Scarves designer, who one of her biggest aims is to export her products to other countries. However, for her as well as for most of the emerging designers it's very expensive and time consuming to travel to find new potential clients who want to sell her products. Also as other designers mentioned, she said that selling her products online is not a good strategy, because the clients can’t appreciate the material and the details of her designs.
“it's very expensive and time consuming to travel to find new potential clients who want to sell her products”
“It’s so hard to sell my silk scarves online; People need to touch them and feel them to understand the price they are paying for”
Maria, Scarves designer Colombia
“Participating on Design Fairs has give me projects all around the globe�
We also found out about Rebecca, who is a product Designer which has grown a lot on the last months.. She started showing her products on the Design Fair in Milan and from there she started collaborating with international brands and retailers. These participations have help her to grow significantly her business and to positionate herself within the Design industry at her country.
Product Designer
“Latin American Design has a strong identity which is really appreciated in global design fairs” “I am constantly looking for Latin American designers to feature on my Gallery and it's always challenging to find new faces””
The last story that we want to share is about Montse, she was really interesting for us since she is on both sides of the spectrum. In one side she is a Design Gallery Owner who is always interested in promoting and showcasing Latin American designers and on the other she promotes their work and her gallery going and exhibiting the work of these designers in the most recognized Design Fairs around the world. She shared with us the struggles that she faces when she is trying to find interesting products. Also she told us about the value that going to these events and expanding her network have helped her to grow her business.
Design Gallery owner
Besides the people we met during our research, living in New York have make us realize that this city has a lot of opportunities that we can take advantage of to help Latin American designers to grow their business. There are a lot of design events happening along all the year and due to the multiculturalism of the city there it's a lot of interest to explore other cultures.
Design Events
What were designers doing in order to expand their business?
To understand what was happening in these events, we went to talked with people who already were trying to open to themselves opportunities there. We interviewed designers who have been participating in international design fairs for years, designers who were starting to explore new markets, and business people who were helping designers to sell their products internationally. In order to have a better understanding of the struggles designers were having when they try to enter to new markets, we also interviewed experts who worked at Procolombia, a governmental organization who help designers to explore new markets and export their products.
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*If you are interested to learned in more detail what we learned from them you can refer to Appendix A
What were designer's doing?
After analysing the whole scenario, we realized that the designers who were trying to expand their market internationally, were using two main channels: Design fairs and Online platforms. Some of them think about international design fairs as an aspirational goal to achieve due to the possibility they give to them to expand their network, find new clients and get inspired by new trends. The main problem is that they are very expensive and time consuming. That is why most designers choose the online platform as their main channel to reach international markets: They are less expensive, they can reach a lot of clients from all around the world in a very easy way, but the problem is that the consumers can’t really appreciate the products on the screen.
Design Fairs
Online Platforms
(Physical experience)
(Digital experience)
Pros Expand network Exhibit products and find clients in one single place Search for new products, trends and strategic partnerships
● ● ●
Pros ● ● ● ●
Cons
Cons ●
Expensive and time consuming
Less Expensive Full-scale market penetration One click away from the world 24/7
●
Lack of physical appreciation
Valuable insights Based on all the information we gathered after interviewing the designers, the managers of some of their business, some experts of the industry and after assisting to the design fairs, we gathered very valuable insights. The three that we found with more potential behind them are:
Community
Too many hats to wear
Strong Identity
(support & trust)
(overwhelming)
(tradition & uniqueness)
For Latam designers it’s very important to be part of a community in which they can trust, exchange information and feel supported.
Most of them lack of time, money and knowledge to develop business & marketing strategies to expand their business. Design company owner’s have to manage their time to design and to deal with business operations. Overwhelmed by the amount of work and their limited resources, it is difficult for them to reach international clients and retailers.
Latin American design has a lot of artisanal traditional value behind and a strong identity which is highly appreciated by the whole world.
Opportunity Community
After analyzing all the insights, we realized there was a great opportunity if we could find a way to tackle three of the main pain points of the designers.
Build a community that help them grow their network & gain exposure
That is why we begin to think about a way to help them to: -Create a community in which they can trust and feel supported by, which allow them to expand their network and gain exposure.
Opportunity
-Expand their business internationally in an easy and convenient way -Celebrate the identity and value behind the Latin American Design to leverage their promotion, by taking advantage of the interest that the Latin American design awakes in other countries.
Grow Offer them a service to help them expand their business internationally
Identity Celebrate the identity & value behind the Latin American Design to promote them
What do designers need? Value
Having clear the opportunity we wanted to explore, and in order to create a service that could be useful and meaningful for designers, we did an analysis that allowed us to understand which activities were the most valuable for them and which ones were the ones that were more difficult to perform by them. This helped us to, identify which activities were more critical and where we could have an entry door.
Commercial skills
Business growth
Improve Performance
We confirmed that business growth, industry positioning international exposure, improve performance and boost their sales where the ones they considered the more valuable and difficult to achieve. Followed by them they highlighted Network Expansion, promotion and industry awareness as key aspects for their business.
Industry Positioning
Client Management
Expand Network
International exposure
Workplace
Boost Sales Promotion Information exchange
Management skills
Industry awareness
Difficulty
Legal
Inspiration
Social media
3D printer Funding
Creativity
Project Management
Materials samples
HR
Experience map
+
Satisfaction
As international exposure where one of the main concerns of the designers who were trying to expand their business, we developed an experience map to explore the process which designers and retailers were experiencing when they wanted to make connections and business among them, and we identified that searching, connecting and negotiating with each other where the most critical pain points, which helped us to clarify on which activities we could interfere and make things easier for them.
