#makingmw

We’re into week three of the making.make works ‘merchandise sprint’ - and if nothing else have whittled down our ideas from dozens of low impact objects to sell, to one or two committed, well made, interesting / useful products - at least to start with. Thus being - our bi-annual publication (which is almost/finally ready to go), and a printed map / practical (and written by MW) guide to manufacturing in Scotland. 

The studio is covered in samples - boxes, envelopes, papers, prints - there are pages of scribbled sketches in my notebook. Yet - we’ve suffered from the numerous distractions of running a small organisation. There are habits I’ve built up to do with the day to day running of the platform (it would seem that I am addicted to researching new manufacturers to list on MW, and absent mindedly loose hours each morning tracking them down … ), I’m trying to finish up extra funding proposals, getting to factory site visits for the residency programme, co-ordinating filming for tour next week - and on the side, figuring out how to teach people to map their own local manufacturing in cities around the world.   

All of the above are core activities to running Make Works - but it risks losing focus from the initial task in hand. There are half-written emails to suppliers, printers, stockists and retailers in my emails about said 'printed MW manufacturing guide' - an underlying fear that the guide itself might not pay off - and the uncomfortable knowledge that if we don’t find a business model, then we won’t be here next year to keep delivering the service. 

Over our continued conversations with users, means that we are starting to see more clearly what ideas are ‘projects’ (interesting / valuable things we want to do, but ones that probably won’t make any money), and what activities are directly related to a sustainable revenue model, so that we can actually carry out those projects. The challenge really is figuring out where they cross over and support each other. 

Last week, I was really trying to find the answers to these two questions:   

1. Should we be making Merchandise? 

2. What should we be making? 

The biggest fear I had with creating ‘merchandise’ (high-end or low-end) was that we would be making useless tat - for the sake of making useless tat. Even if this was something that would bring some cash in to support Make Works, making unnecessary and poorly designed ‘stuff’ is not something I’ve ever been interested in, and seemed to conflict with what we are about. 

Thankfully, our users have explained that this is something they wouldn’t be interested in either. Like this engineer who mentioned - 

“I’ve never really seen anyone do ‘good’ merchandise, you just associate it with high volume, low quality ‘stuff'"

So, we will not be making merchandise* for Make Works. 

Instead we will be making physical products (and possibly experiences) to keep our digital one free. Things that are well-made, useful, educational and tell stories about the way things are, or could be made. Objects that inspire people about how to use different materials and manufacturing processes - and where they can find them locally.

People are the best part of designing and making ‘a thing’ - so this post is basically about how much I love speaking to our users. Whether it is learning about new collaborations that are happening through MW - or trying to develop new products.   

Over the past three days, I’ve spoken to 20 people that use Make Works (about 16 remotely and 4 in person) - through interviews, discussions, emails and comments. They have reminded me what is important - what we are good at, and importantly, what is not be our skill set, or worth pursuing. 

I’ve asked questions about organisations our users currently support and how they do it; what things they purchase on the internet (and how); how they have sourced new materials in the past; and the association they have to the term ‘merchandise’. 

I’ve also pestered people to tell me about what it is that they would expect from Make Works, (which hopefully means that I can find ways to exceed their expectations…) and I've asked the question “how would you describe Make Works to a friend?” Which, give or take a bit of people ‘being nice’ because I was there, was a useful exercise to better understand what people actually associate with the service. I was definitely surprised at some of the answers!   

The result, has more than anything meant getting to know the thoughts and behaviours of people that use Make Works, even better - which will make sure that what we are designing will fit into people’s lives and be useful, (or delightful) to them in the future. 

The past few days has also brought an influx of suggestions and ideas about what we are doing to my inbox. I’ve been given countless links to other models out there and things we might want to look at for feedback or comparison. We’ve also had a good number of factory suggestions in Open Make Works, which is incredibly helpful. 

So, in general - people are great. We should all be speaking and listening to people that actually use our designs more often.  

A huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to answer polls, meet for cups of tea and replied to emails over the past few days. User Love! 

Preparing my user-testing questions on Thursday, I realised I had made a huge error on Monday morning. I had made four assumptions. These were: 

1. That people ‘would’ be interested in purchasing merchandise made by Make Works (as a brand). 

2. What sorts of merchandise / products people ‘would’ use. 

3. That people ‘would’ be interested in supporting Make Works.

and 

4. That this ‘would’ generate some revenue.

So we need to test whether we should even be making merchandise as a revenue stream, before testing which merchandise or products we should be making (and subsequently things like how they are made, what they stand for, and how much revenue they will generate). 

I had analysed models like the Evernote Market, or the Maker Shed which is more about the brand, through to other non-profit support shopfronts (like this EPIC pirate store !!) From this I know that people (in a very vague sense of the word) buy things associated with a platforms’ brand. I also know that people (again, in a very vague sense) support and contribute to projects they believe in, including web platforms providing access to information free online, if it is perceived as valuable. 

What I hadn’t spent any time understanding, was whether those things would work for Make Works specifically. How they might be framed for MW, what was the real perception of value like for the platform (which as a founder, is one of those questions you are secretly scared of asking) - and how much money users would actually be willing to invest in it. 

So, today rather than framing the entirety of the user-interviews around specific merchandise items (which after the poll I sent out yesterday, I learnt alot around anyway) - my questions are based around testing those assumptions. 

I’ve been flipping between sketching products, and using Make Works all morning to source suppliers - talk about the best way to test your own website! 

I’m determined that everything we make will allow us to support our own network of local manufacturers. I guess I’ve realised that we need to make Make Works even easier than some of the ‘one-click’ fabrication services when it comes to ordering more generic objects such as t-shirts, stickers etc - and communicating that information is something we could tie into the merchandise project.

The spreadsheet of merchandise options - list, analysis and potential manufacturers can be viewed here. 

On top of that, to keep to our purpose - everything we will be making will be something that can be used in the process of making (in studios and workshops) - or would be useful in finding out about materials, processes, or local manufacturers. Things like rulers, cutting mats, or materials  and machinery information cards. Where possible, I’d love to commission makers and factories that double up as designers on MW to run with some of the designs themselves. 

I started this morning by making a list of merchandise products, that I could see Make Works putting into production. It included stationary, clothing, tools, publications, printed matter and everyday objects that one might use around the studio. 

Although this is an obvious thing to implement in terms of a model - it is something that we know works in Scotland (organisations such as Common Weal use it), as well as non-profits on the web (think of Wikipedia). It also reminds me of the marketplaces selling products that align with the brand, in platforms like Evernote. 

By Friday, I need to have mock ups of this merchandise ready for user-testing, and I want to avoid screen-printing a default logo onto t-shirts if I can help it. If something is made by Make Works, it needs to well made, it needs to be things that actually have a purpose - and they should all be made entirely using local manufacturers - who, if they are not already listed on Make Works, will be by the end of the process. 

By lunchtime this was whittled down to 12 ‘objects’, divided into the following sections. Stationary - tape, pencils, rulers, notebooks, sticker-packs - Print - our publication, printed local maps and guides, Workwear (clothing) - sweatshirts, pins, temporary tattoos and and Tools (for the workshop.) I also considered how we could be sold online (we will most likely make a Shopify), local design shops, art stores, DIY stores, and a list of Scotland’s pop-up’s around Christmas. 

What is Making Make Works?

Making Make Works is a project about making local factory finding service, makeworks.co.uk, financially sustainable. The project will develop a series of revenue streams that will future proof the open access manufacturing directory, ensuring that it continues to be available free of charge.

You can find out more about Make Works here.

You can read the Press Release here.

When will the project start?

The project begins on the 3rd of August 2015.

Where will the project take place?

