My 4 P's: Product
Most of the time when I think of a product I think of a physical item that is pre-made and then sold. For me that is not always the case. My work seesaws between service and products. My product is always art, no matter what way you push it. When I first started writing about “My 4 P’s” in mid-2018 I was convinced that my product was ONLY an outline of services. I have come to find out through a series of consulting experiences and commissioned projects that I do both. I have some services and the end result is a product of art. The best example I have and one that speaks to my mission is when I create window and interior displays, and also merchandise a store.
Between planning and finding a process for each service and production of a product there is a lot of work that has to be done in order to create the actual product or successfully execute a service. My 3rd P, product, is the get your hands dirty part of the business. Without a product all you have is inspiration, an idea, and creativity. What you don’t have is the technical expression and reality of something useful for others. In other words, you don’t really have shit.
What I mean by this is that anyone, everyone has ideas, can be creative and have inspiration. The imagination to do or create something. It’s not until you are willing and able to roll up your sleeves and actually produce or in services terms, work with another person and be the solution to a problem that you have actually moved from the planning and process side of things into a product that reaches people.
For me, and I’m sure you are getting the gist of things, I like to talk about myself and my experiences here. I have projects where planning and process is a product that I get paid to do before an installation happens. When I am approached with a truly fantastic project that needs a lot of work up front in order to create the best possible product I start with the planning and process as a product to ensure that I am able to fulfill the needs of the client. Once that planning has been approved I move into the product phase. I begin production, getting my hands dirty, and creating things that no one but me can create because through the planning and processing phases I have put myself into the project. The ideas are authentically mine and no matter where I have pulled inspiration from, the production is my hands, thus making it unique.
At the beginning of 2020 I really got honest with myself when it came to what I do and how I do it. I have fumbled around knowing that I make art, in so way different ways. From retail displays and merchandising to brand development, logos, content curation for social media, and being an consultant for businesses and project management. Trying to put a label on each project so that you, the people, can understand my services and products has been a challenge. At the end of the day, it’s all a form of creativity and art.
