Creative creations
Luc Laframboise, owner of Créations Lucas in Ottawa, has been e-mailing CAD-produced renders to clients for more than seven years. A goldsmith/retailer in the trendy ‘ByWard Market’ area of town, Laframboise is adamant about creating unique designs for his clients, rather than simply following the lead of others who create more predictable styles or even selling a brand-name product.
To get his work in front of clients on a regular basis, he renders his designs in CAD. All jewellery CAD software has what is referred to as a ‘render’ package that takes the finished model and creates a photo-realistic image. Some programs have advanced tools that create what looks to be a real-life piece of jewellery. To maximize the impact of his renders on viewers, Laframboise uses background scenes that highlight a piece’s metal and diamonds. He also incorporates a logo created in Photoshop into each render. Once a month, he sends out an e-mail blast of his latest work.
The marketing technique is working for him—last year was his best year ever, he says. Compared to paying for professional photography on an ongoing basis, CAD can be a lower-cost approach to help deliver your designs to an audience already familiar with your store and jewellery.
The moral of this lesson? Be creative in how you use the technology you may already have. And start collecting e-mail addresses. It’s true some people may not want to give you that information, but explain you’d be honoured to let them be among the first to see your latest designs. Don’t let a ‘no’ stop you from increasing your business.
