CORE & EXPLORE: Creative (but Cohesive) Collection Design for Jewelry Makers & Metalsmiths
Get the proven system for designing jewelry collections that sell!
While staying true to your creative voice and building an instantly recognizable brand!
Question: What sets successful, established jewelry brands apart from struggling, emerging designers?
Answer: A robust yet cohesive collection of products that turns casual shoppers into adoring fans!
Think about any jewelry brand you love or aspire to be like....
They didn't just slap six designs into an Etsy shop and turn that into a six-figure business.
Instead, they developed a fully fleshed-out collection of jewelry - usually with a signature design element, hook, or core aesthetic to boot!
And while it may seem like it can take years (or even decades) to get to this stage in your business, in reality, what you actually need is a system to help you design and add new work to your line - one that helps you...
- Find your signature style!
- Create an instantly recognizable brand!
- Build a strong visual voice as a designer!
- Never run out of inspiration or ideas!
- Have customers clamoring for your next launch!
As a jewelry maker or metalsmith, you've devoted your time and energy to mastering your craft.
Whether you're self-taught, have taken some classes, or have a degree (or two), you're passionate about the process of making jewelry.
And while you've got lots of ideas swirling around in your head (or half-started on your workbench), you sometimes struggle to pull those ideas into cohesive collections you feel confident presenting to buyers or customers.
Imagine having a clear process you can use any time you want to turn those swirling ideas and unrelated experiments into cohesive collections that sell.
A process that doesn't stifle your creativity, but helps you get really clear on your unique voice and vision.
A process you can turn back to any time you're in need of a creative boost. (Or when customers start asking, "when are you releasing something new?!?")
Introducing Core & Explore...
An on-demand digital course that guides you through finding your unique creative vision and translating that into cohesive jewelry collections that sell!
"A fast-track yet comprehensive approach to addressing product line expansion without fear."
"What can I say? Core and Explore is a fast-track yet comprehensive approach to addressing product line expansion without fear or restriction. Megan’s teaching style is professional, bold, yet affable which I enjoyed. Throughout the course, I felt like I was in the right place working with a knowledgeable instructor. However, most importantly after the class, I knew exactly which actions I needed to take to develop a cohesive product line that reflected my brand and aesthetic."
-Stephanie Brooks, Exclusive SB
Core & Explore features five modules with videos, worksheets, and exercises, all designed to guide you through the process of developing your own distinctive jewelry line.
Module 1: Identify Your Core
Identify the core of your designs to help you develop a signature aesthetic that's all your own! You'll learn to mine your personal experiences, interests, and aesthetics for ideas and discover how to fit those ideas into your current jewelry or metalsmithing skill set.
Module 2: Hit the Basics (then Expand)
Apply your core design identity to a variety of different jewelry types - and experiment with ways to broaden your core offering to expand your line. (Without seeming all over the place!)
Module 3: Design and Produce with Units
Expand your designs even more (and how to increase your production efficiency) by thinking and designing in units. (We'll also discuss the most efficient ways to produce those units - whether you're looking to make everything yourself or outsource some of your production.)
Module 4: Assess Your Collections & Price with Confidence
Assess your ideas (before and after they've hit the marketplace) to help keep your collection at just the right size. Bonus: You'll also learn to design for a variety of price points and get my favorite formula for profitably pricing your jewelry!
Module 5: Launch, Retire, Repeat
Put it all together into a repeatable system you can use to design and launch new collections over and over again. (Including how often to launch new collections and what to do when you know you should launch a new collection and you're feeling stuck.)
In Core & Explore, you'll....
- Identify the core elements of your jewelry line that give you your signature design aesthetic.
- Apply those elements to a core "low hanging fruit" collection of jewelry and then expand that collection in a way that makes sense.
- Learn to think in units so you can expand your core collection into a robust product line that hits a variety of price points.
- Develop a strategy for releasing new products. (And retiring old collections that just don't serve your needs anymore!)
- And so much more!
Best of all, you'll learn to develop these collections based on the jewelry and metalsmithing skills and equipment you already have!
This isn't a program designed to give you lofty ideas that you never put into practice! Instead, it's a hands-on class where you'll take exercises and challenges into your studio and use them to develop new collection ideas - that you can start launching and selling almost immediately!!
When you join Core & Explore, you'll get:
- 5 modules, featuring videos, prompts, and resources.
- On-demand access, so you can work through the lessons when it's right for you!
- Exercises and homework for each lesson to help you put the concepts you're learning into practice in the studio.
- The ability to ask questions and request feedback in the private online classroom.
- Lifetime access, so you can rewatch whenever you need a creative jolt or revisit the process to create a new collection.
- The confidence to develop or expand your jewelry line in a way that feels creative AND cohesive!
"One of the most comprehensive deep immersion design and personal aesthetics alignment courses I have ever encountered."
"Core & Explore is one of the most comprehensive deep immersion design and personal aesthetics alignment courses I have ever encountered and it grounded me firmly in my work. It’s like shedding a bright light into the process of designing and putting together a product collection that fully reflects one’s own vision, and honors the gifts we bring to our work and our audience. Highly recommend it!"
