Art of Play Project Management

[Happyakrz]

Hi Everyone,

I've finished the final draft of my custom deck, ROYAL GUARD, (You can see the progress of the project in the Custom Deck board), and I'm now building my Kickstarter campaign and getting pricing information from producers, suppliers, fulfillers, etc.

I've reached out to Art of Play about my deck, and their team has responded with info about their services in Project Management. For a fee of $500, they'll manage the production and fulfillment of the deck (with my support and participation) -- I'll provide the necessary artwork, and they'll act as the go-between with USPCC for the development of the deck and tuck case. I believe they'll also be helping with input on the Kickstarter campaign and marketing. As I've never done anything like this before, I really like the idea of working with professionals who have experience in the arena, and I'm impressed with everything I've seen so far from Art of Play.

Have any of you out there worked with Art of Play on a design/development project? If so, would you mind sharing the pros and cons you experienced? I think that the $500 fee is appropriate for the type of work involved for a project that will cost nearly $10k (my career was in design and marketing, so I have experience with the printing/production industry) -- I'm just "green" in the arena of crowdfunding, and want to know if this is the best option for moving forward.

Any input will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Todd

[hsbc]

People seem to avoid going into specifics like this so THANKS! $500 is honestly cheaper than I would have expected, but I know nothing about how any of this works

[Happyakrz]

People seem to avoid going into specifics like this so THANKS! $500 is honestly cheaper than I would have expected, but I know nothing about how any of this works

I can understand why people might be tight-lipped about the process if they're trying to create a new process or offering that would be unique to them, but in this case, I feel like we're all here trying to enjoy the same hobby, and we all have the same ability to benefit from helping each other out. So you'll always get a pro-active level of transparency from me.

I want to design, develop, and produce cards for people all over the world. I'm not out to make a fortune (though I wouldn't mind making a moderate living at it). And I'm happy to share what I learn along the way.

[rousselle]

Make sure it's clear in the contract who owns the IP (intellectual property; the designs and so forth) and what happens if the process gets interrupted, or if pricing changes from what had been estimated. Who makes payments to whom, when? What happens if the process needs to stop for any reason?

Another member of UC posted this horror story detailing his working with Bocopo to manage his campaign:

https://unitedcardists.com/viewtopic.php?p=211537

I've talked with one or two folks over the years who have had a project managed by Art of Play; nobody has ever complained of anything outrageous like the situation described above. Given that AoP was trying to get into the playing card project business a few years ago (as was, in full disclosure, the then curator of United Cardists, Mike Ratledge), I have no reason to expect that they would be in any way unscrupulous. Again, unlike Bocopo.

I haven't worked with any of the folks there, but as long as the contract is clear that you retain your rights to your IP, and is clear on who is responsible for what, and is clear on what happens if the process has to pause or stop for any reason, I think you're likely in good hands. They do know what they are doing, and they do have a vested interest in maintaining good relations within the community.

[Happyakrz]

All great points, Rousselle -- thanks for adding them here! I've had the contracts on my mind and was planning on being diligent about ensuring that I retain my rights in all regards, but it's good to share these things openly so that other less experienced designers be aware that not every company out there "plays by the rules".