We featured Blank on BetaList earlier this month and when they launched a few days ago I was positively surprised by the simplicity of their product design. It's a matter of connecting with your Instagram or Facebook account, picking a photo, a t-shirt size, and entering your credit card info. I think there were some minor customisation options, but the defaults were fine for me. Overall the process from first visiting the site and then placing my order probably took less than 5 minutes. Great UX and well worth checking out if you're a product designer.
Turns out Blank is actually a (focus) pivot from a more complicated idea earlier on:
>> "Two years ago, Terence Pua had an idea of trying to monetize art and specifically local artists. He noticed many people wear t-shirts with art on it, so he came up with an idea of creating a platform for artists to raise money for their work on t-shirts. That didn’t work out so well, but one of the features discussed was adding photos to the then t-shirt editor. Well, that turned out to be Blank :)"
@bentossell It's American Apparel actually and we should probably include that on the homepage :)
You can use the upload feature and just use a local photo, which doesn't require an account. For the quality of the picture, we leave it to the user to decide the kind of picture quality but we get the highest resolution from instagram/fb.
Thanks for up voting!
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@terencepua agree, that the shirts are American Apparel definitely is information that should be included. It's important info for consumers for sizing as well as ethical concerns
@isobelalthea awesome product. Totally up our alley :) Would love to learn more about the product.
On a side note, we run a thoughtfully curated Slack group for visual startup founders. I think you would make a great addition to this community. Let me know if you are interested in an invite (message me at mail@imagingmind.com)!
The goal of Imaging Mind is to share knowledge and insights about the visual tech space, physically connect founders-investors and strategic executives at events around forward facing imaging themes. Last but not least, we host community hackathons to turn ideas into prototypes and ignite the visual space.
Hello all, one of the makers.
Upon creating an artist fund raising platform, we realized that tools for self expression on physical products hasn't really changed much. It still feels like you need to be a Photoshop expert to get a beautifully designed tshirt. And the alternative is going to mall or to printing shops carrying your USD drive. It's kind of a hassle. So we created Blank.
Our first version focuses on combining photos and tshirts (filters included). The tool is super easy and you can upload or use instagram/facebook photos.
For the PH community, enter "PRODUCTHUNT" at the checkout and get 10% off. Get a further 10% off (as a refund), when you share your Blank tee on Twitter or Instagram tagging @blankhq_.
Looking forward to your feedback, much appreciated :)
Thanks @marckohlbrugge for hunting us!
@terencepua@blankhq_ I know @IsobelAlthea already touched on this in the interview we did, but I'd be curious to hear a little bit more about your future vision. Where would like to see Blank in 5 years? Will it just be t-shirts, clothing in general, what else can be customised using one's photos?
I like some of the example t-shirts you shared, so it would be cool if those were available too and perhaps do a revenue share with the creator. I.e. after someone orders their t-shirt give them a unique link where they or a friend can re-order the same design. (No need to build a whole marketplace.)
@marckohlbrugge It is in our nature as humans to express, so the focus on the short term is to beef up "Easel" (what we call our Blank editor) to add more creative ways of self expression. These could include adding popular "tee celebs" like Bob Marley, Marilyn Monroe, Ansel Adams, etc., as well as additional artwork (paintings, etc.). We are also working on an interesting feature that combines the "look and feel" of a photograph combined with another photograph to create an entirely new image.
Re: rev share with creator -- yup, totally agree. We will release a program that will allow for that hopefully soon :)
Thanks again for hunting us and being a customer!
@rrhoover Thanks for upvoting and sharing. YoShirt looks cool and will try that out. What do you think of a mobile app that replaces sending souvenirs and sending experiences instead?
@rrhoover Instead of buying the "I love X city" shirt, you can send an actual "city experience" instead in the form of a Blank tee. It is an alternative to the typical souvenirs we usually buy.
@crixlet appreciate it, Aaron! Thanks for the help & support! :)
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Selfies on Super Bowl weekend. Get on that.
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I think a great application for this product is "Personal Identification T-Shirts" which feature your personal picture and personal identification informations such as name, position(s), training badges, seniority status, ideally for work related settings and market them accordingly to companies of relevance for example warehouse employees, construction employees, or I really suggest branding these shirts with company logos and going for the retail business employee market! I literally just based this idea off of your innovative product here I appreciate any feedback.. Thanks!
Maybe this could be used in the Armed Forces! ;) Thanks again.
Jaswinder Brar
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Maybe this could be used in the Armed Forces! ;) Thanks again.
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