How to narrow down product ideas

You don't need a long document to get started. The useful bits are simple: who the item is for, when you need it, roughly how many, and what you want it to do.

You also don't need to have picked a product yet. Describe the audience and the setting, and we'll check product and branding options against that.

Start with the situation

A staff uniform, a client gift, a trade show handout and a launch pack all behave differently. The same drink bottle can be right in one setting and completely wrong in another.

Treat the deadline as a real constraint rather than admin. Lead times depend on stock, proof approval, branding method and freight. If the date can't move, the product has to be something we can source and brand in time.

• Audience: staff, customers, event visitors, prospects or partners.
• Occasion: daily work, an event, onboarding, a campaign, a thank-you or a seasonal gift.
• Quantity: even a rough band helps with supplier and setup decisions.
• Deadline and delivery location.
• Branding: subtle, visible, full-colour, embroidered, or tell us and we will advise.

Where to look for ideas

Catalogues are good for direction. They won't tell you about stock, freight, branding area, setup charges or lead time, so treat what you find as a shortlist rather than a decision.

Collect a few examples that feel right, then send us links, screenshots or product names. We'll check them against your timing, quantity and branding, and say so if something won't work.

If your first idea can't work, we'll usually have an alternative: a different garment blank, a simpler branding method, a substitute colour, or a product that travels better.

What usually goes wrong

Most problems show up early if someone checks properly. The usual suspects are late artwork, vague quantities, a product that can't carry the logo well, or a date that leaves no room for proofing.

Artwork causes more delays than anything else. Many branding methods need vector files with the fonts outlined, or a bitmap at high resolution at actual print size. A small JPG is often fine for discussing a job, and rarely fine for producing it.

• The lead time gets counted from the order, rather than from artwork approval.
• The logo has fine text that won't embroider cleanly.
• The product has a small or curved branding area.
• The quantity is too low for the preferred setup method.
• Delivery is split across sites, but nobody has allowed for the freight.

What to send us

The audience, your deadline, a quantity range, the delivery location, logo files if you have them, any product links, and a note on anything you definitely don't want. A short email is plenty.