My First Entrepreneurial Venture
Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Product development, Design research, Marketing
Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Indesign
It is a collaborative project that grew in response to the tremendous amount of waste generated in the apparel industry. Using spare pieces of fabric and recycled paper we made handcrafted diaries.
The shared love for beautiful stationery and a chance conversation with one of my dearest friends from college led to Pen Paper Co. Both Prachi and I are self-confessed diary hoarders. The idea of creating them was both exciting and all-consuming.
As processes become mechanized, our products are no longer personal, nor do they have stories attached. We are re-imagining a new culture of creation. This project taught me the importance of selecting the right vendors, managing time, and allocating resources. It was my first attempt at making something of my own- and it taught me that enthusiasm needs to be backed by a thorough understanding of the users and markets. To create a sustainable brand, product design and development, and knowledge of finance and business planning.