Last week, though, I got price quotes for the commercial printing of the Emergent Task Planner, so we’re one step closer to actually realizing an actual product!
The quick synopsis: The Emergent Task Planner is a daily planning form that uses some simple premises to add productive structure to the day:
- Focuses on tracking just a few tasks a day.
- Provides a scheduling grid to block out time, to give shape to the day.
- Provides space to note all that stuff that “just happens” throughout the day.
While there are free versions you can download (and these aren’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future), this special printed version is my first foray into making and shipping a real product. I’m thinking it will be a good education in basic commerce, and with luck I’ll be able to use the proceeds to fund development of the software products (electronic time tracking tools) by actually hiring freelancers. The experience will also give me something to write about on the blog. :-)
STATE OF THE FORM
Here’s the current design of the Emergent Task Planner that we’re considering taking to print, which incorporates the feedback from previous posts.
Here’s the current specifications:
- US Letter (8.5″ x 11″) on a pad, no backing (for cost), glued on the top for “tear off style”. I actually have already designed an A4 version, so it’s ready to go once we figure out international fulfillment.
- No pre-punched holes, but there is space on the left of the form to allow for hole punching.
- Heavy Paper: I have to review paper samples, but we are looking to use durable paper stock that will hold up over the day while not being too thick. I think right now we’re looking at a stack of 75 sheets being about half an inch.
- 75 Sheets per Pad: This seems like a decent number, and allows us to ship a pack of 5 pads to cover a year.
- 4 color printing: I am pushing for custom inks, but this adds to setup cost. With custom inks we’ll get better tonal quality that I suppose people may not notice. It would be cheaper to go with 4-color process, but I’ll have to see the proofs and maybe adjust my colors for optimum screening (and hence tone) reproduction.
There are various tweaks we can make to the form—for example, whether to retain the year marker in the corner, or perhaps create “shells” and then run dates as a separate pass—but I think this is pretty close to what we’ll have. We will adjust the product line as demand dictates, assuming we don’t lose our shirts first :-)
COST
Our initial cost calculations put each 75-sheet pad US$12.00 This works out to about 16 cents a sheet, which is a few cents more for ink and consumables cost for printing at home on an inexpensive color printer. For the extra cents, you’ll get thicker paper, full waterproof color ink in convenient “glue-top” pads. To cover the remainder of the year, you’ll need about 3 pads, which works out to US$36.00. Shipping will be extra, but a friendly reader told me that because we’re printing bound material, we can qualify for media mailing rates. I need to look into it further.
PULLING THE TRIGGER
I really have no idea if this will work or not, but even if we don’t sell enough pads to make this an actual product, the educational experience alone will be totally worth it. Of course, I hope this takes off, because this means that I may be able to spend more time designing real productivity products you can hold in your hand!
But first…we need to get a 100 pad minimum order before we can go to press. I’m not sure how long it will take to get there, so please be patient. You can monitor the progress in the comment section here and count along with me :-)
PRE-ORDERING
To keep our risks low, I’m going to actually do a pre-order here so we can estimate the number of pads we will print. This will allow us to determine whether we have enough orders to make offset printing cost effective, ensure that we have a sufficient margin to save some money for a next round of product development. To make it worthwhile, we need to print at least 7500 sheets—that’s 100 pads of 75.
Rather than spend a lot of time learning to set up an e-commerce site, I’m going to take names via comments below here. Signing up now doesn’t obligate you to purchase anything; however, you will be contacted by me when we have final pricing available.
We’ll be using this data to estimate demand. Once we have enough orders for 100 pads, we’ll push through to the next phase. Your email address will not be sold or used for any purpose other than this specific order.
PLEASE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN YOUR COMMENT
- Valid email address – you will get a confirmation email from me to confirm that I’ve gotten your order. You should see a text field where you can enter your email address; don’t put it in the actual comment.
- Number of pads to order – each pad has 75 sheets, estimated cost is about US$12 per pad. If you want to last to the end of the year, that’s 3 pads with some extras.
- Country / State – don’t use your full mailing address in your comment (this is the Internet, after all).
Feel free to add any other thoughts or topics of discussion; I’ll take them under advisement. While I’d like to accommodate everyone’s personal desires, this kind of personalization is expensive so I’m trying to keep this as simple as possible.
