Ogelby Woodworks is a custom woodworking brand– owner Matt's passion project– that he's chosen to pursue professionally. He came looking for ways to push his audience further. . .
Vermont being a huge part of the brand’s identity itself, Matt’s local-based wood-shop, operating out of Waterbury, appeals to those seeking “fine furniture and Vermont life.” and a piece of furniture with meaning
In our briefing we got to hear a lot from Matt about his core values and what Ogelby Woodworks is based around, like his “strive to do clean, contemporary work that honors the material, for an experience that’s both tactile and experiential.”
Business Problem: How can attention, demand, and interest in Ogelby Woodworks' products be generated? In what ways can we push the appeal of custom, sustainably-handcrafted furniture and home goods?
I chose to focus on finding ways to increase his online presence by looking at platforms that visitors come into contact with first, like Instagram, and seeing how I could attract more potential customers by refining the content.
Instagram Refresh
Photography & social media has a way of making you envision yourself as a part of each brand we come in contact with, so I thought about easy ways to push a brand on Instagram without requiring too much time or skill.
It takes about five minutes total to stick a picture in an editing app, choose a pre-made editing preset, make some minor adjustments, and save it out to post on Instagram. The photo treatment is minimal, so a photo editing app that can house presets, like VSCO, is a perfect, free resource to use & not hard to maneuver.
The images chosen were focused around the full process of making a furniture piece from start-to-finish; including pictures of the harvesting phase, the production phase, the craftsman behind the piece, and final product shots
Logging the process compliments the personal aspect Ogelby Woodworks appeals to, and makes for a better understanding of the quality behind custom, handcrafted furniture.
Website Refresh
Wood significantly changes colors in sunlight, which could be a huge deciding factor that provides an outlet to expand on. Not only do technicalities differ, but also character and detail factors among different species of trees can be very noticeable and suit different styles. Why not inform the potential customers of all the possibilities?
Also, promoting the sustainable practice Ogelby follows by informing viewers of the different classifications, as far as threatened species go, furthers the appeal to clients conscious of sustainable practice.
