Fancy starting a collaboration?

Have you ever thought about working with another designer on a collaborative project?

If you’re interested in collaborating with another designer or have an idea you’d like to try out, or if you’re looking for another maker with a specific to skill to work with, why not post it here?

Collaborations can be a brilliant way to boost your craft business! Here are four reasons why:

  1. Collaborations can boost your reach, and using a collective marketing strategy can help you both build a new audience.
  2. Collaboration can add interest to your online shop with new product range you would be unable to create on your own.
  3. Working with a complementary craft business creates an exciting buzz and can attract interest from press and bloggers.
  4. Working with others will help you to grow as a designer and business owner – you can learn so much from collaborating with inspiring and creative people!

Read on for more tips…

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Interesting article - I’d love to read more examples about successful (and unsuccessful) case studies too, to see what benefits are achieved. Not sure how I could make this work for my type of business but I’m open to fresh ideas!

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It was an interesting article, I think working with people can be exciting and can also be stressful … I think what the article says about asking yourself the questions is very good!

I’m not sure what the difference is between a “collaboration” and just working with another person or company as a joint project?

@Textiletreasure Heidi you never know where the opportunity might come from. I have worked with people before in both my Artist role …
I was approached on Twitter last year by an American company who make a specialist type of encaustic support, then not available in the UK (now it is), they knew I was an artist and that we had made some films of me painting. They wanted to collaborate / work together and asked if they could commission me to make a video of me painting with their encausticbord. I was keen as I had wanted to use these supports … The process took a couple of months, we had a contract to cover us both for the copyright etc. the videos (we made 3 for them to choose 2) they sent me lots of supports - my contact their end was an artist too - which was great, although I was free to paint what I wanted she understood where I was coming from and we communicated over the months, she even invited me to lunch - next time I’m in the U.S. - I wish lol

It was fun …

My first collaborate in my web developer life was interesting …
I was already a web developer and was studying computing (not web design) at the OU when asked if I would be interesting in creating the first OUSA website for Essex - I was unsure to start with but another student said he would do it if I would help - he was studying computing too and ran a web accessibility NPO, which I was interested in. Once we got started it was a 50/50 shared project, we worked over the Internet - he coded at night as he had a day job and I did the days and spoke on the phone. We didn’t know to begin with that we only lived 10 minutes away from each other - we knew we were both in Essex, but as with all things you don’t tell people you don’t know where you are - do you? Anyway the project finished and we met up … And last week was our 9th wedding anniversary :slight_smile: Best be very careful who you collaborate with lol

This is one of the videos we made … The out takes (not online ) were so funny !!!

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Hi @folksycontent1

I have been looking for someone to make and supply eco friendly mugs with a screen printed element from myself. I found one person local to me who used a ‘local slip’ to make the mugs and it was a dream but he has since closed down and gone quite on helping me source another.

i would like to work collaboratively with any eco friendly mug makers! (Pottery not china)

Any ideas?
Thanks!
Linzi

Very interesting reading, thank you! And the video was enlightening too - I was especially fascinated by the third ACEO you did, with the wax colours melting and merging together. I’m glad your collaboration was so successful LOL - it certainly worked for you!! :slight_smile:

Thanks Heidi … Yes the ACEO were fun to do … Not my normal style and with a different type of wax paint than I use when working on my gloss card. The paint used in this video takes months to cure - bit like an oil paint would. My other encaustic wax on card is dry in minutes. Both methods and styles are fun but I mostly paint into card with my fast drying wax :slight_smile:

Yes the other collaboration worked out well. Who knew - I joined the OU to study and maybe find like minded people … and I found my soul mate :slight_smile:

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Have you thought about asking @mecki Linzi? That could be a great collaboration.

We don’t do collaborations as such but we do produce product for other crafters and companies as we have equipment that many people don’t have like large lasers and presses up to 20 ton. We rarely find collaborations work long term as the person with the idea usually relies on somebody else to fund the production. People need to realize that the cost is in the production there has to be a return for the investment in tools and machinery to say nothing about the material costs. This is often the stumbling block with collaborations and will often cause offence at the first hurdle when we say to the person with the idea it is going to cost you X amount for us to produce this product for you, this is the time when the bright idea usually fades.

is anyone attending MeetTheManufacturer in Tobacco Dock today and tomorrow?