The launch of the Bookfoot

After a year of hard work The Bookfoot is finally there. Such a strange but exciting feeling if you think about it. While I was working on the development with Koen&Co it was just a sketch. The start of my idea brought into shape. And when we had the prototype it was exhilarating. Now I was looking at boxes and boxes of Bookfoots in a blister! So cool.

November 25th we went live just before a typical Dutch celebration called Sinterklaas. I designed the website www.thebookfoot.com in English and Dutch and  tried to really show e-readers and e-tablets on the Bookfoot to give consumers a realistic feel. We also came up with a funny gimmick to see if your device fits: The Bookfoot test.
Working on the website with the guys from FRED in Romania was a delight. Not only in skill but also in SEO they really did a great job (number 1 in organic google results for ‘e-tablet stand’ and number 5 for ‘e-reader stand’).

Also the producer Brisk Kumet really came through in delivering the best looking shiny plastic and real smart looking aluminum. The design is not easy to produce but it looks fantastic. Although Murphy’s Law was clinging on, we made the deadline before the holidays. It was essential because the Bookfoot is such a nice e-reader accessory and e-tablet accessory to give as a present

The Bookfoot is now for sale on www.thebookfoot.com and shipped for free in The Netherlands. Outside of Holland by prepayment and delivered via UPS. Ordiginal BV is the well connected distributor of The Bookfoot.

The next phase is to boost the PR and visibility of the bookfoot and look abroad for resellers. More about our efforts in the next blog!

The Bookfoot in sales…

I tried to have a (Book)foot in the door of (online)retail in Europe. I emphasize on tried because -believe it or not- retail Europe didn’t know anything about me. As my company had no track record what so ever, my experience in product sales was in between nothing and zero. So to state mildly: it didn’t go so well… These were the pictures I sent out:

So how did I try it… I had my prototype photographed nicely and with the help of  a designer we ‘pimped’ the design. I thought it looked really nice. But you need more then design and a good looking pdf… I got 1 order…

When I started making the Bookfoot, my goal was to make a working prototype of an e-reader stand. With that prototype I imagined that it would be a piece of cake to get appointments with amazon.com and similar business. I guessed wrong.

But life thankfully has always some surprises in store for you. So the prototype was not lost. A couple of months later word was going round that there was a cool stand for e-reader and ipad. And then an investor called me. Out of the blue. And he has massive connections. I showed him these pictures and more here:

And then we finally really got to work. My suggestion to new devlopers is to search for an investor who will actively help you in sales or an investor who already is a supplier in your target area. That makes it easier for the (online) retail to sell your product.

When they know you or your investor it is far more easy.

Currently the Bookfoot is being produced. Next week we receive the first mass production prototype! Hopefully they get it right in one go… But i hear usually it takes a couple of tries. So stay tuned, next week happiness or tears!

The beginning of working with China

I’d heard a lot of horror stories and was warned about outsourcing to Asian factories and was quit curious about their work. I thought: ‘ those nightmares won’t happen to me…’ And of course it did.

I got a call that the prototype had arrived and I was happy as a child. I immediately planned a meeting with a big prospect (lesson number 1. don’t plan a meeting when you’ve not seen the prototype) and rushed to Koenenco. My happiness melted as snow in the sun when I saw the prototype.

We designed an aluminum stand. I don’t know what I saw standing on the table, but it sure as hell wasn’t aluminum. It looked more as if a big piece of grey clay had attacked my poor design and held on for dear life. I went from amazement, to anger, from shedding thick tears to laughing out loud.

The laughter disappeared when we talked to our friends in China. It was China’s new year and nobody was working. For three weeks. I repeat: Three weeks. Mr. Big prospect was not happy…

So we tore the clay looking design apart as we wondered why they painted it mat grey (yes, mat grey…).

We got the answer when we stripped the thick paint of. There was aluminum under the grey paint but it had a big crack in it! Haha, so what do you do when it’s cracked, let’s paint it over with seven layers of thick paint:

But I’m optimistic. At least now I know that mat grey doesn’t work for me

So from then on we asked for pictures before shipping to Amsterdam. That worked nicely and I would suggest to have your supplier make pictures for you if you ever plan on making something that is. And now the cooperation is working out very nice.

So we got the parts. We put the prototype together and I again I went from amazement to shedding thick tears but this time happy tears. Not very macho though.

Already curious? I’ll show you next week Bookfoot pictures and tell you all about The beginning of the sales!  O boy, that was something.

The beginning of the making of the Bookfoot

So you know about ‘The beginning of The Bookfoot’. Now I want to tell you about how we began to work on the model for the e-reader stand.The first challenge was how to make The Bookfoot easy to take with you in your bag, case or a large pocket. It needed to be ‘foldable’. My idea was something like a tripod… I know. But we came up with a nice solution which looks like this:

When we started there were fewer e-reader models then now and the iPad was just a rumor. The goal was that the The Bookfoot will make it easier for you to read from an e-reader or an iPad. Especially when you are in a plane, in a restaurant or while you’re ironing! But we also kept in mind that usually the e-reader just lies around on your desk while charging.

So the second challenge was to make look good while charging. We wanted it to be an accessory that complemented your device. Not only a handy product, but a product that has real added value. It also needs to make your device look good in your home when you are charging your Bookfoot. So we adjusted the design and made holes in The Bookfoot. Now you can let your ereader or iPad stand up instead of just lying around on you desk next to your computer. Then I have at least one thing on my desk that looks tidy

Because we wanted an universal model we tested and fitted the top 30 e-readers on The Bookfoot:

Let’s get physical!

We were ready for the next step. The Bookfoot was 3D printed and absolutely perfect in my mind. I was proud as a child who pied in the potty for the first time. I ordered Champaign and was already browsing for a new car

The 3D model looked good so we ordered a prototype. The Bookfoot consists of aluminium and hard plastic. Both parts are frased out out of one big piece. It was my first experience in working with a Chinese plant… It was one which I shall not easily forget…

Read about the beginning of the prototype next week!

The Beginning of the Bookfoot

Nice of you to drop by. You’ve probably heard of e-readers and e-tabletslike the iPad. If you haven’t… Where have you been!? I saw my first e-reader  (man who read from an e-reader) next to me in an airplane. And he was really having a hard time finding a comfortable reading position in the airplane (which is never easy in a 737). He wanted to read  as the picture below:

He tried to use his foodtray as a stand, his newspaper, a coffeecup and finally my book!

We laughed, but it also started something. It popped in my brain like lightning. An e-reader stand on which the e-reader (Kindle in this case) comfortably stands. The reader of the e-reader will have his hands free while reading sitting down.

And so then the adventure began. I know a bit about marketing but I didn’t knew a damn thing about product design!

So I shook the hand of the e-reader owner and got his businesscard. He’ll probably be our first customer And then I got home, I grabbed a pencil and some paper and drew the worst looking product in the history of mankind.

I needed help. With the idea and my childlike drawings I went to several engineers. The guys and girl from Koen and co in Utrecht were amazing. They made a really cool design. I wanted Apple design, slick and beautiful. Shiny hard plastic with aluminum. Why would I want to put my e-reader or iPad on a indutrial looking ugly stand. Hell no. I want to surround myself with nice products, so that’s what I wanted; a nice looking e-reader/ iPad stand. And that is what we went out to make.