CoinOp

 

 

chewing the cud is an amazing design company run by Viola Sutanto with a special knack for wedding stationery and eco-friendly gifts. We have had the pleasure to print postcards to accompany chewing the cud’s clever reusable fabric gift wrap, perfect bound notebooks for “Big Ideas,” and Scout Books for one of her clients. Sutanto shares how she develops her innovative products and advice on marketing a small business. Read on!

 

Big Ideas Perfect Bound Notebook

How did chewing the cud start? How long have you been in business?

 

chewing the cud was officially started in 2007. However I have been in the design business for several years now and prior to chewing the cud, had always been experimenting with graphic and product design.

 

 

I love that your stationery has a nontraditional message. Where do you find your inspiration? And how do you decide on which cards go to press?

 

I know this sounds so cliché, but inspiration comes from everywhere: from reading literature, a fleeting scene from a film, overhearing a conversation on the train, venturing to unexplored places, re-visiting old favourite haunts, running, (I do this a lot when I hit a roadblock), life in general… the possibilities are endless. I think the key is to keep an open mind and PLAY. Don’t discount random or seemingly mundane thoughts, but also learn to edit during your design process.

 

Letterpress Invitations

Letterpress vs. Offset printing. Do you design differently for each form? What is your process like? Is production an after thought or consistent throughout the design process?

 

Yes, every method of printing offers different possibilities so I definitely keep the production process in mind as I’m designing. However, I don’t let production drive the design. It’s a guide, not a restriction. For instance, if I’m designing for letterpress printing, I know not to design in multiple colors, as I might have for offset. For client projects, it’s also important to be mindful of the budget constraint and cater your design to them in an appropriate manner.

 

Reusable Fabric Gift Wrap

How do you approach fabrics versus paper goods? Do you a have a preference?

 

I’ve always viewed chewing the cud as a lifestyle brand so products are developed based on serving a need or filling a gap in the consumer marketplace. For now, the products happen to be produced on fabric and paper but that could change, depending on the concept.

 

Reusable Fabric Wrap in action!

Product development? chewing the cud is super innovative in terms of new releases, the latest being Reusable Fabric Wrap. How do you develop new product releases? Do you test the market first before entering large scale production?

 

There are several factors that drive the development. These are some of the questions I ask myself at the ideation phase: where is the gap (the need)? how can I fill it? who is the target audience? what is the functionality of this product? how do I differentiate my product to make it stand out in the marketplace? how will I meet the needs of the customer? what is my end goal?

 

I love collaborating with craftsmen who are masters at their art. During the design phase, I often consult with them (Pinball Publishing included!) and depend on their expertise to advise me on how to tweak my design so they can best showcase the work using their production techniques.

 

Because chewing the cud is a small studio with limited resources, it’s important to test the market first whenever possible, before launching into full-scale production. 

 

How do you generate new business? What avenues have you found to be successful in terms of marketing?

 

Through multiple channels, most of them you could say considered guerilla marketing. Networking and word-of-mouth marketing has proven to be effective for me, especially in the event industry. The press has been very kind to me, which I’m grateful for. It’s also about getting your work out there through the different avenues, not just through direct retail/wholesale sales. Think licensing, royalties, co-branding, collaborations… etc. The big thing these days, of course, is social media: blogs, twitter, facebook etc. However, at the end of the day, despite the rampant use of electronic media, it’s really the long-term human relationships that count. 

 

Your blog is super inspirational? Where do you find all your material? How does your blog play into your business?

 

I have a reader on my blog? heehee… I feel my blog is still very much in its infancy and more of a visual journal for me than a business tool. There is so much good work being put out there, and for the most part, I chance upon them as I’m researching for projects, or browsing other inspirational blogs, sites, books… etc.  I still have a lot of work to invest in my blog before I can claim to successfully integrate it as a working tool for my business. I hope to, someday.

 

Scout Books for Wedding Favors

You definitely have a knack for wedding design and offer two paths for the wedding party to choose from: Bespoke & Signature Line. Which line do couples generally use to announce their special day?

 

Currently, the bespoke line is definitely preferred for couples who are not afraid to dream up of the possibilities! For instance, one of my recent clients chose the bespoke route and we ended up producing letterpress invitations, offset printed french bistro menus, escort cards hand-written on window panes, a “haiku” corner, and custom-designed mini fig jam jars and scout journals (printed by Pinball Publishing yay!) presented in berry baskets as favors. 

The signature line is only offered in letterpress so the options are somewhat limited, although I try to customize it as much as possible for the couple.

 

Favor Basket

Your own wedding was absolutely beautiful from tulip bouquets to letterpress invitations all inspired by the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, a significant story to you and your husband, Phillip Ting. How was the design process different for your own event and how did you manage each intimate detail so creatively?

 

Well, it was a blast! My husband is also a designer and owns a branding studio called Elephant so when you put 2 creatives together, there can only be 2 outcomes: a head-on collision or a beautiful collaboration. Luckily for us, the latter happened. Since there was no “design brief” or “client” to account for, we just decided to break all the rules and just have fun. And we did! We did, however, agree that there should only be one creative director in the process, the final “veto” honcho. (me:))  The whole project was a labor of love. We really wanted our guests to experience the celebration in an intimate setting so we personalized the details as much as possible to make our guests feel special.  

 

What was it like to have your wedding featured in Brides? Has the feature been influential on your business?

 

It was really fun to look at the publication together, months after the wedding and recall the wonderful weekend. 

I would have to say, the feature did kickstart my wedding design business. 

 

Anything you would like to add?

 

Just a BIG thank you for this interview! 

 

Thanks for your time!