Motivation To explore new markets
Designers
Retailers
Encourage Optimistic
Determined
Search Connections & new opportunities
Anxious Overwhelmed
Interested Curious
Promotion Of their work
Exited
Determined
Connect
Negotiation
Designers & Retailers
Close the deal
Challenged
Pressured Insecure Cautious
Overwhelmed
Empowered Optimistic
Sampling
Order Plmt. Consignment/ Commision
Hopeful
Excited Proud
Intrigued
Intrigued
Shipping Internationally
Manage Relations
Excited Anxious
Excited Proud
Satisfied Alert
Relieved
Based on this, and after multiple iterations of our cencept (Appendix B) we started thinkinging about the possibility of creating a community that celebrates the identity & value behind the Latin American Design , and which help them to expand their business internationally in an easy and convenient way by taking advantage of the online and the offline platforms. And that is how we created LATENT!
THE OPPORTUNITY Putting together the pieces
The easiest way to expand your business internationally
Connecting Latin American designers with international retailers
What we do? We help Latin American designers to grow their business, grow their network and increase their visibility by providing them international online and offline exposure
Who are our customers?
Customers
Designers & Makers
Buyers
(Main customer)
(Key customers)
1
2
3
Latin American designers
Retailers & wholesale clients
Consumers
Want to help them to explore other markets around the world and we want to assist them by opening opportunities
Help them to find Latin American designers to work with and offer their products
Interested in buying unique Latin American products in an convenient way
How can we help designers?
Through an online & offline platform that connects designers with customers
and retailers, by promoting and sharing their work In an online design marketplace and also by exhibiting and promoting their work on design events & tradeshows
Jobs to be done
Attributes
Expose and promote Latam emerging designer products in USA Connect Latam emerging designer with retailers and final customers Guide
designer
throughout
the
process
of
exhibiting
and
commercializing their products internationally Engage with our users by offering them a personalized service and constant feedback about their product’s result Reduce uncertainty, money and time investment on the process of finding new clients and selling their products Foster online and offline space sharing to exhibit their products, reduce costs, collaborate and support each other.
+
Provide a digital and physical experience to our community
+
Have a wide network of interesting retailers and designers
+
Have curated and high quality design products
+
Be user friendly
+
Provide understandable and actionable information
+
Provide reliable information
+
Provide trustable transaction methods
+
Convenient
What we offer to designers? Offline (Design Events)
Online (digital platform)
1.
2.
3.
Upload a Catalog
Connect w/Buyers
Online Marketplace
Manage & share them
5.
6.
7.
9.
10.
Promotion
Exhibit designers work
Sell designer’s products
Exportation guidance
Promote designers
Retailers (wholesale )
Sampling request
Social Media
Consumers
Consignments
Newsletter
Logistics
Commissions (special orders)
Blog
Networking
Design Events
4.
8.
Feedback & Data Analysis
Feedback & Data Analysis
Industry Awareness
How does our platform work? To have a better understanding of how our platform work, we invite you to take a look to the following timelines which explain step by step how can we help you!
How the digital platform works?
Create Account
Sign up
Accept terms & conditions
Account Validation
Confirmation account. We will do a highly curation of the designers we want to exhibit in our platform.
Newsletter
Retailer makes payment & designer get its until the delivery is done
Content uploading
Catalogue creation
Messages
Sampling
Order Placement
Receive order confirmation
Commissions: In our platform we don’t just sell products, we promote Latin American Talent
Manage orders
Consignments
Order history Review orders
Upload their products
Category/ interest
Payment
Access to payment Portal
Shipping
Track order
Get payment once the order is received
Ratings
Rate retailer / designer
Feedback
Feedback & data analysis of their profile & sales performance / trends
How the event exhibition works? Design event
Design Event Preparation
Provide info of products to exhibit & branding material (pictures & stories behind the products)
Design Materials for exhibition
Logistics Planning
Designers Promotion
Transportation
Design Event
Sales
Feedback
Results
We promote and sell to the buyers, the products we are exhibiting in the fair through our website .
We Create a feedback report for designers based on their sales and clients reactions
We Share the results of the events with the community to encourage them to keep participating
Provide product specifications (location, dimensions and materials)
We design the stand based on the products we are going to exhibit
We do the logistics Invite interested & research of stakeholders & transportation buyers Guidance from Create social strategic partners media content ProExport, ProMexico, Cross promotion ProColombia) with strategic partners We trained our staff to sell the products
We transport the products and exhibit materials to event venue
We take charge of the logistics of building stand and displaying products We Provide tablets in our stand to make all the transactions
We Invite Buyers to join our Online platform
UX: System map/ Experience map Landing, enrollment & Order Placement
As you have noticed, in our platform multiple interactions are happening at the same time between the stakeholders and us. To understand how the whole system behind LATENT works, we have developed system maps, They are divided in three columns, one per each stakeholder, and will help you to understand the experiences and interactions between them, as well as the flow and logic of our processes. These system maps are divided in four charts that correspond to each of the phases of our system: Landing, enrollment & Order Placement, Product Exhibition (Recruiting > Payment), Product Exhibition (Pre-event), Product Exhibition (Event).
Product Exhibition (Recruiting > Payment)
On this phase we wanted to simulate the online experience to understand the experience and interactions between all the stakeholders, and also to build the architecture of our site. Since the online market is a very important feature of our platform we analyse every step: join the platform, post/ search products , sell/buy, ship/ receive products rate and receive feedback
We mapped the online and offline process of searching design fairs and recruiting designers and buyers to part of them.
