>WEB IDEAS - TECHNICALS

> TESTING - PRIVATE VIEWING I

TESTED my products with 3 different target individuals past few days
way of presenting:
- private one on one
- not pushing , not a sale but introduce only when they ask
- present as I am the creator
- presenting: box, black velvet lining, 3 designs of necklaces, mock up business card, serial numbers on each piece, limited editions

profile and feedbacks as follow:

profession: banker
age:27
location: liberty cafe 2nd floor
date and time: 3 Nov 07, 6.30pm
duration of our presenting: 30 mins
habits on necklace usage, budget: yes, around 100 pounds silver
other accessories they own: cufflinks and luxury watch(rolex)
feedback: interested. looks good, simple, but may not consider the diamond disc design.

profession: architect
age:27
location: sketch, new conduit street
date and time: 4 Nov 07, 8PM
duration of our presenting: 40 mins
habits on necklace usage, budget: not really
other accessories they own: cufflinks
feedback: stylish but would prefer black necklaces. diamonds is fine but don't think will spend on diamonds, however, don't think this is blink and traditional. he may prefer pendant on the side instead of the traditional at the bottom.

profession: entrepreneur
age: 35
location: Berkerley Hotel, south Kensington
date and time: 4Nov 07, 3pm
duration of our presenting: 25 mins
habits on necklace usage, budget: never
other accessories they own: cuff links and luxury watch(Tag H)
feedback: never think of wearing jewelry, no rings, no necklaces. however, tried on few times, and would love to buy it. prefer diamond disc and the cross.

> VIDEO MAKING

met with Kwang-su in Knightbridge - Harrolds.
try to find a good size box and ribbon to shoot around the area
spend 2 hours finding a box. can't find a black glossy one - as mock up is on the way, and need a larger size, ended up using a prada shoe box.

at first: shot on mid road, however, too many traffics
the end: shot few video with box(and ribbon) on black ground in front of a shop. with man made wind, to fly the ribbon.

outcome: not as the way we imagined but still good. will produce a 1 page prelude site tonight.

> WEB COLLABORATING, CHANGE OF LOGO DESIGN

met with webdesigner Kwang-su, Kim
brainstorm on web prelude
suprise of meeting: he suggested <span style="font-weight:bold;">a lower case with fonts "perpetua" instead of Opitma all upper case.
REASONS: length of "carole foret" fits better with lower case, serif looks more elegant and luxurious.
CONCERNS: website planning to use all uppercase, so logo may not match, also all words are planned to use Arial (san serif) to give men disconnect to gay/feminine relations to necklace, this may

DECISION: to disconnect feminine connections to necklace can use other method to overcome, also, site stil use Arial uppercase, so less compromise

run the risk of reminding them and lead to not change of taste

so now, my name cards, box mock up has to stop for changing logo if I'd like to. time consuming and postponing delivery. however, a good point to consider.

on web: after 2 hours of discussion on few proposed idea, final: will use a video instead of initial construction.
video: black box with black ribbon, shooted on street, with ribbon flying.

will meet sunday

> THE OLD WAYS

the abundance of e-commerce, mega store ebay seems to be the way to go now.

Thinking back in the old days, buying/selling involved the actual meeting up at a meeting place, either a shop or a location. customer engaged in the experience in touching, examining, understanding and trying on the product. It involved physically at same place together, involves senses and human interaction. a little similar to the operation of shops these days.

however, the different of shops vs the one just mentioned, probably is the homogeneity of what is being provided now. sales stand at the counter, and sell to customer instead of being a 1 on 1, face to face personal encounter. even LV in HK, you don't get much respect and time from a sale.

my experience engaging in the viewing of arm revolution (only because their e-commerce site is not ready yet), inspired me. the connection build from such engaging 1 on 1 experience is somehow one hardly get it from stores. it's something that I tried and felt that was so precious that gave me little surprises and story to tell. an experience that stays and live with the product for a long time.

can designers bring back similar "traditional yet can be inventive way of meeting the product" to our "modern" and "efficient" digital intense world, is it too impractical to even try?

To me, this is Luxurious.

> STORY OF A SMALL VILLAGE

South Korea has 33.9 million internet users, the highest number of broadband connections per capita in the world, and is a leader in Third Generation (3G) mobile technology. Its ports are home to the three largest shipbuilding companies in the world – Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Heavy Industries. Evidence of its manufacturing boom can be found all over the country in the form of factories, warehouses and the haze that is the unavoidable result of such swift industrial expansion.

Yet, this small community – of 100-plus villagers – continues to defend traditional principles in order to escape from the turmoil of a hectically paced modern world. Dressed in traditional clothing, they spend their lives studying, meditating and gathering food.

