The Kommerkors Studio

Kommerkors is a design studio for innovative product development, based in Schoonhoven and ‘s-Hertogenbosch The Netherlands. We have more than 25 years of experience with widely varying products and techniques. This means that we are well able to quickly present a feasible and reliable concept. We like to combine our creativity and broad basic knowledge with the expertise of our customers to create surprising designs.

Our clients

Kommerkors designs for a variety of companies. For example Albert Heijn, Hartman Garden Furniture and Parker Pens. Some clients produce our designs themselves. Other clients have the designs produced by a third party. In all cases, we intensively work together with our customers. We immerse ourselves in advance in both the products and the client’s production processes. This knowledge constitutes the point of departure for our designs. We put clients who can’t produce our designs themselves into contact with manufacturers in Europe or Asia. We also have a network of model makers, graphic designers, marketing agencies, intellectual property protection and patent agencies.

Design process

Large projects often have lead times of up to a year, while we sometimes can complete small projects within two months. The most important stages of the design process are:

·         The briefing: we discuss your expectations and goals, and look at the technical and financial aspects of the assignment.

·         The concept: we make initial proposals and present them to you. You can check this design against the description of the assignment. But the object, of course, is that you should also simply ‘like’ the proposal and find that it suits your organisation. After approval, we flesh out the proposal into a final design. It will be refined in all its details.

·         The production: we make drawings - nowadays often in digital form - so that the manufacturer knows exactly what to do. Then we can supervise the entire process of fabrication. We have access to a wide network of manufacturing companies in Europe and Asia.

·         Evaluation: when it’s all over, we’d like to reflect with you on whether the design has fulfilled your expectations.

Production numbers

Large or small numbers: we do both. On one occasion we might design a ballpoint that will fly over the counter in the tens of millions. On another occasion we might make an exclusive piece of furniture for a production run of ‘only’ a few thousand units. We always think long and hard about how to keep the production costs low, regardless of the production run.

Environment

In tandem with all the aspects such as price, originality and production, environment plays an indispensable role in our work. From inception, we take into account the impact of our designs.

Costs

We work primarily on a basis of royalties. For each product designed by us that you sell, we receive a fee. This way of working incentivises us to look carefully at the commercial value of our design. And for you, this type of remuneration means a minimal investment. After all, you only pay when the product actually reaches the market.

Professional association

Kommerkors is affiliated with the Association of Dutch Designers (BNO): http://www.bno.nl

We follow the design process as outlined by the BNO. This has advantages for our customers: we follow standard procedures and use the BNO contracts as a starting point. We subscribe to the Code of Conduct and submit to decisions of the complaints committee.