DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENT
Where it all begins
We are grateful and proud to have customers that have been with us for decades, and we love when new brands reach out to us. Design development is where it all starts. Some brands start with one great design idea, while others come to us with multiple collections. The process may very vary slightly, but the goals are the same: Deliver samples that delight & excite, provide excellent support throughout the entire development process, and make it easy to move into production.
Design Support & Guidance
Our team at Thai Design strives to provide exceptional service in support of design development for all of our customers, even those just starting out. While many other suppliers have high minimum order quantities or values to exclude brands that are “too small”, we are committed to keeping barriers low enough to support artists and new businesses as they grow.
Quotations
Jewellery prices are always a bit of a moving target, but we do our best to provide the best possible guidance throughout the development process. Initially, designs are often theoretical and so we rely on experience and estimates to provide reliable guidance. As the design progresses through each step of the design process, the quote can be made more and more accurate as we get closer to a finished product. When comparing quotations, it is important to be clear on the weight and metal price, as the underlying assumptions can be quite different.
Customer Samples
It is great when a customer has a physical sample for us to work from. It provides up-front clarity on weight, texture, size, construction, and many other key elements. It is absolutely fine if a customer does not have a sample already, as the goal of design development is to provide a sample, but it does give all parties a useful head-start and frame of reference.
While customer samples are always helpful, it is important to be aware that Thai Design takes intellectual property rights seriously. We cannot copy a design unless we are confident that the design belongs to the customer.
Sketch
The value of hand-drawn sketches from customers can vary dramatically, but is not necessarily correlated to artistic ability. Simple, clear drawings with measurements are often better than elaborate, pretty pictures. A sketch is a common starting point for a design and while the destination may be a work of art, our favourite sketches are more like blueprints for architecture. Interpreting inspiration is hard to do right, and a good sketch facilitates alignment from the start.
CAD
Computer Aided Design (CAD) is a highly versatile tool, particularly for three-dimensional designs. The image can be viewed, rotated, and cut in many ways, allowing for a deep understanding of each detail. Designs can be resized or otherwise amended as needed, as often as desired. CAD is not only helpful for the designs, but can also be quite helpful for the tooling that is needed for accurate and consistent production.
When customers provide sketches, Thai Design will often convert the drawing into a CAD file that can be shared. Thai Design charges for this service, if provided, though customers are very welcome to provide their own CAD files. While Thai Design is readily able to provide CAD development, some customers prefer the direct control of selecting and communicating with a CAD artist independently. We can work either way and are happy to do what is best in the interest of the customer and the design.
3D Resin or Wax
Traditionally, a talented artisan needed to carve three-dimensional representations of designs in wax with incredible skill and detail. While we are proud to preserve this craft internally, we are much more likely to rely on the crafting facility’s high-tech 3D printer. CAD files are transferred to the printer, which very precisely builds layer upon layer to create a physical prototype. Supports need to be cut and details cleaned-up, but the full process is typically completed in only a matter of hours.
It is a great way to see the design and it helps provide more accurate weight estimates for pricing quotations, but is also critical for mould-making for designs produced by casting. While customers can provide their own 3D resins or waxes, extra care is necessary when packaging for shipment as the models tend to be quite fragile. Thai Design provides a 3D printing service that is priced to be advantaged in the market. Making it an easy choice to let us provide the 3D print helps reduce uncertainty and inconsistency in the process, resulting in a better experience and end-product.
Masters, Moulds and Stamping Dies
In order to produce and reproduce a jewellery design faithfully requires good tooling. Depending on the design’s characteristics, the crafting facility will determine what production process is most appropriate: Casting, stamping, or both.
Casting utilizes special moulds that be used to create copies from a physical master. Standards for the master must be strict as any defects will be transferred to the mould and consequently to each unit made in the mould.
Requirements vary by design, so even if a physical prototype already exists, experience is invaluable in determining of a separate master needs to be made. While Thai Design will charge for any masters or moulds made, the team will communicate with the customer at each step to promote transparency, and avoid surprises.
Stamping relies on very different dies, which are generally fabricated in metal. Maters are generally unnecessary, but the cost of tools for stamping can still sometimes seem expensive. This up-front cost may be offset by lower weights and/or lower labour, yielding a savings when tooling charges are allocated across average per unit costs.
Finished Samples
At the end of the design development process the customer receives from us. Our samples need to illustrate an understanding of what the customer wants as well as a confirmation of both technical skill in jewellery-making and quality of service. Some samples are auditions, and so we strive to deliver real results that impress and honour the opportunity we are given.
Some samples are experiments, and it is exciting to push forward and confront challenges creatively, which allows us to make collaborative decisions about production with confidence. Sample development a critical opportunity to learn, refine expectations, and plan in order to ensure that any subsequent production is successful, while mitigating unwelcome surprises.
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In-House Designs
Thai Design has built-up an extensive catalogue of designs that is available to all of our customers. These pieces can be bought as they are, but they can also be modified, providing a platform to inspire new creations that can be made exclusively for you. Using imagination to adapt our collection to fit your unique style and branding is a quick, easy, and cost-effective way to add a new design.
We also find that our range is one of the best ways to illustrate the quality of the manufacturing we facilitate and the vast extent of our capabilities.
