Client
Role
Product Design/Operations Lead
The Bakery Atlanta
Product
Physical Products/Webstore Page
Year
Sept 2023 - March 2024
Goals
The Bakery Atlanta
Merchandising Project
My Role
Project Lead and Product Designer
Conducted market research and created product mockups
Collaborated with local artists and small business owners
Integrated print on demand store into organizations Squarespace page
Tools
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
Canva
Google Suite
Overview
Led the end-to-end merchandising strategy for a non-profit arts organization, overseeing market research, product design, client communication, and photoshoots. Integrated a a print-on-demand shop into their website, created an inventory management system, and started an initiative for local businesses to carry products in stores.
Create a dynamic inventory of merchandise products.
Create social media content that highlights the unique vibe of the brand.
Drive product sales for physical location and online webstore.
The challenge
This project focused on setting up and developing the merchandise sector for The Bakery Atlanta. Merchandise had been in demand from patrons for a considerable time, and the initiative aimed to market the venue and its revitalization while also generating additional revenue.
The clients had a limited budget, but wanted a variety of items that would both represent their bold and fun branding while also appealing to a diverse audience. I decided that the best way to approach this would be to offer a range of affordable in house products while outsourcing the higher-priced items to a print on demand service that could be set up as an online store on their website.
Research and Strategy
I met with the client to discuss branding as well as other types of merchandise that had been offered in the past to see what had and hadn’t worked. I conducted five user interviews to better understand what type of merchandise regular patrons wanted to see, what might motivate them to buy merchandise, and to gauge how much patrons would spend on items.
Competitor Analysis
The competitor analysis focused on four direct and indirect competitors. Cat Eye Creative, CreateATL, MINT, and Echo Contemporary for the direct competitors. All four are art and community based organizations.
The indirect competitors were the High Museum of Art, Citizen Supply, Finca to Filter, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I chose these because I wanted to analyze a commonality in the types of products sold.
Product Mockup
Design
After identifying the target audience and interviewing patrons the client was presented with mock-ups for several products that could be carried in house.
After listening to client feedback they finalized several of the designs, with the remaining mock ups being shown to customers in the form of a survey to better analyze preferences.
Physical Products
Results
The physical products were first launched in the clients physical gallery location and were well received by patrons. Supporters of the organization were able to show support by both purchasing and displaying their new merchandise.
Each item sold well with 3 out of 8 products needing to be restocked in the first month
Clients pleased with the final products
Client saw a 10% increase in online engagement due to advertising
Web Store
An online print- on demand store was easily integrated into the Squarespace page. The product descriptions were kept fun and informative to stay on track with the clients brand language and assets were created to keep the listing informative and on brand (product photos, size charts, and the web page banner)