Product Exhibition (Pre-event)
Product Exhibition (Event)
To understand all the preparation and logistics that we need to take into account to participate in an international design fair, we created an outline of each of the steps and their requirements.
We made an outline of the way we are going to exhibit the products in the design fair and sell them through our online platform. Also we analyze the way we are going to evaluate and present the results of the design fair participation, sales and buyer’s reactions toward the products.
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System Map
Enrollment & Order Placement DESIGNERS
PLATFORM
BUYERS 1
Account creation & Enrollment
Upload their products
2
Account Validation
3
Choose category/ interest
4
Curation process
4
Accept terms & conditions
5
Validation of accounts
5
Get enrolled on newsletter
6
Confirmation account
7
9
Product Selection
Monitoring content
17
Monitoring conversations
16
Register Order
13
12
Start conversation
15
Place an order
18 Receive order confirmation (website /mail) 19
Feedback
Messaging
Answer messages to buyers
Take 10% of commission of the sale
Shipping
Product selection
21
Notify shipment order
20
23
Track order
25
27
Evaluate and publish ratings
26
28
Evaluation of performance
Manage orders See orders history - Review orders
Ship orders
22
Confirm tracking number
24
Get payment of order Rate retailer 29
Track order
26
Get delivery
Rate order & designer
Receive feedback & data analysis of their profile, performances and trends
OPTIONAL
11 14
Access to platform & wholesale catalogues (final consumers don’t have access to wholesale prices)
Catalogue creation
8
Messaging
Ratings
7
Access to subscription fees & payment portal
10
Order Placement
Upload their credentials & interests
2
(Price / Stories / Location /Materials)
Payment Content uploading
Sign up & create an account
Product Exhibition (Recruiting > Payment)
System Map
DESIGNERS
PLATFORM
Identify Design events
Design Events Research
2
Researching & Networking
Recruiting & Info
3 4
OFFLINE
1
Invite Designers to participate (Direct Channels, website, Newsletter)
Designers Invitation
9
Curate submission and approve request
See or request detail info of the event
6
(success stories, testimonials, impact on their business, stats, event {facts {numbers})
7
Request Participation on the Event
8
Upload info and products to exhibit (specifications, info about designer, production capacity, story behind products)
10
Send formal invitations and estimated participation fee 12
14
Receive formal invitation to participate and estimated fees
Agree on meeting/ call to discuss participants needs
Exporting & Logistics guidance (guidance from exporting partnersProexport/ProColombia/ProMexico)
Terms & Conditions Payment 18
11
Receive the payment and enroll them to the event
13
Show what they want to exhibit (photos and specifications)
OFFLINE
Product specs. & exporting guidance
5
Publish upcoming design events on website
Request Participation Designers Selection
BUYERS
15
Choose if they want to transport, exhibit and sell their products by themselves in the fair or if we would do it for them for an extra fee.
16
Sign up contract + Accept terms & conditions
17
Payment
19
Receive payment confirmation & guidelines for the exhibition (we prepare them and give them tips of how to take out most of their exhibition)
Find out info of the events on which we are participating (find out who is participating, testimonials of other retailers)
Product Exhibition (Pre-event)
System Map
DESIGNERS
PLATFORM
Design Materials for exhibition
1
Display/ Exhibition Design & exhibition materials creation
3
Recollect Branding Materials from exhibitors
4
Create exhibitions materials
6
7
Designers Promotion
Logistics & research of transportation Guidance from strategic partners ProExport, ProMexico, ProColombia)
10
Create social media content
11
Cross promotion with strategic partners
13
Provide info of products to exhibit & branding material (pictures & stories behind the products)
5
Provide product specifications (location, dimensions and materials)
Invite interested stakeholders & buyers
12
Transportation
2
OFFLINE
Logistics Planning
OFFLINE
Design Event Preparation
BUYERS
8
9
Newsletter
Transport products and exhibitions materials to event venue
13
Transport the products and exhibit materials to event venue If they choose to handle the transportation themselves
Get Invited to the Design Events Register & get tickets
Product Exhibition (Event)
System Map
DESIGNERS
PLATFORM
Take charge of the logistics of building stand and displaying products
1
2
Sales
OP1 Us: We promote and sell to the buyers, the products we are exhibiting in the fair through our website .
OFFLINE
Design Event
BUYERS
2
OP2 Themselves: Designers assist to the fair and sell their products by themselves using our website. 3
Recruiting
4
Equipped our stand with tablets where buyers can make the purchase in an easier and convenient way.
4
Designers do the transactions in our website by using their tablets
5
Feedback
Invite the buyers to buy the products through our webs
6
8
Buyers see and touch our products and hear the story behind them. Might give us some comments about our products and what they are looking for.
7
Buyers buy the products in our stand by using our website
Receive an invitation to participate in our platform to search for more products
Create a feedback report for designers based on their sales and clients reactions
Results 9
11
Share the results of the events with the community to encourage them to keep participating.
Share testimonials and results (Facts / # of participants/ # of units sold /#of transactions)
10 Designers share with the community their
experience
10
Retailers share with the community their experience
Designers and Retailers User experience
Designers and retailers are always constantly interacting, but each understand that their experiences will be different. The following charts will give you a better understanding of how the relationship manifests.
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Designers UX Activity
Promotion
Connection
Exhibition
Sampling
Concession
Value
Designers need exposure to positionate their work and find buyers
Designers need to network with buyers and retailers to show them their work and sell their products
Designers need exposure to positionate their work and find buyers
Some designers sell better their products in retail stores than in online platforms because the details of their designs can only be perceived physically. We give them the opportunity to do both.