The community ascribes to an unusual philosophy that is a fusion of Confucian, Buddhist and Christian teachings, with a strong underlying dose of Tonghak, a 19th-century religion that emerged at the time of Korean peasant liberation movement in the 1890s.

They are as passionate as ever about clinging to their traditional existence, because they believe emphatically that it is their route to paradise. But perhaps for them, paradise on earth is already here; in the form of an uncomplicated way of life, surrounded by the lush natural beauty of the Jirisan Mountains.

> PRIVATE VIEWING ONLY

to answer my own questions of "can we bring back human experience" "what is luxury" and my answering to "“Luxury” is a self-definition, a regaining life energy, the experience of it chases other than what’s disclosed, and looks for simple, intimate, hidden pleasures. (biarritz inspiration-not everyone can have it, it's the rare experience that counts) finding and engaging in the things we lack, time, space, connections and peace.

from these, I would like to design my artifact, not only the product itself where the name card designed to project a "simple life" "area for imagination" space that help to relate them away from preconception of a necklace but on top of that,

artifact will be ABANDONING THE IDEA OF SHOPS, NEITHER PHYSICAL NOR ONLINE. It will be another experience that involves 1 on 1 face to face private viewing by appointment only. A human connection to the product to the designer with the audiences. it's physical, sensorial and direct. it's extravagant as it's costly (HAHA, that's why no one is really doing it these days) but I believe it this is the luxury one can provide to entice and build immediate connection with the product by touching, feeling, trying, that, such extra connection will make audience bonded (like injecting their own DNA into it) with the item. paying extra effort to get an appointment. it's about chasing the rare.

> WEB/PACKAGING COLLABORATORS

Post an ad, and few ppl called from ST. MARTIN
great! will have packaging/accessory designer from LCF coming in tomorrow
then meeting up another korea from st. martin on sat.
taking ideas and sharing - cant wait

> PACKAGING - BOX PROTOTYPE

boxes already designed in terms of dimension and material
contacted few suppliers and sort down to 2 to make prototype. but due to distance, may need modification and also may not satified what I want.

fingerx

> BE JACK OF ALL TRADES?

Interesting, should we should we not?
something I've been doing and been critized. however, I am having alot of good time, experiencing is key to my life. well.. just cross my mind so to write a post..

Mazlow's hierarchy of needs drives us to need more for any measure of comparative success. without intellectual stimulation, not superlative material wealth, is what drives us to depression and emotional bankruptcy.

Diversity breeds empathy with the broadest range of human conditions and appreciation . Alternative, is the defensive xenophobia usually common to those whose identities are defined by their job title or single skill,given pursue out of obligation and not enjoyment.

fun, in the most serious existential sense. ha, am being very serious here...

It's seriously important (at least for me) to maximize the number of peak experiences in life and learns to enjoy the pursuit of excellence unrelated to material gain

imprisoning oneself in self-inflicted one-dimensionality pursuing imperceptible incremental improvements (i'd say most of the time, diminishing marginal increase) is not easy to enjoys the process of pursuing excellence.

noticed alot of friends said am drifting, growing money tree where allowing myself to travel and do what I'd like. Not being defensive. but no, I do (deep down) hope I got at least 1 money tree to grow, but no. Just do what you desire and world will take you there.. I insist. and time is too short to wait and postpone, really.

eyes open, love of life. a loud big world out there babe.

> TIME / ATTENTION

Time without attention is worthless, so value attention over time.

> E COMMERCE TODAY

info from trendwatching.com

In the US, ecommerce is expected to reap sales of USD 259 billion this year, representing an 18% gain over 2006. The online retail industry still only accounts for 7% of total retail sales, excluding travel. But certain categories represent a much higher percentage, like computers, where online sales make up 44% of the total. The food and beverage category, by contrast, represents only 1%. (Source: Shop.org.)

Forrester estimates that in the US, almost USD 400 billion of store sales — or 16% of total retail sales — are directly influenced by the web as consumers research products online and purchase them offline. This will expand at a 17% compounded annual growth rate over the next five years, resulting in more than USD 1 trillion of store sales by 2012.

In the UK, online shopping sales exceeded GBP 4 billion a month for the first time in July 2007. On a 12-month basis, online sales are up 36%. (Source: Brand Republic.)

South Korea's ecommerce sales soared more than 26% in 2006, thanks to increased spending on children's goods, fashion and sports-related items. Combined ecommerce transactions reached 13.45 trillion won (USD 14.29 billion). (Source: Yonhap.)

