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Virtual Products Cut the Mustard for Card Company
When design and visuals team Duo Design brought cutting-edge technology to fledgling greeting card company Mustard Cards, the result was an impressive portfolio of products that don't actually exist yet!
Tracey Ince knew that her own designs for her greeting cards would make highly marketable products, but didn't know how to go about making the transition and selling the licenses for them. When her local Chamber of Commerce adviser in St. Helens suggested that she approach a design company to come up with a portfolio of computer-generated images and concepts for products featuring Tracey's designs without the trouble of actually manufacturing them, the results left her ecstatic!
"I thought you had to have the products actually made up, which would have cost thousands of pounds," says Tracey. "As it was, Duo Design came up with a fantastic portfolio and saved Mustard Cards a lot of money in the process." Tracey is now showing her portfolio of virtual products to companies interested in buying the licenses for her designs.
"People won't buy products until they've seen them at least virtually", explains Cris Ward of Duo Design. "We modelled some glass beakers on the computer and pasted Tracey's designs onto them. The process takes about one day per product range and costs about the same as professional photography. Animated and 3-D images are also possible, enabling even greater appreciation of the final product."
"Virtual product imaging is a great idea for larger objects too," says Andrew Rose, Cris's design partner, "as it cuts out studio hire as well as expensive short-run manufacturing. Duo Design have already supplied images of hi-fis, construction equipment, cosmetics and baby products. Their visuals have been used for focus groups and consumer research amongst other things.
Mustard Cards and Duo Design are now in the process of adding to the portfolio, to include bedding, lampshades and other household items.
Web sites: www.duodesigns.co.uk / www.mustardcards.com .
Date:28th Jul 2003