Orbit

NEW Professional Development Programme from Craft NI

We are delighted to launch our new support programme developed specifically for NI makers by Design Strategist + Educator Chris Murphy. Bespoke content will be presented through a series of unique workshops which connect into an overall development journey: from the stories our products tell, to the realities of juggling portfolio careers, pricing, funding and marketing.

Over 5 half-day interactive sessions (1.30 to 5pm) at the iconic Ormeau Baths, Chris will use presentations, exercises, case studies and downloadable materials to cover a wide range of issues faced by independent makers right across the sector. While each session is designed to stand alone, you’ll get the most benefit by attending all five workshops and completing the (enjoyable!) homework tasks that accompany the workshop series.

The Orbit programme places business acumen and creative development on an equal footing. It will equip designer-makers at various stages of their careers and from different craft disciplines with new and refreshed business skills and supports Craft NI’s mission to strengthen business development within the craft sector.

Each session can be booked individually – or book all 5 and get one free! **FULLY BOOKED**

1	Product Storytelling **FULLY BOOKED**
	20 February 2020
	The journey starts with a workshop focussed on you, what you make, and why. This forms the core of what makes your work uniquely yours and underpins the decisions you make about where and how it is presented. Understanding your why will impact on everything you do, from pricing to funding applications to social media posts.
2	Portfolio Career **FULLY BOOKED**
	19 March 2020
	Creating diversity within your product range and pricing levels builds resilience into your income. Learn how to position commissioned or exhibition work alongside production ranges with price levels that support each other while emphasising the scope of your practice.
3	Show Me the Money **FULLY BOOKED**
	16 April 2020
	Getting your prices right is critical and needs to be considered front and centre for your business to succeed. This session will also explore the lifetime value of customers and how good time management and improved efficiency (eg through batch production or outsourcing) could improve your profits.
4	Navigating the Funding Landscape **FULLY BOOKED**
	14 May 2020
	This session will share successful (and unsuccessful!) applications and focus on what leads to securing support. We’ll explore sources of funding from public and private sectors and signpost the scope of opportunities available. Chris will also demonstrate how batching applications can help you repurpose content for different schemes, maximising the potential return on the time spent on different applications.
5	Marketing **FULLY BOOKED**
	11 June 2020
	With an emphasis on storytelling as the heart of a considered marketing strategy, we’ll explore traditional and social media marketing with examples drawn from a range of different craftspeople and artists to understand what works and what doesn’t. You’ll leave this session with an outline marketing plan defined and some additional homework in the downloadable support materials.
	Christopher Murphy Bio
	A designer, writer and speaker based in Belfast, Christopher mentors purpose-driven businesses, helping them to launch and thrive. He encourages small businesses to think big and he enables big businesses to think small. As a design strategist he has worked with companies, large and small, to help drive innovation, drawing on his 25+ years of experience working with clients including: Adobe, Electronic Arts and the BBC. The author of numerous books, he is currently hard at work on his eighth, ‘Designing Delightful Experiences’, for Smashing Magazine and ninth, ‘Building Beautiful UIs’, for Adobe. Both are accompanied by a wealth of digital resources, and are drawn from Christopher’s 15+ years of experience as a design educator.

All sessions 1.30 to 5pm at The Gallery Event Space, Ormeau Baths, Belfast

Standard Price £20 per session, Bundle Price £80 (all 5 sessions for the price of 4)

Student Price £10 per session, Bundle Price £40 (all 5 sessions for the price of 4)