10 lessons from designing for POD services, and well... from building a new career as a designer

If I really have some readers here (lol), you may have noticed that I haven't published in a month. I have drafted some post on my phone but I don't like the lack of font options on the app (Please Blogger-people update that app, it's 2018 and almost everyone and everything is mobile). Though this week's events got me thinking that I need to get all this information and feelings out.

I understand those who go directly to the 10 lessons list but a background story is behind it, so read some or skim them.

1. When you think anything can't be worst, oh! IT CAN: I have been having tough family issues which I cannot comment here because I could get into politics, but let say my family is living in a country with too many economic problems, and I try to keep them as healthy as I can, living on the other part of the world. Recently a friend of mine, in a similar situation with his family, has an extra burden, he has his father under cancer treatment and is relying on a "gofundme" campaign to pay for the cancer treatment (Please support here). This hit me hard, not only because he's my friend's dad, but because is the reality for so many people in the country, including kids.

2. There is something you can still do, even if it is small, do it: I wish I could do more but I'm struggling with an underpaid day job (almost full time) and just starting to gain momentum on my Etsy stores. Despite that, I believe that if you give you get back, so I am going to donate half my earnings from Father's Day SALE from both of my Esty shops to the campaign (see lesson 1). I know it's not much, but little by little everything sums up.

3. Keep a journal handy: The lack of time to complete my ideas is killing me for sure but has not stopped me from writing down my ideas and even doodling some. The down thing on this is that I almost finished my blank pages and I must print another notebook.

4. When you think anything can't be worst, oh! IT CAN: it's not a mistake, it is double for a reason: it's just life, ups and downs. Even with lack of time, I've managed to submit designs on Redbubble, both my Etsy shops and on my Amazon merch. Sadly, this week got me unguard and I got 3 (4) designs rejected. Which leads me to number 5.

5. Always, always check and re-check about trademarks and copyrights before submitting something. This includes the design itself, images, phrases, fonts, title, keywords, your brand name, words and phrases in the description: I always check for copyrights and trademark infringements. I respect them because as an artist/designer/creator I also want respect. Even though I think there are some trademarks that should be revised since are submitted with bad intentions. This being said, here are my stories:

- 2 designs, I count them as one because they both included the famous relativity equation and I submitted them to Amazon merch. The scientist's name is copyrighted as well as his work (yeah the famous one with crazy grey hair with the tongue out who besides this, created the principles for the atomic bomb. No mean to disrespect, I just don't want to use his name and commit an infringement. I'm a geek, I have his bubblehead figure on my desk, and I've read his work). I could not believe it at first because it didn't appear in my searches, and other t-shirts from Amazon merch use the equation. But digging in and changing keywords got me to the answer. I let it to you to check it. I am grateful though because it never went public and I never submitted to any other platform which probably saved me from being sued.

- 1 design, also submitted to Amazon, included a hand-drawn bee which I made by myself with a phrase. When it was taking longer to be accepted I had a bad feeling but I didn't know what  I did wrong, and I am still not sure. I have a t-shirt with only the bee, Live on Amazon, and I also offer it on other products on Redbubble. Though the design including the phrase was the issue, the phrase was "bee yourself". I went to a group on Facebook where there are “experts” in taking “frivolous” trademarks down, because I thought "hey, they might know other places to search for trademarks besides TESS on USPTO; or maybe some other like me tried before with this and they might know which phrase or word has a trademark and help me take it down". Well, in less than 5 minutes my post was not considered as for the group and I couldn't comment anymore. I did get the opportunity to "Like" 2 comments, thank you, guys. One comment may be the answer, apparently, that phrase is used by Disn*y in Aladd*n. If it is really that, I am sorry guys but I've only seen the movie in Spanish so it's not in my brain, and if it is trademarked why is not in the database? Another comment was to check my submission and try to resubmit, but honestly, I don't want to risk another rejection that could lead to the cancelation of my account. So, I am still puzzled. Maybe I wrote another bee ** sentence in the description or keyword and I can't remember. This is LESSON 6

- the last design was in Redbubble, right when I was thinking the worst passed. The problem was not the design itself but the description. I said it was inspired by retro games from an old console, so here is LESSON 7.

6- Make a list of the keywords and description of the Amazon merch submissions: because after rejection you cannot see what you submitted and learn from your mistake. The rejection e-mail is not descriptive either.

7- Even if your design is remotely or far away from resembling something from others, but you say it is inspired by *** , it is most probably a trademark infringement: just because you mentioned the brand name, even if you could place the "TM" mark next to it ("c" mark for copyrights).

8- Be yourself (funny right? ) but be careful: there are many simple phrases that are trademarked. Here are two: "Dog Mom"(TM) (very recent, April 28, 2018, and it's getting everyone nuts because there are too many already on MBA), "Happy  place"(TM) (as in "my bed is my h.p.", this one is from 2015 and still people are getting rejected because of this). I hope you get the point.

9- If after searching for trademarks and copyrights you still doubt, just DON'T go for it: TMHunt is a great tool, yet not perfect, visit TESS instead.  For copyrights, well is easier not to copy designs, you can do a google search of an image just to be sure, but if you are buying already made designs you must be extra careful, I've seen/read people complaining about being "scammed". I say that if you want to be better in this industry, learn some skills in your preferred software or app. I am now thinking that I'd be better by teaching Illustrator (TM), Photoshop (TM), and other tools, to people with bestselling ideas than me lol.

10- Make a list of the free fonts you have been gathering, make it on a table writing the name using the font (so it's easier to find the one you want), next to the source (where you got it from), next to the last date you check it was still free for commercial use: I learned this the hard way, it was my first rejection because of copyright, it was in Zazzle where I sell mostly maternity t-shirts. I got the font more than 2 years ago, it was then free for commercial use. Despite that the font had tiny changes compared to the copyrighted version, it was not seen in the letters I used so, the design was not accepted. After this, I changed other designs where I had the font in.

This is so far, my longest post, but I think learning from others is important as learning from oneself. Also, I can re-read them to remember lol

Please leave a comment or question.

Peace to you all.

P.S. I just realized that I drafted my story on “Why did I quit Storenvy?”, I should post it soon, keep tuned.

P.S.2: Regarding my friend's dad. He is recovering :) A happy ending there.

P.S.3 I think my Storenvy post is longer ?! Don't know, but check it out and leave a comment