“This course is teaching something desperately needed in the industry. It’s a gamechanger.”
- Margo Tantau, VP of Creative for MidwestCBK, responsible for the production of around 5000 new products each year
MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor has been developed in collaboration with top art director Margo Tantau in response to something she saw lacking in the industry. Time after time talented artists were showing their portfolios to her, but only demonstrating what their work looks like in two dimensions, as flat art, such as patterns and illustrations. However, as someone responsible for producing 5000 products a year, Margo needed ideas for products, and felt that if artists could only show concepts in their portfolio, it would make them stand out because:
- She would know that they have great ideas that could be developed together
- She would immediately see the potential applications for their art on products
- She would know that they get what she needs, so will probably be good to work with
Hardly anyone was presenting their work in this way, so we created this course to change that, and to give YOU—talented artists with commercial potential—a much better chance of getting inside the art director’s head and onto their books.
Designs by Caroline Bonne Muller for ‘Metal’ week
Each week in class Margo provides in-depth video-based training into how to design for a specific material, popularly used in the lucrative home décor market. Across the course Margo gives you insights into METAL, CERAMICS, FABRIC, GLASS and WOOD/MDF.
Note only are the video trainings packed with a ton of eye candy, Margo explains what makes certain pieces great, helps you understand the manufacturing process, and shares secrets which will help you build your own compelling collections. Lilla joins Margo at the end of each weekly product video to ask exactly the kind of burning questions that you are likely to have after watching such rich in-depth content.
Take a look at what is on offer with this short video:
[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/124456512 [/vimeo]
Each training video is accompanied by a series of finishing notes to help you develop product presentations which speak to art directors, and show your understanding of the manufacturing process. This will make your work stand out head and shoulders above that of other artists, and encourage buyers to buy more from you, because you will be presenting your work in collections.
As an Art Director responsible for thousands of products a year, Margo Tantau knows exactly what she looks for when seeking out a new artist. She also knows what the market wants, and how to work with manufacturers to deliver that.
Margo shares that insider knowledge with you in this course, including:
- Weekly Art Directors’ Cheat Sheets to tell you exactly how to woo an art director, and how not to turn them off
- A host of details about the manufacturing process which will make you look at the art you sell in a completely different light
- Real examples of annotated product and collection sheets showing exactly what goes to the manufacturer – knowing this can help you make your art more attractive to an art buyer, because you can demonstrate your understanding of the process
- Weekly reviews (with Lilla) of the class response to the weekly assignments, showing exactly how an art director sees your work and how you can make it even more commercially-appealing*
*Please be aware that only a handful of pieces will be selected for the review each week and there is no guarantee that yours will be included, but the review can be just as valuable when you observe the comments on others’ work.
Feel like this is exactly what you need? Register now!
Want to learn more about the Home Décor market? Watch our free video series here.
