ArtDeck: How to Play Your Hand

art d e c k

H O W T O P Ls hAu Yf f l e Yi tO U R H A N D

a r t d e c kan abbreviated guide on how to start a business as a design student
[email protected]
instagram: @artdeck.colorado

Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

We would like to dedicate this project iteration to our friends, family,
colleagues, and professors, and members of the Boulder community
whom have all supported us so enthusiastically in our venture. We
would not have been able to keep pushing forward without your

time, energy, and faith.

Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

1 2 3

BE PURSUE DEVELOP
INSPIRED CAPSTONE CONCEPT

02 06 10

4 5 6

BUILD PITCH MODEL
TEAM IDEA BUSINESS

14 18 22

7 8 9

GET GO BETA
SOCIAL ONLINE TEST

26 30 34

Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

1

BE
INSPIRED

02

In the Spring of 2017, we both studied abroad in Copenhagen,
Denmark. In Copenhagen, like much of Europe, art is not the taboo
that it often seems to be here in the United States. Instead, art is
intentionally commissioned and welcomed throughout the entire
city, consistently bought and sold, and vastly admired. “Why don’t
we see this kind of appreciation for art in the United States?” we

thought. And why shouldn’t we do something to change that?



Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

2

PURSUE
CAPSTONE

06

Fortunately, in our fourth year as students of the Environmental Design
program at University of Colorado Boulder, we were presented with
the opportunity to act on our desire to change the availability of art
in the United States. Through our senior design capstone course, we
have been encouraged to engage with this problem and deeply
investigate the design potential for a possible solution. As such, we
decided to start a business that would put local art into continuous

circulation via an online platform.

LACK OF H
ACCESS AR
TO ART INNO

HOW DOES DISRUPTING
ARTDECK ART
RELATE TO
DESIGN? MARKET
LOCALLY &

ONLINE

REQUIRES GRAPHIC HOW DOES
DESIGN / WEB ARTDECK
PROCESS RELATE TO
DESIGN YOUR
& COLLAB & ART CAREER?

OW IS WHAT IS
RTDECK THE
OVATIVE?
PROBLEM
ARTDECK
SOLVES?

Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

3

DEVELOP
CONCEPT

10

As our four years of design training has taught us, a good design
always begins with a strong concept. Playing off the idea that the
ultimate goal was to get more art circulating and changing hands,
we landed on the name “ArtDeck,” referring to a deck of cards that
may continuously be shuffled. Accordingly, our logo developed to

visually embody a deck of art that may act in a similar way.



Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

4

BUILD
TEAM

14

Because both of us are design students with similar skill sets, it quickly
became obvious that we would not be capable of building an
entire business all on our own. We would need to assemble a team
that could assist us in navigating the business, finance, and fine art
components of the venture. We did so by attending networking
events and referring to friends of friends that had some form of
necessary expertise. Our team has helped us move forward and
make better informed decisions regarding the technicalities of our

project’s intent.

COURTNEY

LEGAL
LIAISON

ANILA

FINANCIAL
ADVISOR

NATALIE

COFOUNDER
COMM.

WEB DESIGN

ASIA

COFOUNDER
GRAPHICS
MARKETING

Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

5

PITCH
IDEA

18

Much of the fate of any business depends not only the people on
the inside, but on the ability to present the idea to outside influencers
who have the resources, funding, and extensive networks to help
the venture grow and eventually reach fruition. We were presented
with the opportunity to do so through the New Venture Challenge
at CU. As part of this competition, we were given a platform to pitch
our idea to other entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors to receive

not only attention, but useful feedback.

QUICK FU
PITCH

SEED CREATIVE CREATIVE CHAMPION
UNDING TRACK TRACK SHIP
FINAL
SEMI-FINAL

Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

6

MODEL
BUSINESS

22

Perhaps the most challenging part of trying to “design” a business
is developing a feasible business model that will entice both artists
and art renters and generate a profit. Per various suggestions from
moderately qualified voices, we have evaluated multiple business
models. Our research included precedents of services that are
similar in motive, news on the global art market, and various business
strategy informants. Iterations that we have considered include a
subscription based service, a purchasable networking platform,
and an incentivised queue system, which is our current model. Each
could appeal to a different set of customers, so it was crucial that

we first pinned down our “target market.”

.gyst-ink.com/how-the-art- https://www.smb.museum/en/mu-
world-works/ seums-institutions/kunstbibliothek/

brc.indiana.edu/ibr/2011/ home.html
ng/article2.html

.org/2011/01/how-to-de- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/ https://news.artnet.com/market/te-
winning-business-model arts/global-art-market.html faf-2017-art-market-report-880727

Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

7

GET
SOCIAL

26

In order to gain a following, which would eventually turn into our
artist collection and our customer base, we created an instagram
account that could help us spread the word about our venture.
On our instagram, we advertise information about who we are, the
goals and progress of our venture, and work by local artists that
is or could be part of the ArtDeck service. This was a crucial step
because, not only does it help us easily connect with people all over
the world that could be of service to our project, but it has placed
an obligation on us to keep making progress and to generate a

consistent aesthetic that will appeal to our newfound audience.

@cleonpeterson

#ART #SHUFFLEI T

ARTISTS @mca_denver.
WANTED

Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

8

GO
ONLINE

30

Most recently, we have purchased and designed the web platform
through which customers can access artwork, artists can market
and distribute their work, and we will conduct our regular art
“shuffles.” The creation of our new website has, since the beginning
of the project’s development, been a significant goal that gives our
venture a tangible future to progress into. For other businesses, this
step may present itself in the form of a physical prototype. Any type
of project, however, can benefit from establishing a web presence

that can be accessed worldwide.



Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

H O W T O P L A Y YO U R H A N D

9

BETA
TEST

34

With this iteration, we are conducting some version of a beta test, or
at least an experiment that may tell about the validity of demand
for our service. We are doing so by simulating the opportunity to
choose pieces of art that people like and physically place them in a
livable space. We will gauge people’s interest in the idea by taking
note of the frequency and type of interactions observers have with
our display, the number of people who sign up to participate in
the ArtDeck service, and the volume of sample artworks that get

selected and distributed from our collection.



Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018

Moving forward, we hope to continue developing our brand,
concept, business model, marketing strategy, etc. in a way that
accommodates user demands. More importantly, though, we
intend to preserve the integrity of ArtDeck as a web-based platform
that puts local art into continuous circulation for the mutual benefit of
artists and consumers alike. It is important that art is the focal point
of our business despite the integration of other factors, opinions,

assets.

Natalie
Bognanno

Asia
Peters

2018