The next era
My friend, Rafael, thinks we are on the verge of the next great design revolution. I think we in the jewellery industry had absolutely better be! We have the ability to design things unimaginable a few short years ago and that, of itself, is a fantastic opportunity. I am not sure we have yet embraced that potential. To be (or remain) competitive in the marketplace with the distractions of electronics and other must-haves, we need to start thinking a bit more strategically.
Pulling a quote out of context from a website called Fast Company, I will leave something for our industry to ponder. This was written primarily as advice for marketing to millennials, but I think it has a broader perspective.
“Great design streamlines, clarifies, and delights—and the most complex or chaotic experiences need it most of all. But here’s the rub: For Millennials, design is not a differentiator—it’s a cost of entry. Every startup looking to re-imagine broken industries, whether it’s housing or health care, has one thing in common: well-designed experiences. And every established giant within that same system tends to be plagued by the reverse.”
Your voice is how people perceive you, it is your brand, and it can be your direction. Think clearly about how you want to present it.
Gary Dawson is owner of Gary Dawson Jewelry Designs, an online custom design operation that was once featured as a “Best of the Best” by Instore Magazine, as well as Dawson Distributions LLC, a supplier of CAD/CAM solutions for jewellers. Dawson has more than 40 years’ experience in creating designs that capture the personalities and stories of his customers, and he is a frequent contributor to MJSA Journal. He has also delivered seminars and presentations at numerous events, including AGTA GemFair, Portland Jewelry Symposium, and the Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology. Dawson can be reached via e-mail at gary@garydawsondesigns.com.