Designers can use their talent to make products they would never imagine doing before
We connect them through our website and also through the design events. They can see a list of some of the retailers who are actively buying from our platform We help them to show their work in a professional and appealing way to attract more buyers
We help them to exhibit their products through our page and also on design events
We give them the opportunity to scale their business online with the benefits of exposing their products physically.
Designers can show their talent and retailers can contact them to ask them to make new customize products based on what they already offer by commission.
Designers feel excited about having promotion but also afraid that the publication isn’t enough to have an impact on their sales
Designers feel hope when they use our platform, they also feel afraid that they might make an inversion without having results
They feel that they are actively reaching out buyers
Designers feel excited about showing samples of their products but afraid of wasting money and time on clients who probably are not going to buy their products.
Designers feel excited about accepting new challenges.
Risk
That our publications doesn’t reach a lot of viewers and doesn’t create any impact on sales
-Not being able to make meaningful connections between them and buyers (not selling their products) -Them to create direct connections with the information provided and not using our service (we can’t charge commission that way)
-Not being able to make meaningful connections between them and buyers (not selling their products) -Them to create direct connections with the information provided and not using our service (we can’t charge commission that way)
Sending samples to many clients and at the end only few of them are going to buy their products..
Designers and retailers will need to communicate within each other a lot to understand their expectations and their capabilities which can end up in miss understandings during the exchange of information.
Solution
Show our users a summary of publications where their work has been promoted and the amount of followers or readers it has.
Sharing with them just enough information to tease them and also give them a monthly summary of how many people visited their catalogue and showed interest.
We are going to send them a report of the website trends and also of their sales and to provide them feedback of what the buyers thought about their products.
Providing them with some guidelines and ideas of how to send samples, we are also going to provide a template letter to explain what are the samples and consider the idea of charging per sample.
We use different social media channels and we also use the platform of strategic partners to have more coverage. Difference We not only use online promotion we also promote them offline during design events
Feeling
All the conversation should be written to have a prove of what they have said to each other
Delivery
Designers will reduce the risk sending products to another country.
By sending samples and assuring to them that we will use the best options to send their products designers will be secure using our service.
Designers feel excited about sending their products to the clients and anxious waiting for their reactions
Feedback
Designers can monitor their sales performance and receive information about what the customers are buying.
We consider that by being open with the information, designers can better understand how the market and their products are doing
Secure, Designers feel supported and depending on their performance they will feel excited or frustrated .
-The products can be damaged -Clients could have different expectations form the products and they would want to return it.
-We need to buy a reliable program that give accurate data to the designers about the online sales -It would be more difficult to manage the feedback of the design fairs.
-Send samples before sending all the merchandise -Select the best option and more secure to ship the products
Give them hints to boost their sales by giving them a trend report of what retailers are buying.
Retailers UX Activity
Promotion
Connection & exploration
Sampling
Value
Retailers can find designers in an easier way
Retailers need to be constantly looking for designers and they usually find them in design events or through networking
Retailers have the option to receive a sample of the material of the products so they can really know what they are buying
Difference
-We use different social media channels and we also use the platform of strategic partners to have more coverage. -We not only use online promotion we also promote them offline during design events
Feeling
Retailers feel curiosity about new designers, but also they feel overwhelmed with so many information everywhere
They feel confident that they will find something interesting on the platform and the trust us
Risk
Solution
-We connect them through our website and also through the design events. -They can see a list of the designers who participate in our platform and they can network with them through our platform
Concession
Retailers can be constantly innovating with new products
Delivery
Feedback
Retailers will be certain of what they will receive, because they have seen the product previously.
We will give them information about the market trends so they can buy what customers are interested in.
Online buying doesn't allow to perceive the products as they really are. By sending the samples to the retailers we will reduce the uncertainty
We don’t only offer the possibility to buy products, we also offer the possibility to buy talent to make customize products by commission.
By sending them samples before the delivery
They will have open access to information to understand their clients better
Retailers will feel secure about what they are buying because they will actually will know how they look in real life.
Retailers will feel empower and unique to have the possibility to co create new things with Latam designers
By sending them samples before the delivery we will reduce their anxiety of waiting for the products to arrive
Retailers will feel secure about what they are buying because the will know what the clients need
That our publications doesn’t create any impact on sales
-Not being able to make meaningful connections between them and designers (not finding products) -Them to create direct connections with the information provided and not using our service (we can’t charge commission that way)
Retailers can order a lot of samples that probably are not going to buy
Designers and retailers will need to communicate within each other a lot to understand their expectations and their capabilities which can end up in miss understandings during the exchange of information.
The products can be damaged -Clients could have different expectations form the products and they would want to return it.
That our publications would not be meaningful for them and wouldn’t affect their decisions on buying products
Create and share meaningful Promotions about our products
Sharing with them just enough information to tease them and also give them a monthly trends report
Charge per sample?
-Send samples before sending all the merchandise -Select the best option and more secure to ship the products
Collect and provide meaningful insights and information about what it's happening
-All the conversation should be written to have a prove of what they have said to each other
Our Digital Platform
Our digital platform aims to facilitate the connection between designers and retailers by simplifying every single step. All the communications and transactions that happen between them should be through our webpage. We will provide them with a user friendly interface that will make easier every single step.
Our Digital Platform
Home Page On the main page of the platform we will be constantly showcasing the best selling products of our platform, to reward our designers and to show our user the quality of the products that we offer. Also you can find the list of the retailers where our designers are selling their products.
Sign up As we are a multi sided platform our user need to choose if they are designers or retailers to access to our webpage. According to the kind of user they choose, they will have specific access and information.
