I’m always fascinated to see/hear/learn about what happens behind the scenes of just about anything. With regards to what we do and the products we make, I thought I’d share a little behind-the-scenes look at what happens before the product shows up at your door.
The initial stages naturally include lots of brainstorming. David and I figure out what products we want to create – based on where we feel there is a need, listening to your feedback, definitely our “gut feeling”, and a million other factors that we also have to consider.
Then come the scribbles and the sketches and the notes. We share all of this with our graphic designers – particularly Lori, who is our main go-to designer – and she works her magic. Then she shares those files with us and we go back + forth and back + forth and tweak and edit and adjust until everything is just right. Then we send all the files to the factory and they work their magic. It’s such a neat process!
Let’s have a look at the factory side of things. As you may know, our newest manufacturing partnership is with We R Memory Keepers who is making our spectacular binders. Here are some self-explanatory photos that our friends there at We R snapped for us. It’s probably not very often that their customers ask for behind-the-scenes pictures. Leave it to me to ask. : )
Once everything is produced, packaged, labeled, boxed, palletized, and ready to ship – the products go straight to Amazon here in the U.S. as well as to our international distributors. It just so happens that with all the Amazon locations in the U.S., our products happen to be located at the facility here in Arizona where we live. One day we would love to tour the inside and watch our products be fulfilled. Talk about fascinating! Amazon is a machine.
Anyway – let’s take you to a couple of those international locations I mentioned. Our two biggest international partners are Craft House in New Zealand and Scrapbooker’s Inner Circle in Canada. We love our international partners! This is what it looks like when David + Mary Roberts (Craft House) receive the shipment at their location in New Zealand:
Their team spends countless hours fulfilling orders. We find a similar scene and similar dedicated work happening in Canada …
Finally – after you have placed your order the product then shows up at your front door and … we can all scrapbook happily ever after.
Obviously this is a very condensed version of a behind-the-scenes look, but you get the idea. David and I are deeply grateful for everyone that we have partnered with to make our mere ideas become something real and tangible. Everyone from the graphic designers to those that work in the factories to our international distributors. And of course you. Without you, obviously we wouldn’t be doing this at all.
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{ notes }
1. If you live outside the U.S. please contact your international distributor directly for questions about product availability and timing, etc.
2. If you are in the U.S., here is the latest update on timing. We hope to see all the Binders (all 4 editions) show up by Nov. 21. We hope to see the brand-new Core Kits (Cobalt Edition + Clementine Edition) and brand-new Cardstock (Cobalt Collection + Clementine Collection) show up by mid-December. We had a few little set-backs on the timing but it’s on the way! (And yes, we’ll get the dates updated on our Products page ASAP.)
3. All other products are in the house and available for purchase. You can see everything here. For more detailed images of the Project Life Core Kits, this post + this post have loads of pictures.
4. Anyone + everyone who would like to submit their own “glamour shot” (you with your Project Life products) is more than welcome to email those pictures to projectlife@beckyhiggins.com. We would love to update our little “page of fame” with your pictures!
5. Just a little side note about the new + improved binders: Along with the other improvements outlined here, they are also a little bit wider so that the page protectors/Photo Pocket Pages don’t come quite so close to the outside.
I’m talking specifically about the cover width which now measures 15″.
The spine width is 2 5/8″.
The binder height is 13 1/16″ tall.
(In case you were wondering.)
Tags: factory, product design
very interesting this post! my compliments for all!
I like you Becky. You have a knack of keeping us all engaged in what’s going on in Becky’s world. Not sure how you keep up with it all, but it’s good and the products are great and anyone who can sketch that good on plain old graph paper and is THAT detailed about how to bring products to life is absolutely someone I want to buy from. Besides, it’s you. The scrapbooker we’ve followed since 2000. I check my phone every day for the new core kits and glad to know when to start checking again. I also like the quantity I’ve seen in the pics. I didn’t really want to battle anyone for the core kits the day they come out. funny story that I was in Seaside, FL this weekend on a girls trip and I actually mentioned the words Project Life and a girl from across the store yells “hey, are you a scrapbooker?” I use PL too! so, yep, you’re famous, even in little tiny south walton beach towns like Seaside. Congrats!
