Business Foundations
Your personal research tasks are for deeper critical reflection and demonstration of your thinking and working processes.
These are the research tasks for this week, please share your findings on the ideas wall and on your blog:
- Compare your business plan to other existing examples.
- Determine what might be working well with your business plan, assess what could be missing and consider how might you improve it in the future.
Business Foundations – Weekly Research Reflection
Surviving the Underground – GDE731
This week’s focus was on developing and reflecting on the business side of my project. I’m creating a pop-up concept and Guide called Surviving the Underground, a helpful, personal guide to navigating the London Underground from a neurodivergent perspective. I used this week to compare my idea with others and evaluate where my plan is strong, where it’s missing key parts, and how I can keep improving it.
Comparing My Business Plan to Other Examples
My project combines publishing, motion graphics, and live pop-up experiences, so I looked at examples across branding, retail, and neurodivergent support. Here are a few that stood out:
- Coca-Cola: While massive, I’ve been really inspired by how Coca-Cola thinks about audience, experience, tone of voice, and storytelling. I’m trying to apply a similar mindset, even on a small scale, making the feeling and identity of my project as strong as the products.
- Pop-up publishing shops (like The Gentlewoman or Penguin): These brands are polished and experiential. They show that books can be part of a bigger moment or vibe, not just products on a shelf. This helps me see my pop-up as more than a sales stand, it’s a design intervention in public space.
- Neurodivergent resources (e.g. Lexxic): These are helpful, but often feel very formal or medical. I’m doing something quite different, mine is creative, humorous, and based on lived experience. It feels like I’m filling a gap for something relatable and human in this space.
What’s Working Well
- Clear, unique concept: honest and funny take on dyslexia + travel
- Strong tone of voice and visual identity already emerging
- Original offer: zine, merch, looping animation, not something I’ve seen elsewhere
- Emotional connection: it’s based on real experience and aims to support others
What Could Be Missing
- I haven’t worked out pricing, or how many copies/products to make