One of the things I most enjoy in running Spirit Pieces is coming up and designing new products. One popular section of the site is our cremation rings, of which we now have over a couple dozen styles available for purchase.
When designing a new cremation ring, there's a few aspects to keep in mind:
- How trendy is the style - is it 'currently in'
- How unique is the style, is it on 20 other sites.
- How affordable is the style, especially given tariffs
- How easy is it to add in ashes and other inclusions
The Cremation Ring Design Phase
Once I have a basic concept in mind, the first step is to sketch it out for my designer. I try to get a few angles of the ring, along with a narrative of what I'm going for. Unfortunately this is the weakest area for me, drawing is not my strongest talent.
Once the designer gets the images (and figures out what I wanted to do ) they send back a computer rendered design of the memorial ring. At this state, assuming no major revision is needed, I get a quick price quote to make sure I'm not breaking the bank.
Cremation ring Quoting and Production
Once we get to a good price point, I cross check the pricing with a few other places and go with the best value (which is not necessarily cheapest.) I tend to start off with only whole sizes, and get 5 of each size. If it proves popular and I run out, I can always re-order. If it bombs, at least I'm not holding too much inventory.
Cremation Ring Posting and Promotion
Once the rings are made and returned, it's time to photograph. I try to start off with 2 versions of the ring in terms of colors and try to photograph on natural surfaces like wood or glass with plants in back of. I then post on FB, instagram and a couple of other places. Then we hope good things happen!
