So…
with yet another pattern almost in the books, it’s time to choose the ONE bag sample that will truly represent our new design for the pattern cover! In order to do this, I like thinking about which of our samples would most appeal to our customers… which one would gather the most attention at shows… and especially, and perhaps more importantly, which sample would be the one most likely to compel a customer to pick up that pattern and give it a long… second… look!
But here’s the thing… before I make this decision,
I REALLY love hearing which bag YOU would choose to be on the cover if you were ME. Maybe its because pattern designing is such a solitary business and I like the interactions… who knows? At any rate, I get a kick out of learning which would be your choice and hearing your reasoning.
So with that, here’s the choices to consider for the Bella BiFold pattern.
So… having seen your options, here’s the criteria to consider as you make YOUR choice!
1. Consider MORE than just your personal favorite. Of course the sample you choose should be appealing to you, but always consider how much “universal appeal” a bag has. Would it appeal to MOST people?
2. Will it turn heads? Ideally, a cover sample should “stand out in a crowd”! By definition it’s a show bag. It’s not meant to be neutral, fade into the background or look good with our entire wardrobe although it might!
3. Do the fabrics used draw attention to the design’s key features? Some prints are so “busy” that the bag features seem to disappear because all you can see is the PRINT! I want interesting fabric, that’s for sure, but I want the design to shine unimpeded THRU the print.
4. Does the sample include ALL the design features promised in the verbiage on the cover. Because here’s the thing… the model that is chosen for the cover is the model that will MOST be associated with this design… it’ll be the “spokesmodel” so to speak. But if it’s missing a promised exterior pocket for example, then every single person who picks up that bag at the shows we travel to, will want to know why it doesn’t, or worse still, they’ll think that the design DOESN’T include an exterior pocket at all.
5. Is it photogenic? Sometimes, for reasons that I’ll never understand, (probably because of MY photography skills), certain samples just don’t photograph well. No matter the lighting…. no matter the background….no matter… what… I…. DO! But here’s the deal, no matter how pretty and ideal it is in person, if it doesn’t photograph well, or if I cannot seem to get a decent photograph of it, then it’s just NOT a good candidate for our cover model! It can still be a fantastic “show bag”, but not the best “cover model”.
6. Does it actually LOOK like “our brand”? Our goal is for our customers to be able to identify a pattern as belonging to our line without even seeing the title or our logo on the front cover of the pattern. We would be doing ourselves no favors for example, if we suddenly departed from a “formula” that’s worked for us for 18+ years and placed a model on the cover that just doesn’t look like something we would put forward!
7. Is it created with a special pieced exterior? As most of you know, I LOVE piecing my way to a unique exterior, but I’ve learned from bitter experience and quite a few customer scoldings (reference the Lollapalooza) that placing a model with such an exterior on our pattern cover is generally just NOT a good idea. BUT– if there are actual pattern pieces for this special exterior, and those pieces can be included in the pattern package itself (reference the Uptown Saddlebag or the Triple Play, then it CAN in fact be placed on the front cover.
So…there you have it! Are you ready to have a little FUN?
Because now it’s time for YOU to put on YOUR “designer hat”! … after reconsidering all six of these samples with the above criteria in mind, I’d love to know which one YOU would choose to grace the cover of our new pattern.
But don’t forget—I would also enjoy hearing the reasoning behind your choice. 🙂 And do stay tuned for the next post in this edition of Purse Pattern Chronicles to see how closely your choice mirrored ours when I reveal which model really will be on the cover of the new pattern. I’m SO looking forward to seeing your comments! You probably don’t know this, but this is one of my very favorite posts of the whole year!
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