NOISE Festival's blog...

NOISE 2008 Curator Choice for Architecture (as chosen by Zaha Hadid) Natalie Wooller sold her work in KiosKiosK during August. Here's her account of selling her work in this unique space, smack bang in the heart of London...

"During my time in the Kiosk I sold interior and exterior decor pieces.

Very few people actually ventured in, as generally people were a little timid and I don’t think they got the concept it was actually a stall where you could buy stuff, majority thought it was an exhibition or a tourist information booth” Interestingly though, many people who did come in were not British! Don’t know what that is saying about us Brits!!...not very nosey!


But, those that did take a look were really positive and helpful and helped me see my work from a consumers point of view. I went away with some ideas to work on which should, encourage more people to purchase my work. The experience helped me think of different applications for my work and where I should market it.



The audience was varied. Kids were attracted to my brightly coloured 3D stuff, teenagers girls to my fashion accessories, and women and men from 20years to 70, everything else; from wall pieces, lamps and 3D interior and exterior sculptures.

I think the location of the Kiosk wasn’t ideal, it needs to be in an area where people are in a mind set to shop, so Camden, Covent garden, Spitalfields. I think people would be encouraged to come over and have a nose if there was a cluster of kiosks together, so people can mingle from one stall to another.

It was great to meet and talk to Ciara the girl I was sharing the Kiosk with on how she is doing as business, and get advice and website, contacts etc.

This was a great opportunity, to listen and talk to consumers. I went away with lots of ideas to work on, which in turn will hopefully benefit my work."

For more of Natalie's work and to get in touch with her for possible commissions and sales head to www.NOISEfestival.com/NatalieWooller

Royal College of Art graduate Catherine sold her unique home furnishings, including wallpapers and table linen in the KiosK during September.

"thanks for the opportunity and time you and the team gave me at Kiosk Kiosk last week.

Whilst it wasn't a especially lucrative (a few small sale products that I won't be retiring on just yet!) it was a good PR opportunity and chance to meet customers face to face for their honest feedback and market opinion.

The KiosK itself was very well designed and allowed me to create a strong display that was easily accessible by visitors. Its positioning was great for meeting high spending office workers rather than tourists, who took away information and seemed genuinely interested - a good start given the current economic climate and the hard sell is wallpaper!

Whilst the location saw heavy footfall, it was clear that a lot of people were apprehensive to approach and engage with the Kiosk, as its solo appearance seemed to be a little intimidating. Generally speaking, and from the feedback in the group comments book, this is definitely something that would need to be addressed and considered should you run the scheme again - perhaps a duo or trio of Kiosks or simple branding and A board advertising? It just needs to shout shop a bit louder.

It was great learning experience on direct selling and something which I have had little experience of and would like to develop further. It has given me a view into the consumers minds eye (which can often get lost during the designing process!) and ideas for future endeavors.

KiosKiosK has been a real learning curve, and something that I would advocate to other young designers - if only to get us out of our design comfort zone and into the real world of the market place! I would definitely like to be considered for another event should you be running the scheme in other locations in London later in the year or in 2010.

Many thanks again for the opportunity,

Catherine"

www.NOISEfestival.com/CatherineHammerton

NOISE Illustrator Joanna Cheung, from Doncaster, flaunted her wares in KiosKiosK this August. Read all about her adventures of selling her work in this unique space....

I'm selling a variety of handmade designs such as greetings cards, postcards, accessories and t-shirts all of which are my illustrations. I've got my own online shop however I'm doing a lot better at the Kiosk probably because people can see the products for themselves. The first time round I ended up putting stuff in piles, now I'm starting to get the hang of displaying items and labeling the prices so they look eye catching and not so cluttered :)

           

I noticed that people are more attracted to purchasing small items like postcards/cards rather than larger items especially when they're on offer (ah ha now I know!!), like impulse purchase i guess. I can justify how some items may seem more expensive as everything is made and packaged by myself, so I think people appreciate it more as nothing is mass produced. 

 It's been nice chatting to people about my work, it's all been positive and I have taken into account on what could be changed. for example some people like the generic and standard designs for birthday cards whereas most of my cards are all bird related and whimsical :) so people therefore don't see it as being functional, that's something I can work on. My audience was the general public and those who like arts/craft and hand made items or those looking for one off gifts. 

For me, Kiosk has been a great opportunity to get my work out there and to experience what it's like to take responsibility for all aspects of running a stall/business on your own, which can be scary! But i seem to get the impression that people were confused as to the building itself, they don't know that it's an actual shop so kind of shy away from coming in. I've always been friendly and encouraged them to come in and have a browse. Definitely to have lots of decoration and to be doing something outside like painting etc. attracted tourists! It's  inspired me to be involved with more stalls around London and to produce items which I've taken aboard all the comments. 

Perhaps if there were more kiosk stalls in one area so it was like a proper arts and crafts market rather than one on it's own. The location is an important factor as that links in with the potential audience.  A big sign outside would also help! 

To be part of this which will turn into something big is very exciting. It's motivated me to continue to make more things and to keep working hard at it as this is what I enjoy the most. I'm going to miss it when it's over! 

Jox
www.NOISEfestival.com/Joannacheung

As I stood in one of the most ornate rooms in Manchester’s Town Hall sipping my free champagne, listening to Badly Drawn Boy strumming his guitar, I wondered how I had managed to get invited to an event like this. The answer was simple. I wasn’t invited, this was Noise Festival.                           

Free to any creative under the age of 25, whether your interest lies in architecture, fashion, moving image, music, graphic design or illustration, Noise Festival was the networking event that helps you to get a leg up in the industry. The two day festival was attended by over thirty creative organisations such as MTV, The SuperSuper, Amelia’s Magazine, Noki and the BBC to name a few. A number of designers and artists such as Stella Vine and the architect Patrick Schumacher, Zaha Hadids partner, were also on hand to review portfolios and to give invaluable advice to us, the wide-eyed designers of the future.                         

Tuesday evening was a definite highlight. The fashion show, styled by Dr Noki’s House of Sustainability label, was a showcase of fashion students and graduates creations. As the models strutted down the catwalk to jaunty dub step, it was Scottish fashion graduate Annabel Breens graphic tops and watch print leggings that were particularly impressive and eye catching. The evening finished with a set by Noise Festival success story The Jesse Rose Trip, followed by Badly Drawn Boy.                                                    

The whole event felt really well organised and the attention to detail was spot on. I left feeling totally inspired. The hardest thing is to get your work noticed in such a competitive industry but Noise offers everyone the chance to show off their work on a level platform and hopefully to potential employers.        

If you didn’t make it to the event, you can still upload your work onto the Noise Festival website.

                                                                                                                   Photographs by Zuza Grubecka

 A post from the blog of PULP Magazine, Manchester Metropolitan University’s student magazine.. You can read more of PULP's blog on PULP Magazine online here                                                                                     

8.00 a.m. and a meeting at Government Office North West which I'm attending as Chair of the Regional Housing Group. The meeting is chaired by Deborah McLaughlin, currently Director of Housing in Manchester, but here acting as Regional Director of the Homes and Communities Agency, a role she formally takes up on December 1st, and the purpose is to see what we can do in the field of housing to address our current economic woes. Apart from the immediate impact on the building industry, if we don't get house building going again we are going to rapidly end up with an even bigger housing shortage because all though houses aren't being sold in anything like the numbers or at anything like the prices they were a year ago, there is still demand out there.