The majority of the project will take place at founder Fi Scott’s studio in Glasgow, Scotland. Work in Progress events will be held at Codebase, Edinburgh.

Who is in your team?

Fi Scott is the lead designer and researcher on the project.

Lottie Burnley is the operations manager for Make Works. She will be project managing the revenue streams project, whilst keeping the core service going.

Jamie Sterling is the lead developer, working on front-end.

Martin Clarke is our database expert and back-end developer.

Luke Moodley and Simon Ray make up the Edinburgh Film Company, and will continue to be our creative partners for filming factories on Make Works.

We will also be collaborating with designers, SEO experts and collectives like Open Work over the year for particular projects.

Who is in your user group?

Our user group is made up of 30 artists, designers, technicians, manufacturers, developers and business minds in Scotland.

What is the role of the user group?

The user group will be interviewed every month, as we test new design ideas. They have been specifically asked to be part of this group, due to their background, knowledge, expertise and passion in the area.  

Why is Make Works free in the first place?

Tim Berners Lee once said of the internet, that ‘this is for everyone’.

We believe that everyone should have access to this sort of information - whether for practical use, research or inspiration and awareness of what is around them in the world. We would never discriminate access to the site because somebody couldn’t afford a subscription, and we can’t stand paywalls. We don’t charge for filming factories, as not doing so ensures that companies listed are there because we think they should be - not just because they can pay.

Why haven’t you made your business sustainable before now?

We started Make Works because we wanted to do something that would make local manufacturing more accessible. We built the early versions to prove our concept - a platform that would solve the time consuming and frustrating process of searching for factories, materials and workshop space.  As it turned out that what we were making was both viable and useful to people.

Many tech startups prioritise product and users before business model, especially in the early days. Huge companies such as Twitter, Facebook or Air BnB didn’t make any profit for the first few years, as they were establishing if what they were making would be used in the world. Take a look at this Paul Graham blog, where he explains why.  

What is the budget for the project?

£74,000. This allows us to pay ourselves, our team, and basic overheads. These include web hosting, studio rent, software subscriptions (like Adobe Suite) and internet. The budget also covers the very basics of running our service for the year, including the filming, visiting and photographing of a limited number of factories, workshops and makers across Scotland.

You can take a look at our budget here.  

Where did you get the money from?

We received an Open Project grant from Creative Scotland, a public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland. The funds distributed by Creative Scotland come from the Scottish Government and National Lottery.

We are also receiving in-kind support from Codebase, Edinburgh and Seedcamp, London.

You can read our funding application here.

How much money do you need to make each year, before you consider Make Works to be ‘sustainable?'

We can keep the site going (with no staff, filming or activity) for under £1000 a year.

The real figure, is that Make Works costs just under £100,000 a year to run. This includes growing our factory listings (touring and filming adds up), sustaining the existing service and supporting future revenue streams. It also allows us to constantly improve how the platform works. For example, we are keen to improve things like the search function on the site, this will take a good week’s (and more) work, and working with developers costs around £300/day.  

We are actually aiming to generate more than this, so that we can grow our audience, do some interesting side projects, and eventually begin funding, sponsoring and supporting other artists, designers and manufacturers.

You can take a look at our overhead costs here.

If you can see somewhere where we can reduce our overheads (without impacting on the service), can offer in-kind support or are interested in sponsorship then please do send us an email.

What revenue streams you have already thought of?

We have come up with over 35 revenue streams that would be feasible to implement. They include both digital and physical products and services.

You can look at a spreadsheet of revenue stream ideas here.

How are you deciding which ones to implement?

We looked at each revenue stream option, and analysed them in accordance to our values, and whether it would support (rather than distract) from our core mission, which is to make local manufacturing accessible and inspiring. The micro-projects are still likely to change as the year goes on.

How are the ‘micro-projects’ scheduled throughout the year?

We have scheduled in 9 month-long micro-projects. The year also has space for week-long filming tours across Scotland, production time, open hours slots, working progress events and some space for side projects (to keep our brains working).

