I post designs on POD (Print on demand) platforms. It’s been a while now. Every now and then I add a design. Sometimes I forget about it. Sometimes I invest in promoting it.
What is it?
Let’s start a few steps back. In the late nineties, I did a few designs in the primitive technology called transfer: a sheet was inserted into a printer, the design was printed on it, and then ironed onto a shirt. As technologies improved, a direct-to-garment process became available. A few companies started to offer the service online, and voila: P.O.D!
Now, of course, this disruption, such as reducing the demand for traditional screen printing services has been a blow to some. I too, love quality. I advocate many norms that are dear to people invested in screen printing. But POD is just another service. It is lower quality than silk screen, which is aimed at a much more discerning audience. POD is relatively cheap, and so, might be discarded shortly after its purchase. I try to use it sustainably. Just like anything else.
Gradually I tried more than one. I started with Threadless, who have changed a lot since my first days using the platform. Initially, I hardly knew this was an industry. Each platform has its own uploading workflow. Some are terribly slow; others have amazing previewing mechanisms; then, some have features that make the process of creating new products hassle-free. I’d say, that even the good ones could still benefit from improvement.
As I go through Printify, I notice some bugs. Typically, I send the company feedback. It’s a habit of mine to express my appreciation for their service. But it’s in my best interest to push them to make my life even easier. The thing is, that some of them invest a lot in making me buy my own designs through them. But apart from trying to sell my designs through their services, I am gaining insights into their user interface.
Some apps on the market are very very simple. POD websites are not in any way simple. Have you ever walked into a brick-and-mortar retail store and counted the number of shelving units? Have you followed a worker making updates to pricing labels? In the virtual environment of a POD service, I am acting as much more than one role holder. This is my user experience.
I still like plain T-shirts more than printed ones. This might look and sound contrary to what you’d see in my closet. With time, I wanted to try out the services I am using. Whenever I add a product, I try to update all if not most of the websites with the new design. Apart from expanding my exposure, I keep learning about new features any of the companies have introduced. RedBubble, for instance, encouraged me to download promo images that their engines made. I looked into it, and what you see in this post is the result of these downloads.
However, I found it a bit time-consuming. The way their offerings work makes me consider other options. For now, it looks like I could only download images one by one. I’m sure they will figure out a better way soon.
But I do love these POD services. Whenever I come up with an idea that either intrigues me, amuses me, or makes me feel like sharing, they provide an outlet. Like so many creatives out there, I make connections that might not make sense immediately. I was clicking my way through hyperlinks and bumped into a phrase coined by American author Ursula Le Guin: “Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.”
I like it. It has a simple truth in it that I relate to. Still, my love of words is playful. It could be the question “What if?” that triggers an unexpected response; maybe a random thought that the stone has equal rights in this world. The result is now available in a few of the platforms mentioned here.
My user experience installing my design as new products, allows me to benefit from more than one world: design; storytelling; user experience and much, much more. My posts are typically available on a few platforms, such as this one, Medium, and Substack – just like my designs are posted on a few POD websites. Your comments and feedback are most welcome.
Some of my thoughts turn into graphics that I make into designs for POD (Print On Demand). If you have a phrase you’d like to suggest, feel free to give me a shout. You can do that by posting a comment or getting in touch through the contact link.
You can find my designs for POD on various platforms: Threadless: Redbubble: Etsy: Zazzle: Society6
Design is a Matter of Life 