Word-of-mouth and referrals bring in a variety of jobs designing business cards and logos or photographing and illustrating brochures and mailers. To build your business, there is more than one use for your original ideas! In today’s economically challenged marketplace, it is wise to look for additional profit centers for your creativity. Product design is really a broad-based market available to any creative professional to expand into new clients and increased sales.

Step One - Getting Started
The main categories of ideas for your designs or illustrations include: accessories, apparel, domestics (towels, bed linens), furniture, home decor, gifts, novelties (coffee mugs, lunch boxes), paper products (calendars, posters, greeting cards), toys and games. For a complete discussion of standard business practices and pricing in these categories, check out the new 9th Edition of the Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines written by the Graphic Artists Guild. You will need the valuable information on royalties and licensing in the Handbook. Then, how do you select an idea to get started? By answering questions like, "What do you find funny?" or "What is your personal philosophy?" you could develop a line of photo or illustrated greeting cards. By asking yourself, "What do I need that I can’t buy at this time?" you could design a new teakettle or clothing line. There is no limit to what you can imagine!

Step Two - Getting Your Ideas Produced
Before you decide whether to produce your own design or license it, you need to turn the creative idea into the practical. The next step is making a prototype of your idea. Be sure to use materials that would be available for the final production. You will find out what materials are readily accessible and their costs. If you can’t produce your idea easily, it may be that it is impractical and unreasonable to manufacture. The process of fabricating a single piece, to scale or to size, will force you to think through the production process as well as understand the strengths and limitations of various materials and production/manufacturing processes.

Step Three - Testing Your Product Design
Go to the toughest people you know to try your product and give you feedback. The best critique is negative information, such as the question, "How could it be improved?" Try to get your prototype onto a retail shelf somewhere. For example, put your toy onto a toy store shelf, and watch the reactions of the consumer. The best advice on testing is to talk to potential customers, buyers and distributors. Getting feedback and fine-tuning are fundamental to the product design process. This feedback is especially crucial if you choose to market the product yourself.

Step Four - Marketing Your Product Design
The big decision you will have to make is whether to do your own marketing and distribution or sell your idea in a licensing agreement to a manufacturer who will do both for you. Marketing your own product will require business knowledge and skills in manufacturing, marketing, product inventory and shipping. These "retail" tasks are not part of most creative people’s education but may be something you would like to learn. Be sure to do what you really like and what you enjoy. If your preference is creative over sales, then you may be more interested in licensing than doing your own marketing. Then, you can spend your time doing what you do best, creating, and do it within a time frame that’s self-imposed rather than market-imposed. If your preference is to maintain complete control of your product line, then you will do it all.

Think about it. The opportunity for supplemental income from having a few greeting cards, kitchen appliances or home decor items out in the retail market is irresistible. Start today with this four step plan. Start with an idea you have always wanted to sell but never had the steps to take. Start today!