Our Digital Platform
Features By clicking any of this features our users will have access to more specific information.
Detailed features To engage our users since the beginning we will show them all the features we offer to them, The example that you see aside are the features we provide to our designers.
Our Digital Platform Uploading products As we have mentioned, our designers can create their own catalog in a very easy and convenient way through our webpage. They can upload their products pictures and all the information they consider important to showcase better their products. Here they will have the opportunity to tell the story behind their products and also all their requirements they have to sell their products to wholesalers, such the quantity of the products they can produce and sell, the time they require to produce them, if they accept or not consignments and concessions and also to which type of retailers they want to sell their products (department stores, boutiques, ect.)
Manage Catalog Our designers can manage and change their catalog anytime they want. They can add and modify their products according to their preferences and to what the market is demanding
Our Digital Platform
Marketplace & order placement The retailers and the consumers can have access to the catalog of all of our designers. They can filter the products depending on their needs and preferences. Depending on the number of products and to the date they need their products for, different products will appear on their screen
Data Analysis One of the most interesting features for our designers and retailers is that they can be constantly monitoring the performance of their sales and of the market, besides they can be aware of the trends and about what is happening in the market, to be constantly improving and innovating.
What guide us?
In Latent we want to offer our users a consistent and meaningful experience. In order to achieve it, we created four main pillars that will define the essence of our company, shape every single step of our experience and will guide us every time we will need to make decisions.
Create a special community Be part of a valuable network
Advocate for Latin American Design Highlight what Latin American Design produces
Tailor our service to fit our user needs Personalized service depending on our costumers
Ease the challenges of our users Help our users to reach their goals without breaking their head
Design Guidelines
Design Guidelines Design Guidelines
Aspirational sense of belonging
Advocate
Personalized service
To ease
One of our design guidelines would be having in mind always the nature of humans beings and their desire to belong. The service and the experience that we will offer, will always foster retailers and designers desire to belong and feel part of a vibrant and special community full of opportunities.
One of the missions of Latent will be to create awareness and highlight the richness of Latin American design and advocate for the designers and retailers who promote it. In order to support and stand out the design produced in Latin American countries we will be constantly looking for new content and new market opportunities.
We know each of our clients have different needs because of the nature of their production styles or the because the products itselfs; for this reason we will design our service in a way that it provides them a feeling of a personalized experience and a variety of options to supply their specific needs.
In order to be valuable and essential for designers and retailers, we aim to create a seamless experience to ease the connection, communication and transactions between both of them. We are planning on facilitate all the errands that must be made in order to sell or buy international design .
Why for designers this is important?
They feel as a part of an important community and they reinforce the value of their creations because of being part of a group of talented, successful and ambitious designers
We will be constantly offering them new markets opportunities where they can exhibit and sell their products to expand their market and internationalized Latin American Design
Why for retailers this is important?
They feel that their are contributing to the development of Latin American Design and they also feel excited about being part of a vibrant community that works with interesting and ambitious designers.
Why why believe this is important?
In order to foster their interest in Latin American Design we will be constantly offering new talents and products so they can be constantly innovating in their stores.
They feel that we are paying close attention to what they do and to their needs and they value the service that we offer because they feel that it’s the right fit for them since we make them feel that we tailored our service specially for them and their needs
They feel that we are paying close attention to what they do and to their needs and they value the service that we offer because they feel that it’s the right fit for them since we make them feel that we tailored our service specially for them and their needs
Design company owner’s have to manage their time to design and to deal with business operations. Overwhelmed by the amount of work and their limited resources, it is difficult for them to reach international clients and retailers. With our help they will be able to reach more in an easier, cost effective and less time consuming way.
Retailers are constantly looking for new products to sell in their stores, however sometimes they don’t have access to explore the Latin American market because of cultural, economic or language barriers. With our help they will have access to latin design and they will have the opportunity to sell latin products in their store.
How does these guidelines affect our touchpoints? Promotion
Design Guidelines
ASPIRATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING To attract and engage designers and retailers with our platform, we will foster their aspirational desire to belong and feel part of a vibrant and special community full of opportunities.
Connection
Exhibition
ASPIRATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING By being part of our vibrant and special community full of opportunities, our users will have the certainty that they will only be connected with highly talented designers and high quality retailers
ASPIRATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING We will choose the most important design fairs to exhibit LATAM products. This will arouse the aspirational feeling of being part of our community and surrounded by the best of the design industry
ADVOCACY / EASE We will advocate for designers by exhibiting their products in international fairs and in our online platform to help them to to connect with international retailers and sell their products in other countries in an easier way, by helping to avoid to deal with the logistics of contacting international retailers, travel to the fairs and exportation their products. At the same time, we will facilitate the access and the process to explore and buy Latin American Design to the retailers.
PERSONALIZED SERVICE Designers can have the certainty that we will offer a personalized promotion of their products in the design fair. Our staff will be trained to promote and sell the products as well as the story and cultural value behind them.
PERSONALIZED SERVICE According to the designers and retailers specific needs we will offer them personalized opportunities to sell or buy their products. Designers can choose where they want to sell their products: boutiques, wholesale retailers or specific stores, while retailers can choose specific designers to design a customized product just for them by consignment
PERSONALIZED SERVICE We will have a personalized session with the designers who want us to exhibit their products by them in the design fairs. We will understand their products and the stories behind them so we can promote sell products to the retailers in the fairs
Sampling
ASPIRATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING /ADVOCACY Traditional online e-commerce platforms only offer a digital exhibition of the products. Through our platform retailers will have the possibility to have physical access of the products by sending them samples of the products they are interested in, which will help designers to promote better their products.
