Selling or licencing a furniture design (How?)  

Hello.

Seek a referral from your attorney. Never arrive at the table alone. Carry a briefcase.

Best,

Aunt Mark

ps. I would never want to sound condescending (so not my style), but Herman Miller is a pretty tough nut to crack. Lower level management have very sharp teeth. A highly detailed plan, and a decent education is a given. They don't buy their designs "from doorbell trade". You need a lawyer with a connection. And you best be very good at what you do! Salesmanship at its finest. Good luck, and keep us posted.

Thanks for getting back mark. I take your advice but i am all honesty broke due to development costs so a n attorney is out of the question unfortunately. Any ideas how to mitigate issue, anyone?

I am thinking perhaps naively that it would be preferable that a large reputable company to play fair. They have the funds to pay rather than have a reputation being compromised by bad press as I could prove priority date.

Hello Stephen.

You are not yet quite prepared to sit at the table. You need a connection to the company. This tap-dance is tough. Mostly, you need legal advice. Barter...or something for an hour of legal knowledge. Don't trust any business based upon size. Never.

Best,

Aunt Mark

ps. But then, look at what neck-ties did for Calvin Klein?!.

I will take your advice Mark, thank you.

Stephen, you'll want to go to this Herman Miller meeting with both barrels loaded. Make sure your chosen counsel can offer the following:

1. Intimate knowledge of all HM products,

2. Colorful attire that will mesmerize (dare I say hypnotize?) all present in the room,

3. A briefcase full of snappies (preferably of the aforementioned colorful attire), and

4. Two stiff drinks for after the meeting (three, if you'd like one for yourself).

With ammo like that, I foresee no results outside of success.

Hi cdsilva, thank you, but that was way to cryptic for me and frankly unhelpful as I have no clue as to what you meant. could you please explain your intent?

thank you

@stephend

If I am translating correctly, you need to have Aunt Mark on your elbow.

Short of knowing someone (or Aunt Mark) you will need to be an exceedingly good salesman of yourself. Herman Miller's most successful designers were exactly this, and they established design offices to deal with the pesky business of actually designing furniture that they could put their names on.

Stephend, cdsilva's comments were really for Mark, who has many pairs of colorful pants and some vodka, too. He is a mainstay of this place and has a devoted fan club though he is far too modest to ever say so himself.

I think his advice sounds pretty spot on, though. The furniture design world is LOADED with people who churning out things that are derivative or outright copies of original designs, and Herman Miller is as big a victim of these as any and they do go after violators. I'm not suggesting your designs are anything less than completely original, just that legal support is essential for your own protection in the current market. It's part of the cost of doing business.

Good luck!

Shucks, spanky.

I am the "Village Idiot" around these parts. I do like pants, though. and vodka.

shucks,

Aunt Mark

Not hardly Mark. All workers need a queen.

Well, I am the "Princess of Excess"...so I am qualified.

I am,

Aunt Mark

And I like my pants today.

Hi,

Aunt Mark

ps. I do.

How many pairs of pants do you have, Aunt Mark? Asking for a friend.