“Understanding the financial and legal aspects, including intellectual property rights and contracts, is key to protecting your design integrity while expanding your reach,” Magon notes. A hired expert can do that legwork—and paperwork—for you.Carter mentions that an agent can also help to fast-track product visibility and placement, although he did not choose to engage one for his licensing agreements. When not working with an agent, having the utmost patience is as important as having product design savvy.Communicate wisely and oftenIt’s essential that the company that will produce your designs fully comprehends the ethos of your brand and that the two parties are true partners. To help foster this collaboration, open communication is key.“Be sure to stay in constant communication with the manufacturer about production costs,” Langdon advises. “The last thing you want is to bring a product to market and learn that the price point is not in line with what you wanted.” In an effort to quell this issue, she recommends making tweaks during the prototype stage that could help pricing, if necessary. “It’s better to be flexible,” she says, “and make slight design adjustments to get the look you want but for an optimal cost.”Asserts Goralnick, “Take into account the time, money, and sources required for you to deliver what your partner needs. Developing, revising, and optimizing designs can be far more time-consuming and resource-demanding than you might imagine, which can take a break even or profitable scenario further away than you think.”Expand your brandBesides the obvious advantage of potentially providing a stream of revenue, a huge benefit of product licensing is that designers are able to focus on what they really love—designing—rather than getting bogged down with the minutiae of bringing a product to market. “My favorite part of the process is working out the details with the engineers and manufacturer’s team to make it producible, scalable, and hit a price point, all while keeping the designs’ creative integrity,” Goralnick explains. “Licensing allows me to do what I enjoy best, while my licensing partners help to realize the vision. In the end, we both benefit financially when the partnership is successful.”Another positive result of product licensing is enhancing awareness of your brand through your manufacturer’s audience. Goralnick explains that the increased awareness of his product designs on an international level also had a positive outcome—a “halo effect,” he says—on his architecture and interior design business.“Product licensing offers an incredible opportunity to extend your brand’s reach and influence beyond your immediate clientele. It’s a way to diversify your portfolio and tap into new markets while staying true to your design vision,” Magon explains. “The benefit lies in the ability to collaborate with established manufacturers or brands that have the infrastructure and expertise to bring your vision to life at scale. Licensing also allows you to build your brand’s equity, offering consumers a tangible piece of your creative world, all while generating passive income. It creates a symbiotic relationship where both the designer and the partner can grow through collaboration.”Bunny Williams’s Campbell House pattern for Ballard Above all, stay creativeWhile Carter urges designers to distinguish themselves from the crowd, “don’t be different for different’s sake,” he advises. Similarly, Landgon suggests creating products that are designed to sell. “Wacky or avant-garde is tricky,” she says. “Be sure to have a handle on what the final collection will look like, who you’re designing for, how much they will pay for it, and where they will use it.”“Stay true to your aesthetic,” Carter encourages, adding a final piece of advice when considering product licensing: “Maintain creative control, and don’t do anything that feels artificial.”APPLY NOWGrow your business with the AD PRO DirectoryArrow