EASE To make the online selling/buying process we will help designers to send samples to the Retailers, so they can have a better understanding for the products.
PERSONALIZED SERVICE If retailers are really interested in the products, they can receive a personalized sample of the material of the product..
Concession
ASPIRATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING By offering the possibility of concession to designer and retailers, both of them can innovate and take advantage of their talent and products. Which will encourage them to be part of our community.
ADVOCACY/EASY To advocate for LATAM design we will help them to promote their products and overall their talent in an easier way, so they can be exposed to different clients and co-create with them new products.
PERSONALIZED SERVICE Retailers will find the right designer to make new exclusive products for them. They will have a personalized services by customizing the products according to their personal preferences.
Delivery
ASPIRATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING / EASY For designers exporting their products by themselves, is one of the more overwhelming steps. With our help and the help from our strategic partners, we will help them to overcome the process in an easy and convenient way, which will inspire designers to join us.
ADVOCACY By the hand of Procolombia and Promexico we will advocate for the LATAM design, by helping designers to ship their products internationally.
PERSONALIZED SERVICE Due to the different types of products we will offer, we need to give to the designers personal assistance about the best way to export their products in terms of logistics, operations and legal issues.
Feedback
ASPIRATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING One of the best ways to be successful for designers and retailers, is to have accurate data about what it’s happening in the market and about the performance of their sales and purchases. Also for designers it’s important to have direct feedback from the clients, so they can be constantly improving and innovating.
EASY All the data we will present to them will be through infographics that are easy to read and understand so they can take the best advantage of it.
PERSONALIZED SERVICE Each of the designers and retailers will have access to a personalized feedback about their performance, to have more valuable information
Why our service is unique?
Connecting the dots
Consumers
Retailers
Design Events
Feedback
Offline
Market-place (sell) Exhibit Promote
Event s
Social Media Newsletter
Online
Guide
Feedback
What makes LATENT better, is that we cover both sides of the spectrum, the online and the offline, to offer them a holistic experience.
Connect Buyers
After analysing the industry we are emerged in, we realize that there are some companies that help designers to expand their business and connect them with buyers, consumers and retailers through online platforms, and there are others that help them to showcase and export their products by providing them offline guidance and tools.
Benchmark
Benchmark
connect w/retailers
designer´s
connect w/consumers
exhibition
promote LATAM designers
designer´s online education
online sales
We wanted to understand what was happening in our costumers world and which were the companies that were helping our users to do the jobs that we wanted our platform to do. We analyzed the most relevant companies and we tried to compare their metrics and the experiences they offered. In the following pages you will be able to see the opportunities we found, the threats and what we learnt from these companies.
connect with retailers Help designers & retailers to connect+transact only with taking-out the cost of attending to trade shows
Metrics: Fee: $20USD monthly Community: 23K Mode: Online Business Model: Membership subscription- unlimited listing Strategic Partners: Retailers (Urban Outfitters, West-Elm, Ikea, Guggenheim) UX: simple steps Marketing: online marketing Characteristics: . connect/ messages/ transactions . image fixer tool (for catalogues) . catalogues management . Showroom . managing orders . feedback & data analysis . social media, newsletter . magazine
Experiences: i.
ii.
satisfaction: 1. is a convenient & understandable platform 2. is effortless (clicks away from retailers) 3. is accessible and they can use it whenever they want feel helped: 1. help w/images for catalogues 2. it helps them to access a lot of retailers 3. to understand their data and get feedback from their performance
Opportunities: . .
Threads:: . . . .
vi.
feel connected (w/retailers & other designers) feel hopeful (to reach important retailers) relieved ( the platform can do something that would take time & money-convenient) feel hopeful: 1. that a manufacturer or retailer approach them
to have a short number of retailers to have bad quality products that might not be interesting for retailers not to have transactions on the platform the platform`s traffic
What we learnt: .
iii. iv. v.
to expand the online platform to an off line experience to add final costumers to the marketplace
. .
.
Designers and makers are using this platforms because they are more convenient than going to trade shows Several well known retailers are participating in this platforms The configuration of the site guarantees you pay a monthly subscription (if you want to see which retailers participate with them/ if you want to see the designers catalogues The configuration of the platform make sure that the transactions are made on the platform.
connect with retailers Wholesale tradeshow for design+artesanies for retailers
Experiences:
Metrics: Fee: $2, 800USD Community: 25K Mode: Offline Business Model: . fee for attendants (buyers . fee for designers/ exhibitors
i.
ii. Numbers: . . . . . . .
24, 300 attendants 2,550 exhibitors 230 returning exhibitors 93% high end luxury buyers 57% of products launched at the event 98% of buyers wrote orders at the market $458 ooo on sales (market)
iii.
iv.
designers get satisfaction: 1. they get a lot of buyers, retailers, media and manufacturers to see their products 2. they have a lot of feedback from industry experts designers feel overwhelmed: 1. it´s really expensive 2. there is a lot of competition 3. it’s tiring 4. it’s stressful: there is a lot of people and noise designers feel hopeful: 1. that manufacturers, retailers or buyers approach designers feel confused: about their performance (there is no feedback, only sales indicators)
Opportunities: · · ·
to expand the offline platform to an online experience to make an on online marketplace to provide feedback an analysis of the exhibitors performance
Threads:: · · · ·
online platforms which are less expensive not having enough attendants/ participants not controlling the content the negotiation and business skills of each designer can make the difference
What we learnt: · · ·
a lot of designers are interested in participating in these kind of events to reach directly with retailers several participants would like to have some analysis of how they did and how can they be better and sale more some of the participants don´t know what to expect and how can they take the most out of the experience
connect with retailers Promoting design & fostering the international creative community. Annual event complemented with events during the whole year and a store.
