This morning, 27th September 2023, we had a masterclass guest speaker, Product Consultant – Sonya, offering her extensive advice on how to create successful, commercial products.
Sonya has over 25-years of industry experience as a product developer for leading sportswear brands and now runs her own Sonya the Product Consultant business. She said: “It was very exciting to have been invited by Fashion-Enter Ltd to present an online masterclass and share my knowledge and experience of supporting start-up brands in launching their own product collection. As an advocate for UK manufacturing and seeing all the incredible work that Fashion-Enter Ltd does by giving something back to local communities it’s an absolute honour to be working alongside Fashion-Enter Ltd and hopefully my advice can support and inspire others in following their dreams of producing their own product collection.”
Over her hour-long presentation Sonya packed in lots of informative and insightful advice for designers and brand start-ups on what they need to consider, from market research and initial designs to working with a supplier and marketing. The session included:
Section 1: Defining Your Product Vision
- Craft a compelling product vision aligned with customer needs and market demand.
- Establish clear product goals and objectives to guide development.
- Create a product roadmap to prioritise features and enhance product development.
Section 2: Strategies for Effective Product Development
- Apply user-centred design principles to create exceptional user experiences.
- Utilise market segmentation and targeting strategies for effective product positioning.
- Adopt agile methodologies and lean practices for efficient product development.
Section 3: Navigating the Product Launch Process
- Design impactful go-to-market strategies to generate excitement and drive adoption.
- Implement effective product marketing and communication plans.
- Leverage feedback loops and user testing to refine the product post-launch.
Section 4: Continuous Improvement and Optimisation
- Identify key product success metrics and performance indicators.
- Utilise data-driven insights to optimise the product and enhance user satisfaction.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement and iteration.
This masterclass was streamed to designers and learners at the FTA / FC Designer Workspace as well as external attendees and the feedback included:
“Really helpful for future ideas.”
“I learnt that there is a protocol to follow to market your brand. Very insightful.”
“Thank-you, lots of useful information.”
The next free masterclass is: The Fashion Entrepreneur’s Toolkit: Building a Strong Foundation for Your Fashion Venture which takes place Wednesday 4th October, 10 – 11.00am via Zoom. If you are looking for expert advice then you can get in touch with Sonya through her website: https://www.sonyatheproductconsultant.co.uk/