Great post. Very interesting!
ha ha…..love the pics of people with newly received products….I’ll get to take mine tomorrow when my amazon box of “plastics” (as you call them) arrives…I am super excited!!!!!!! wooo hooo!!!
I am always interested in how things are done so thanks for the pics. The neatest part of this post for me was seeing a picture of a woman who taught in the same school as I did years ago holding her PL products. Talk about a surprise. It’s a small world after all!
This was cool. My only suggestion (along with a few friends) is vertical 5×7 page protectors. You can’t find them anywhere and they are so useful with project life. This blog I follow has samples-http://www.cherisheveryday.com/
Hoping it could be a new product.
Love the behind the scenes look and just wanted to say “thank you” for all you do. You keep us informed and you keep creating (along with all the great help that you so lovingly acknowledge). I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am for this way of scrapbooking and keeping up with my pictures. I have converted several people at work and we all love PL.
Love the look at behind the scenes. Suggestion 5×7 vertical pages to add to our plastics family.
I always try to “think” about what ALL goes into the kit when it comes…I mean REALLY there is SO so much stuff….thanks for sharing, AND its kind of like I invisioned!!!
I know the change of dates stresses you out and maybe others too, but to encourage you…it is kind of nice to have it spread out because my budget can handle the purchasing much better! Not quite such a big dent! So no stresses from this side of things. Plastics last month, binders this month, core kit next month!
Hi Becky! I absolutely LOVE Project Life!!! It’s SO easy to keep up with. Just wanted to let you know that I’m missing the BEAUTIFUL dividers that were in the 2011 edition….I like the new ones, but the older editions were so colorful!!! Any chance you will make some of those again?
I was thinking the same thing- but think of all the things you could stamp on there with alcohol inks!! Maybe Becky could add some stickers to jazz them up? Just a thought, but I was totally with you when I saw the new dividers!!
I like the old dividers as well as they matched the kits so much better. I am glad I am not the only one wishing for the old dividers. I will have to be creative I guess with the new plain ones and think of something.
Becky, are the new binder dimensions exactly the same, including width, to regular WRMK binders? That would help me “see” the sizes better in my head
Thanks!
I am wondering about the binders too. I use the Expedit bookcases from Ikea to store my scrapbooks and now that I hear the height, I am wondering if the new binders will fit? I have another WRMK binder which does fit, but just barely. The Project 365 binders from 2009 were way too big.
I know alot of scrapbookers use the Expedit bookcases too. Just wondering if the new binders will fit?
I love it all!
I am interested to know when the black ring binders will be available.
Thanks for all that you do to make our record keeping so simple!
I got my plastics and I love them! Particularly the dividers – so perfect for those of us who do Library of Memories!!!
Are any of your products made in China? Curious.
lol, I love that Becky …. ‘and we can all scrapbook happily ever after’ So neat to see behind the scenes. You, your products, and everyone and everything you surround yourself with — sheer inspiration! Wonderful job!
Very cool! I gotta say my favorite part was the handmade core kit prototype.
Amazon is a machine! My sister’s in-laws are working at a fulfillment center (not in Arizona) temporarily over the holidays and they have to physically TRAIN themselves to work there. The constant running back and forth to fill orders must be exhausting!
I am so looking forward to the new binders!! They look better than last year!!
Thanks for such a great product to house our great memories!!!
I am so giddy reading this I can hardly contain myself. 2012 will be my FIRST time to do Project Life and I am so excited to do this for my family that I got teary eyed reading your post today! Geez……I just imagine how wonderful this will be for my family and it makes me feel so good inside. I can’t wait for the Clementine version to come out. I am stalking Amazon everyday! Thanks for being such an inspiration Becky!
Ditto on everything that Jeanye said! So excited to get started!!!!
Tee hee! Hi Jazzmin. Fancy seeing you on here love!