Metrics: Fee: $38 sq ft. Community: 23K Mode: Online- Offline Business Model: · Designers exhibition/ Launch Pad: ($38 sq. ft) fee for the exhibition · Design Schools: ($5K) fee for participate in their annual workshop · Design Brands: Sponsorship · Design Stakeholders: cross promotion · Design Competition: Participant inscription fee · Countries: trades (space x space on their design events) Strategic Partners: Design brands, design schools, design studios, design Events (ICFF, Design Week NY) Marketing: design media (cross promotion with all of their partners) Characteristics: · annual event (50 exhibitors) · schools workshop (7 top schools from around the world) · launch pad (designers looking for manufacturers) (33 exhibitors) · Design students competition · Industry city/ Manhattan store
Experiences: i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
designers get satisfaction: 1. they get a lot of buyers to see their products 2. they have a lot of sales opportunities designers feel overwhelmed: 1. it´s really expensive 2. there is a lot of competition 3. it’s tiring 4. it’s stressful 5. there is a lot of people and noise there is a sense of community among designers 1. they meet a lot of designers and design industry members they have fun 1. in the conversation series 2. in their contest and workshops 3. in the event and their parties they feel hopeful 1. that a manufacturer or retailer approach them
Opportunities: · · ·
use a better and trustful rating systems to expand the online platform to an offline experience to provide feedback an analysis of the seller's performance and also a forecast of trends and buyers preferences
Threads: · · · ·
online platforms which are less expensive not having enough attendants/ participants not controlling the content the negotiation and business skills of each designer can make the difference
What we learnt: · ·
·
a lot of designers are interested in participating in these kind of events to reach directly with retailers several participants would like to have some analysis of how they did and how can they be better and sale more some of the participants don´t know what to expect and how can they take the most out of the experience
connect with consumers Marketplace where people around the world connect, both online and offline, to make, sell and buy unique goods.
Metrics: Experiences: Fee: $0.02 USD for listed item, unlimited listings Community: 54 Million Active buyers: 26.6 Million Sellers: 1.5 Million Products Listed: 33 Millions Mode: Online- Offline Business Model: Designers catalogue listing fee ($0.02USD) sales commission per transaction: 3.5% Characteristics: + community engagement + they develop tools and educational materials to empower sellers + mission-driven company + Etsy Seller’s Handbook, Etsy Success Newsletter and Etsy Online Labs
i.
ii.
iii. iv. v.
sellers get satisfaction: 1. they get a lot of buyers to see their products 2. it's cheap and accessible designers doesn´t feel overwhelmed: 1. there is a lot of competition but there is a lot of traffic as well 2. it’s convenient 3. is easy to use there is a sense of community among etsy users they trust the platform and the ratings Etsy users feel scared: 1. Copycat Sellers Steal and sell their work 2. Etsy tells buyers to report to Federal Internet Crime Bureau if their shipping is late
Opportunities: . .
to expand the online platform to an off line experience to add final costumers to the marketplace
Threads: . . .
copycats not trustful ratings problems among sellers and buyers
What we learnt: . . .
designers and makers are using this onlines markets to sell their products and they are making a living out of this people is willing to buy directly from makers if they offer a good price and a good quality product makers and designers can handle the logistics of exporting by themselves using transportation companies
Business fees
Latent is design to help Latin American designers, that is why we have create a revenue stream to help them to keep their cost down. We will charge them a listing fee and a percentage of their sales, however we will also offer them complimentary services by an additional price if they want to have more exposure in our digital platform or in international design Fairs. On the other side, retailers will have to pay a yearly membership to have access to our highly curated platform.
Business fee
Design Event
Digital Platform
Designers
Listing Fee
Commission
$0.50
15%
(Minimum 5 pts.)
Of every sale.
Retailers
Advertising
Membership
$10.00
$200
Monthly fee *Optional
.Catalog management .Exportation guidance .Monthly Feedback report .Monthly trends report .Publications on our social media, newsletter and blog + strategic partners
Annual
.Access to designers catalog .Illimited transactions .Monthly trends report .Messaging w/ designers
Designers
Commission $(x)sq. ft . + 20% X: prices established for every sq.ft. by design event
.Exportation guidance .Shipping (depending dimensions) .Logistics .Staffing .Sales management
Business Phases 2
3
Launch
Expansion
Establishment
3 Countries
13 Countries
1
400
150
1000
400
Designers
Retailers
Designers
Retailers
Physical store
3
7
9
Based at NYC
2
Countries
Countries
Colombia Mexico
USA Colombia Mexico
12 30
Major Design Fairs/ Trade Shows Pettit Design Events
Help Colombian and Mexican designers to exhibit and sell their high quality products to american clients and retailers.
Countries Colombia Mexico Argentina Peru Bolivia Brazil Chile
30 50
Countries USA Canada Colombia Mexico Argentina Francia Italia England Finland
1
Featuring the people’s favorite products (based on sales of the digital platform)
Major Design Fairs/ Trade Shows Pettit Design Events
Expand the high quality design community by including designers from other countries of Latin America and help them to sell their products to other countries around the world
Take advantage of the design community created in the previous phases and open a retail store with a permanent exhibition of highly quality curated latin american design products. Expand the high quality design community by including designers from other countries of Latin America and help them to sell their products to other countries around the world.
