Schoenmacher

In this month’s instalment of In the Studio with… we have a chit chat with Shop Owner and Marketplace Designer schoenmacher.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then surely words must be worth at least a thousand pictures… or so it seems after speaking with schoenmacher.  Check out the interview below for an insider’s peek at one of our platform’s more revered typographic designers.

Hello, schoenmacher.  Who are you, and what’s with the ‘schoenmacher’ thing?

I work as a graphic artist in a small social media marketing agency. My moniker ‘schoenmacher’ is German for beautifier!

Your designs combine sayings with innovative typography. What’s more important – the message or the font?

I’ve been passionate about writing since I was about 16 years old. Some of my friends got me into graffiti. I think it is always exciting to make an interesting or funny saying come to life in a good design, and sayings offer a way of expressing my passion for typography.

What made you choose Spreadshirt for publishing your designs?

I’ve tested other popular platforms and other ways to publish designs, as well. It became clear to me pretty quickly that Spreadshirt is quite simply the best provider there is. Publishing designs is easy and straightforward, and one of my first designs (“This beer tastes like …”) got immediately promoted to the favourite tee design list on Spreadshirt’s homepage. That sealed it for me.

You publish your designs on Spreadshirt’s Marketplace and in your own SpreadShop. What’s the difference for you between the two sales channels?

I definitely have more successes on the Marketplace, but the Shop is very interesting, as I can completely personalise it the way I want to.

From slogan to design – how do you get there?

I have a lot of drafts, but only in my head. I often come across a slogan or saying that spontaneously reminds me of a design idea that would fit perfectly. As soon as the idea is there, I get to my desk as fast as possible and make a very simple pencil sketch to put the letters and words into place. Then I use Illustrator to work on the sketch.

How much time do you spend on your work with Spreadshirt – drawing, scanning, computer work, uploading, managing the Shop, marketing, talking about everything?

Estimating the time is quite difficult as the work I can put into a new design depends on what else I have to do. Work on my Spreadshirt stuff can be easily timed as it’s completely up to me to put work into creating designs whenever and for how long I want.

How much time do you dedicate to marketing? What kinds of tips could you offer for those who’ve never done it?

I share my designs on Facebook and Instagram, which I don’t really do enough, to be fair. Marketing pioneers should definitely use these networks since you can build up a follower base – slowly but steadily – without any costs. Don’t give up, and don’t spend money on paid advertising on Facebook. In my experience, it leads to just a few new followers but no sales conversions.

Which Spreadshirt features do you like best, and what do you wish for in the future?

I am completely happy with Spreadshirt’s service now. The only thing I can think of is that when you look up my public profile on Spreadshirt’s website there is no way I can change the order of designs that are shown. But since I have my own Shop now, I use this as my reference and virtual business card.

And finally, what is your message for all the people out there?

Just do it!

Thank you for this interview, Andi!  With so many different Marketplace Designers and Shop Owners gracing the Spreadshirt world with their talents, it’s always fun to dig a little deeper and learn more about some of our favourites.  We appreciate your time and wish you continued success in beautifying the world with your designs.

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