I apologize if this has been asked and answered already…but I am all digital, and while I loved this post and enjoy reading the others about the paper stuff…I am often left wondering what the dates are and what exactly is happening with the digital stuff. It doesn’t seem to get mentioned as often, and I am trying to be oh so patient…but the past week or so, with the JS announcement and Shutterfly announcements well it has just got me salivating for more info!! Like approx dates of release, what all of it mean in terms of products and purchasing…etc…Can you give me a little info on when to expect more on the digital front? Thanks Becky!
I am very excited about being able to purchase the big envelope pages, but am curious as to why you didn’t include the snap. I’m sure it was more costly, but it was my favorite feature of the envelope. I could cram it full and it still stayed shut. Just wondering if you will make more someday?
Having no insider info, just experience with manufacturing and related stuff…
the snap requires two pieces to be attached which adds two to the part count. Also changes manufacturing and assembly — requires more equipment, more processes to be written, more opportunity for mistakes. Each extra increases the cost; adding machines is a major cost.
the snap has a measurable “height” [depth?]. A stack of envelopes without snaps lays flat – stable, no wasted space. A stack with snaps would be approximately twice the height of the snap-less stack. Every increase in size [such as a stack] means a corresponding increase in box size for shipment or fewer items per box. Again, adding to the cost.
Even the snaps’ weight means additional pounds when working in bulk. Weight increase equals cost increase.
It’s quite amazing how something as seemingly minor as a snap can require so much extra stuff and time. And all of that means more money.
For what it’s worth, the slit style stays shut for me. If you really want to stuff an envelope, you could add one or two strips of self-adhesive velcro to the flap.
Becky, thank you so much for the behind the scenes look, it was just fascinating. Love stuff like that!! Just so, so cool to see how the process works. Your sketches are awesome!
I even love the timing of it all – I am hoping to get my plastics order in time for my birthday on the 20th and then hopefully the core kit and / or binders in time for Christmas – my husband loves that ‘he’ can get me something that I totally love each year for both gifts!!
My Mom recently asked we all think about local service businesses and made in the us products for Christmas. We don’t do a lot of buying, we commit to charities as a tradition, I make many gifts. I told Mom I don’t think my supplies are made in the us so I have been researching and it seems these assembly pictures mAy be taken in the us, is this true? it is wonderful if it is.
Thank you for sharing the behind the scenes shots. It is often we get to see this stuff. You must know how much we are all hanging out for any tiny snippet of information. You know we love that you share.
I can’t wait for my binders. I think I’m going to have to order more. They look fantastic.
I can’t wait to see Clementine in person!
Cool to see the pictures. My bits and pieces arrived yesterday from New Zealand (I’m in Australia)
. I can’t wait to start using them. Is that your mum I see in the middle above? She looks very happy with her goodies too!
Becky, I love how you continue to feed the nerdy engineer in me! Thank you so much for sharing these snippets. I appreciate how the photos were posted too – being able to click and then have the zoom feature made looking at the details very easy. Thank you!
I can’t wait to see it for Europe… we are always the last
I may have missed this question, but are we buying everything separate now? I LOVED how it came all in one big package before…
The best part about the new binders are the metal tips…that way my stupid dog can’t chew off the edges of the new one and destroy it like he did from my 2010 binder.
Every time I look at it, I almost cry. Which is why the 2011 binder is waaaay off the floor and away from his still-a-puppy-and-must-chew-on-everything teeth!!
I’ve been following your blog for a long time and wanted to comment because I really appreciate you showing how the binders are made and then ready to ship. I’ve got 4 We R Memory binders and love them so it’s great to know that your binders are made through them (that way if I need to buy another binder, I will look into yours!). I also love your project life and now that you’ve expanded the sleeves and inserts, I’m going to have to buy some!! Thank you for a wonderful blog full of inspiration!
I really loved seeing the factory pictures of the albums being made.
[...] I have mentioned that we are also working on our Signature Binders. The development and sampling stages of these items have taken longer, but we are pleased to let you know that production is rocking + rolling over at We R Memory Keepers. [...]
Just wondering if I will be able to purchase as a whole kit? Instead of seperate pieces. thanks.