If you prefer to send private email, use the Email Contact Form instead.
emilio morales 
Justin Johnson 
Gil Price 
gordon dykstra 
Great! Put me in for 3.
This form will pair nicely with my newly acquired Circa punch and Circa/Myndology notebooks.
There is something about pre-printed, color forms that gives a Productivity Buzz not attainable through the D-I-Y printing/cutting routine.
Frankly, having the 2007 block there would be nice! (But I understand why you might not.)
Thanks for not pre-punching them.
Good Luck with this!
-Dan
Put me down for 1 pad presuming the postage costs are not too high!
uk based!
David,
Big fan of your forms. Been using them for about a year now. Put me down for 1-2 pads if the year is pre-printed, and 3-5 if it’s not. I agree that having the year pre-printed does look nice, but I still have a big stack of 2006 forms that I need to get rid of! :)
Keep up the inspiring work!
Put me down for 3 pads please! (Houston)
First time posting!
If / when you get international shipping sorted out then I’m in for some A4 versions please. I think I’d prefer the pre-printed year actually (which means you need to be able to print 2007 and 2008 I guess?)
Shipping would be to the UK.
Hey Dave,
Stick me down for a few, wouldn’t mind ‘07 and ‘08..
Shipping would be to UK, so would be dependant on costs internationally being reasonable ;)
ta v.much
Awesome, I’ll have 2 pads, A4 version, when you’ve decided to ship to Australia.
Best of luck.
Excellent.
Sign me up for 3 USA, CA
I’d prefer the yearless version.
Thanks
Sign me up for 2 pads
MN/USA
I’m in for 2 pads. NY/USA. I like the combo 2007/2008 version.
Put me down for 3 pads
USA/California
put me on the list for 1 pad.
thanks!
Count me in for 3 pads
1 Pad to start
US/CA
I’ll buy a few pads too, but I’m all the way in NZ – will you ship there?
I want to order 1 Pad.
Thanks you very much. Great idea.
Germany / Hamburg
I would like one (1) pad please. Thanks.
Shawn
Awesome planner page design – so clean and inviting! Count me in for 3 pads!
Colorado, USA
I would like (1) pad please. Thank you!
Bruce
Yes. Put me down for one. Nashua, NH
4 pads.
San Francisco CA.
Just use paypal, its easy.
I will start with 2 pads. Medford, MA
This looks groovy!
Put me down for 1 pad, please.
Thetford Center, VT
Hey Dave…though I tried this form before and didn’t really stick with it, you can me put down for one pad.
Two reasons…
<ol>
<li>I like ‘em anyway. I like their analog nature in such a digital world.</li>
<li>I’d like to support your endeavors :)</li>
</ol>
Maybe they’ll stick this time.
Thanks
Ken
California, USA
5 pads!
Dubai, UAE.
Thanks
Rajeevk
I would love three pads, preferably yearless.
Thanks for sharing your work!
yikes, forgot my location!
I am in Memphis, TN
I’m in Virginia, and am game for at least 2 pads.
Hey Dave, how about 3.
Bellingham, WA USA
Hi Dave,
I’d be very interested in buying 3 pads if you are going to ship to the UK.
I also know of a UK based online store who would be very keen to stock this product if you were ever thinking of distributing abroad that way. Drop me a line if you’d like to talk more about it.
I’ve been printing out these sheets for a while, but now I have an irrational desire for pre-printed pages. I’ll take 2 A4 pads when you start shipping to Melbourne, Australia.
Are you still taking orders? I’d like to buy some for my colleagues.
I am ready for 3 pads too.
I’m in for two pads. Good luck!
I’d love to order 3 or more. Please do this!
Hi Dave, I am in for at least one pad, just to join the adventure. Let me know what’s next. Shipping is my big issue up here in the great white north.
I’m game for 1 pad as it’s now Thanksgiving and almost the end of 2007. If you get ready to run off some with 2008 in them, I’d be good to go for 5 of the 2008 sets also.
I’m good for 1 pad, if I like it I’ll be back for more.
I’m in Cornelius, NC
hi david, i dont know if u still have those famous pads, i you have u can count me with 4,
thankx