What is a ‘Google Sprint?'

Google Sprints are one of the techniques we will be using to test our revenue stream ideas - alongside things like Business Model Canvas, or The Ship It Journal. We have adapted the model slightly for this project, and are primarily using it to give us some sort of structure, in what might otherwise would be an overwhelming project to undertake.

You can find out more about Google Sprints here

You can take a look at what our projects will look like here

Why are you developing revenue streams this way?

We only have one year to become financially independent, and we need to experiment with what will work. Many of our ideas, we can see a market for, but using this process means we can test as many of them as we can before making that leap.

When are the work in progress events being held, and what will they be like?

We will be holding work-in-progress events at Codebase, Edinburgh at the end of each project sprint. The dates will be published on this blog around a week before they happen.

The aim of the work in progress events is to have honest, open conversation about the process of building and sustaining a digital platform in the arts - and to give people the opportunity to ask questions about it.

Why do you not charge for filming and photography?

We visit, verify and film the manufacturers listed on Make Works, so that our users can trust that everyone listed is there because of quality, not because they were able to pay for it.

Companies are able to give us a donation for our time if they wish, but we know that if we started charging directly it would change the relationship from a curated platform, to a paid-for filming-service - which is not what we are about.

Will you charge people to access the site?

No. Never. Make Works will always be free to use, for everyone.

Will you sell data?

No.

Will you start using advertising?

Only if it is curated, and we think our users will be interested in what is being advertised.

Why do you not just charge a membership fee for listed manufacturing companies?

There are already many trade organisations and networks in Scotland, doing brilliant work - and we do not want to be in direct competition with them. We also don’t think we could make our overheads based on 134 companies paying an affordable small membership fee. 

Have you thought about partnering with a university - or larger organisation?

Yes, and some have voiced an interest. However, we want to be able to do what is best for our users, and retain our independence in doing so.

Why do you think people would financially contribute to this?

In a practical sense, we are giving people time within the stressful process of sourcing manufacturing. It means that people are able, and inspired to get things made much faster and with more confidence.

We are also future proofing skilled industry, by building the infrastructure for small scale, bespoke production. We do this by providing film, photography and a web presence that brings more business to these factories. Our goal is to make small scale local manufacture a competitive alternative to mass manufacturing, which is more sustainable as a model of production. 

Why is public funding not a business model?

It is irresponsible for any business to only have one core source of income, and we are predicting that the UK government will continue to make further cuts to the arts. 

Why are you a non-profit?

We want to be able to make decisions based on what will benefit our users, our product and our mission. This takes priority over profits or shareholders.

What was the accelerator you were in?

We were part of Seedcamp, which is based at Google Campus in London.

Why did you leave?

Seedcamp is based around the notion of a startup ‘family’ - and so in that sense we haven’t left. We still have access to the incredible community, mentors and founders pack in the academy. We have however taken a step back as the programme is aimed at companies who see themselves as the next 'billion dollar’ startups.

As Make Works does not (and will never) have any shareholders, conversations and support around investment and raising rounds became irrelevant to the future of the company.

Will Make Works be expanding outside of Scotland?

We are beginning to teach other groups in different countries about how to research, map and share manufacturing information. These networks may be integrated in the future.

Is Make Works copyrighted?

We have trademarked Make Works the brand. All other content is licensed under Creative Commons.

Are you still adding companies to Make Works as you are doing this?

Yes. We will be going ‘on tour’ for around a week each month, across Scotland to continue capturing local manufacturers.

You can suggest a factory.

You can list your own factory.

How can I get involved?

You can come to our open work in progress events and give us feedback.

You can come to the Make Works Meetup, held once a month at The Laurieston in Glasgow. 

You can use the website, and send photos of what you have made to [email protected]

If you want help us find and map manufacturers in Scotland through Open Make Works, or by suggesting a factory.