Phase 1 -Goals & Priorities GOAL 1 Create a high quality design community
GOAL 2 Offer our clients a high quality services
GOAL 3 Profitability
The Web Page Strategic partnerships ●
Create an Online Webpage and social media accounts to promote our our and connect designers with international clients and retailers.
The clients ●
Find Colombian and Mexican emerging designers with high quality design products, who want to expand their markets.
●
Find international clients and retailers interested in Latin American products. Design fairs
●
Find Design fairs, events and bazaars where potential clients assist with the aim of buying design products.
Strategic partnerships It is highly important to find strategic partnerships, in order to offer convenient opportunities and better experiences to our clients and to reduce our costs. ●
Transportation companies: Find the best company that guarantee us the best quality and best deals for our clients.
●
Procolombia and Promexico: Find support from Procolombia and Promexico to reduce uncertainty by guiding us and our clients to export products and find potential markets.
●
Amazon Web servers
Profitable & Accessible In order to have a high quality design community and provide a valuable customer experience to our users, we are more focus on the profitability of the business than in rapid growth. We are interested only in selecting the best talents who offer high quality products and who can represent the best of Latin America. However having in mind that our main clients are emerging designers the prices should be accessible for them.
Business success
Measure to success
Our success depend on
·
Reach the right retailers and designers
·
Adaptability: As we are an international business we need to be able to adapt easily to different markets. For this reason he decided to grow by phases to reduce uncertainty and be more flexible toward the change.
·
Strategic Partnerships: Find strategic partnerships that support the services that we offer.
·
Sociocultural aspects: Depending on the sociocultural aspect of each country the demand of the market will vary.
Aspects that can threaten our success
·
Politics-Economy: The continuity of the Free trade agreements will affect the profitability of our business, the less duties we have to pay the profitable we will be. By the contrary if this duties increase our finances would be directly affected.
·
Designers can contact designers directly
·
Designers commitment and capabilities: In order to comply with retailers, designers need to have the infrastructure and labor force required to comply with the deliveries dates and requirements.
How we test the idea?
Latent always want to offer to its users the best. That’s why we prototyped, iterated and ran a pilot about our system map, online and offline platform, offline, and brand identity to test and improve our concept.
What we test and why? To Prototype
System map (interactions)
UX Online (marketplace)
UX Offline (Exhibition)
Brand Identity
Importance
5
5
Uncertainty
1
3
Prototyping
How
5
Framework, map of the interactions and experience maps on the offline and online experiences
5
Website Design, Invision
Why - To understand the Interactions & touchpoints that are going to happen and to identify where we need to intervene - To understand how we have to build the architecture of our website
-To understand the features we need to provide in our web page according to our users needs to create a seamless and engaging experiences - To learn how understandable and transmittable is our concept
-To understand the logistics we need to take care off to exhibit the products internationally. 5
5
1
Framework of the exhibitions experience -To test if what we are offering is appealing for our users.
2
2
5
Logo, tone, pallette,: reflected on website
- To learn if we were appealing to our users - To see if we were speaking to our users on the right tone - To test if we could transmit who we are with our branding
59
Online platform
Objective: Test the experience of the Online platform Method: Use Invision to connect the screens and simulate the actual user experience
What we learned: 路 The platform is user friendly and provide valuable features 路 Missing connectors between the screens 路 Users need more interaction when doing Concession 路 Payments vary depending of the retailer or designer requirements
Due to the design fairs schedules we couldn’t participate in any of those, however we talked with people who had participate on them, as well as with buyers and organizers. To test the offline experience we decided to simulate the experience of the fair, but in this case visiting the retailers. . We ask one of our designer to send us some of her products and to fill out the form, specifying all the characteristics of the product, the story behind it and her production and selling requirement. Once we received the products and the information, we went to Wanted Design store, to showcase the products to the buyer and we got very meaningful feedback about our offline experience.
Design Fair
Design Fair
Objective: Test the Offline experience of the Design Events Method: -Designer filled out a form with the product description -We visited retailers to simulate the design fair
What we learned: ● ● ●
Retailers value the story behind the products How are we going to manage the concession offline? Retailers are not willing to spend time or money returning samples
Learnings
Implications
+
We learned that some designers find the online market appealing, while others prefer the idea of exhibiting their products on international fairs.
+
We have to make the connection between the online and offline service stronger to engage designers on both services.
+
On our Online platform we missed some connectors between the screens that we must add: (ex. Fair inscription, bills, etc)
+
On our experience maps we skipped some steps that we must add
+
Concession is one of the most important features of our platform and we need to define better how is going to be this online and offline experience for our users.
+
We need to design better the concession online and offline experience, to help designers and retailers to close deals in a simple way through our platform.
+
Payments vary depending of the retailer or designer requirements
+
We need to offer multiple payment options to the retailers.
+ Designers highly value the exportation guidance and that could mean a value proposition that we can offer.
We have to expand our offering and guidance for the exporting as our value proposition
+
We have to guide them but at the same time we can’t give them all the information about our contacts and the exportation process otherwise they would do it by themselves. Also our service have to be very appealing and meaningful so they can feel need to hire us.
We have to be careful in the way we guide them and provide them information, to avoid that they left our platform as soon as they learn how to do it.
+ + +
We have to be more emphatic in the story behind the products
+
We have to have a wide variety of retailers to attract designers and a wide variety of designers to attract buyers (network effect)
+ +
+ +
Retailers value the story behind the products Retailers and buyers who are about to make a large order want to see and feel (samples) the products. However they are not willing to spend time or money returning samples
+
Testers did liked the website prototype and could understand how it worked and follow the process
We need to design a better strategy to manage the sampling offering
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