Ready to get started?
Registration in Core & Explore is officially open! Lifetime access to Core & Explore is just $249 when you join today!
Hi, I'm Megan Auman, designer, metalsmith, and educator!
You may have seen my successful maker business classes on Creative Live, but long before I was teaching those, I was a college metalsmithing professor. Those years of experience teaching metalsmithing, design, and business, along with over a decade of running my own eponymous jewelry line, have given me a unique perspective on the creative challenges of designing new work while also growing a creative business!
A few fun facts about me...
- I've exhibited in over 25 trade shows. (At some point, I stopped counting!)
- I've sold my jewelry in galleries, museum stores, and boutiques across the US.
- I've gone gem shopping in Jaipur, India! (Twice!)
- I majored in metalsmithing in college but I've been making jewelry since I was a kid! (I still have my first bead loom!)
- I've taught jewelry making and metalsmithing to kids as young as 5 and adults as old as 85.
- I freaking love jewelry! (That should be obvious, but if you're going to take a class on jewelry design, you should do it with someone who is super passionate about it, am I right?!?)
In Core & Explore, I've put together everything I know about design, jewelry, and business to help you develop creative but cohesive collections that are designed to sell!
Got questions? I've got answers!!
Is this class right for me?
This course is for jewelry designers and metalsmiths who currently sell their work or are looking to sell their work in the near future. You should have at least a few jewelry designs or finished metalsmithing projects to really take advantage of this class!
If you’re in the early stages of your business, you’ll benefit from learning how to think about your collections in a more strategic way. If you’ve been in business for a while, this class can help you get out of a creative rut. And if you’ve been making for a while but can’t quite seem to focus on one idea or body of work, this class will guide you into developing a more cohesive collection.
How much experience do I need in jewelry making to take this class?
You should have an understanding of basic jewelry making skills and you should currently be designing or making some jewelry. (Even if it isn’t for sale.) The more skills you have, the more ways you’ll be able to flesh out a collection, but even basic skills are enough to get you started in this class!
I’ve never had any formal training in jewelry or metalsmithing. Can I still take this class?
Yep! This class can work for you if you’re self-taught or working in non-traditional jewelry materials. The design exercises are designed to meet you where you are at your current skill level.
I make fine jewelry - we're talking gemstones and precious metals. Will this class work for me?
Absolutely! The exercises in this class will help you think through your collection and have you feeling inspired to create new configurations from the stones and metals you love working with.
I already have a degree (or two) in metalsmithing. Will this class help me?
Yes! Particularly if you’re trying to figure out how to take the more conceptual art jewelry you love to make and turn it into a viable (but still interesting) production line.
Is this class only for jewelry?
Yes. This class is focused specifically on designing jewelry. It does not cover general product design. But this class will work for you if you are making jewelry out of other materials. (Like textiles, leather, ceramics, glass, polymer clay, or alternative materials.)
Do you teach metalsmithing techniques in this class?
Nope. This is not a technical class. Instead, think of it more like a design boot camp, designed to help you apply the skills you already have to create a distinctive but cohesive collection of jewelry.
I'm worried about other jewelry designers stealing my ideas. How much do I have to share in this class?
I understand that you may want to keep your design ideas private, especially in the early stages. That’s why you’re under no obligation to share your designs with me or any of the other students in the class. You can participate in the class completely anonymously if you prefer!
Does it matter what part of the world I'm in?
Nope! You can take this class from anywhere as long as you have Internet access that allows you to stream data. All the lessons are recorded, so you can watch them at a time that’s convenient for you!
How long will each lesson last?
Each module is around 45 minutes long. In addition to the recorded videos, each module features homework for you to complete. This homework is designed to work with your existing studio practice, and you can choose how long you want to spend diving into each prompt!
How long will I have access to the material?
You have lifetime access to the course material, so you can revisit any time you're feeling stuck or need a creative boost.
How are payments handled?
You can pay securely using your credit card or PayPal.
Have other questions? Wondering if this class is right for you?
Feel free to send me an email at megan@craftmba.com with your questions! I’m happy to answer them!
The bottom line is this:
You could spend years struggling to develop your ideas into a distinctive, cohesive collection on your own.
Or you could spend thousands of dollars taking jewelry classes at your local university or arts center. (Where you still might not learn how to create a collection that you can actually sell.)
Or, you can take Core & Explore and find a shortcut to developing new collections and growing your brand - guided by an experienced teacher who's done it herself and whose work has sold for over a decade in museum stores, galleries, and other retailers!
Ready to get started?
Registration in Core & Explore is officially open! Lifetime access to Core & Explore is just $249 when you join today!
"This class covers everything I was searching for."
"After more than a decade of searching for guidance for both designing and launching a comprehensive jewelry collection, I took Core & Explore. The class covers everything I was searching for plus so many other things I never knew I needed. This class gave me a structure for my creative energy and I have no doubt it will greatly improve my collections!"
-Taya Koschnick, TASI
©2022 Megan Auman • Designing an MBA
Other questions? Email me at megan@craftmba.com