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Written by Alex.Cummings

 

 

Please join us for a very special upcoming ThoughtShop this Thursday April 19th! In an effort to communicate the collective ideas being explored at ADX and ThoughtShop we present Design for Production: Taking your Product to Market.

 

 

 

 

A select group of local portland designers and design business owners will be joining us to discuss: 

the prototyping process

developing a business plan and marketing strategy for your product

various approaches for raising money to launch your product

their experience with the manufacturing process

 

PANELISTS
Susanna Holman, Terrazign 
Shannon Guirl, Caravan Pacific
Rebecca Pearcy, QueenBee
Lisa Jones, Pigeon Toe Ceramics 
Michael Wood, TinyMeat

FACILITATORS
Karl Ramentol of ThoughtShop
Alexandria Cummings of ADX
Jon James Staton of ADX

ADX and ThoughtShop Present
Design for Production: Taking your Product to Market

Portland is perfectly positioned to train up and tool up for a manufacturing economy that supports more designers moving their products into small run production (generally < 500). ADX is working to better understand how we, as a prototyping facility, can help designers of all stripes with all aspects of taking their products to market and creating profitable businesses that lead to more quality jobs. Portland’s artisan economy creates the perfect opportunity to rethink how and where things are made and to create mutually beneficial relationships between local companies. From coffee, beer, and other food products to bikes, handcrafted items and furniture, Portland can develop a new economy based on making.

ADX is looking to develop a manufacturing facility that can work with other local manufacturers to take a variety of products to market under our Portland Made brand. Our current facility is quickly becoming a training ground for the new manufacturing economy. By touring other manufacturing facilities, we are learning that there is a gap in knowledge and fabrication skills created by the old economy, which was based on outsourcing to the cheapest location and leading to a disconnect between the designer and the manufacturing process.

ADX is working with designers who want to launch their own businesses and product lines to fill the knowledge and skill gap. Through classes and free programming like ThoughtShop, designers and fabricators can reconnect with each other to better understand how things are made. Designing a product for production is very different than one off design. Understanding the manufacturing process for your product will help you come up with a design that allows you to scale up in the most cost effective way.

Please RSVP on Facebook!

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