> CONNECTION OR DISCONNECTION??

world is now very very and very digital. efficient, yes, it's great.
however, MSN, myspace, facebook, E commerces, virtual game, NDS, that human interaction is decreasing at a exponential speed. we demand efficiency, being in control, being isolated, being connected but an indirect connections with delay (replying with sms instead of calling - phenomenon in Asia.) We lost the channels for real human connection at a physical spots.. or let's say we sooner will loose the ability to connect in a very basic, traditional way.

can design bring back to our basic, our root that we can engaged in, we all desire to go back to ourselves, our touches, our senses and a real humane experience?

> PRADA - THE NEW H&M

Today , in the alienation of the globalization, everything becomes heavily homogenizing in a lot of ways, that, identities has been slowly disintegrating. We loose the sense of ourself, our own definition, sense of life, sense of being. Luxurious store are like Starbucks, H&M, Mcdonald, experience of engaging into the product experience became homogeneous as well as digital.

Again, can we deliever an experience personal, where you can touch, chat, feel and acquiring such experience by being there, where no one other than such person whom experienced it can take home with it? this is luxury and can we manage it? if a store concept becomes a 1 to 1 experience, is it too costly to operate ? is this a fantasy that men has been looking for?

> DIALOGUE WTH PAUL SMITH

went to "Sir Paul Smith in conversation with Dylan" tonight (NOTE: Dylan chief ed. from ID magazine)
quite interesting and reinforcing some of my thoughts as well. HIGHLIGHTS:

HAVE TO HAVE POINT OF VIEW
THINGS WITH LITTLE SECRETS
THINGS WHERE EVERYDAY MEN CAN IDENTIFY
EVERY SHOP, EVERY CORNER HAS THEIR OWN IDENTITY, BIG BRANDS SHOP IS LIKE STARBUCKS THESE DAYS - PATHETIC! THERE MUST BE REASON TO GO PARIS, BUT NOT ANYMORE
BIG BRANDS - BUILD IDEAS, ROLL OUT IDEAS LIKE PUSHING BUTTONS
UNIQUENESS
PASSION, ENERGY
I EMBRASS YOU, YOU EMBRASS ME
CARE ABOUT HUMAN BEING, THERE ARE PPL NOT VERY WELL
REAL PERSON
LARGER THAN LIFE
HUMOR, TOUCH AND GENTLE GESTURE (IN JPN)
PAUL'S DNA: LOVE OF LIFE/CURIOUS/OBSERVANT/YOU WEAR THE CLOTHES

finally, "IT'S ABOUT TODAY & TOMORROW, NO ONE CARES HOW GOOD YOU USED TO BE"

> PACKAGING - IDEAS

went to Harrolds, Liberty, Harvey N, and premium store to visit packaging designs. from jewelry, to cigar products. Here are some draft idea of possible design for the necklaces.

> BRANDING

The function of branding is to create preference by managing consumer’s perceptions and expectations of the brand. This is accomplished by developing a brand strategy that outlines rules and guidelines to ensure that the brand owner’s goals and objectives are met. The role of branding has become an integral part of business strategy as it defines a realistic and manageable brand promise, detailing what the brand owner must deliver and what consumers expect of the brand.

Branding preconditions consumers to consider and purchase a brand offering by managing the associations between that brand and its audience. This increases consumer confidence in both the functional and emotional benefits that the brand promises to deliver. As brands reside within the hearts and minds of consumers, branding is not about getting your target market to choose your offering over the competition, it is about preconditioning consumers to see your offering as the only way to satisfy a specific need, want, or desire.

> MET WITH ANOTHER LUXURY BRAND

Met with armrevolution. a cuff links company that selling each pair made of stainless steel at around 500 pounds. targeting a very niche market group.

very similar to my idea indeed.

summary of meeting:
I met the designer as a potential customer as their web e-commerce is not launched yet.
location: liberty cafe 2nd floor
person: designer herself, Scottish, dress semi formal, mid 20.
product - packaging: very nice and more expensive / luxurious packaging than any other cuff links company I've seen.
product - cuff links: big, masculine, architectural
future - launching of e - commerce
event - may have exclusive event (but do express because of low budget, have to keep it small)
warranty - 2 yrs
trick - serial numbers for each pair, but not limited
marketing - as a new movement
office - london and nyc
duration of our meeting - 30 mins
bill - 6 pounds paid by designer

> WEB DESIGNING

DIRECTION before launching:

AT 1ST - would like to do a video of life and style however, change of style
2nd thoughts - building up tension for awaiting. and ended up a very quick flash of product.
SO, PRELUDE: bang bang then slowly evolves into a "waiting" slogan"
got a CSM web designer "VAS" committed to the development but never showed up during the week.
need to find another person - may have to pay.
as can't invest much time learning flash / dreamweaver from now.

> FINAL REFINING OF NAME CARDS / DIRECTION