So when I was back in school I had a project to design a calendar that strictly served as something cool to look at. It wasn’t supposed to have any space to mark down events. So I had the idea of taking a marathon map and turning the mile markers into dates and aid stations into holidays.
Now, I have finally found a website that I can host it on and they will print them on demand. My question is, will anyone actually buy it or are people just being nice? At this point, they’re designed to be something like a commemorative print for anyone that did the race, not to actually be used as a calendar because they are printed individually.
So, would you buy it? What would you pay? Should I ditch the calendar idea and use the maps to put onto t-shirts? What would you do with it?
EDIT:
So I got both sample prints. The colors on the POSTER print are slightly off, so I would say go with a PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT. The photographic print came out much better imo but I believe that posters can be printed larger. I did not test print a matte finish yet so if anyone chooses to go that way, please let me know how you feel the quality is. I have only done a semi gloss and lustre.
Please give suggestions of what races you would like to see. Keep in mind a good combination water and land on the map because land locked races tend to look a little weird.
Hope you guys like them. Feel free to send that link to friends and family!
I think that’s a really cool idea and I like your design. I think it’s better as a calendar than as a t-shirt. Probably ought to make sure that you don’t have any typos before you go to print…cough cough inauguration cough cough…
Suggestion: pick races that are point to point. Anything with loops or crossovers is confusing as we’re used to dealing with time as a linear being.
Alright, good point. I’m also going to give some triathlon courses a try and see if they make any sense. With transition and three different events, it could get a little confusing.
You’re also the first person out of about 30, including a professor, that caught that typo.
For dates, I just look at how many days are in the month and use various checkpoints along the way to add in anything greater than 26. For example, there are points at the 5k, 10k, 15k, half marathon, 25.2, ect.
very unique, and visually pretty cool. But personally the only calendar I use is on something electronic, and its so I can keep track of events, so i don’t think i would buy it. But I would have to imagine there are plenty of people who value an in hand calendar who would pony up
I don’t think a point to point is entirely needed. These are cool and serve the function of being a cool to look at calendar instead of a functional calendar.
Pretty cool, for sure,
Maybe Famous TDF stages too?
I would consider a purchase for an Event specific shirt, like IM Chattanooga. Month of September, with the date of the race a big bigger, or red, or bold…
Guess if you put the IM branded logo on there you get in hot water?
Are you saying you would buy an entire set as a calendar, or individually for an event that you went to? I’m trying to decide whether or not to bundle them or market it more as individual posters.
I will work on boilmaker and an IM event or two this weekend to see how they turn out.
So from a product standpoint, I’d be interested in one of two approaches if you wanted, say, $30 from me:
I’d want a calendar with 12 (or 16 or 24) months, each page representing a different iconic race (or stage), whether it’s targeted at runners, triathletes, or cyclists. Then I’d treat each page as a poster once it was past that month. Your design is worthy of wall art, in my opinion. These can be sold to anyone who’s a fan of that particular sport or those particular races, regardless of whether they’re doing that race.
I’d want a poster representing one race and only one race, with the month of the race detailed along the course as you’ve done, and then with text blocks in the corner for the other months of the year. If I’m going to hang the thing on my wall, it had better be good for more than 30 days. These can be sold to anyone who’s going to do that race that year, serving as constant motivation, bragging rights, etc.
"1) I’d want a calendar with 12 (or 16 or 24) months, each page representing a different iconic race (or stage), whether it’s targeted at runners, triathletes, or cyclists. Then I’d treat each page as a poster once it was past that month. Your design is worthy of wall art, in my opinion. These can be sold to anyone who’s a fan of that particular sport or those particular races, regardless of whether they’re doing that race. "
I would buy on with Marathons, TDF, GDI and VDE stages or IM races. I am also partial to over 12 months. I think the price-point of $30 or less is gona keep you in the game.
If you put together a years worth of some big running races would totally get a couple as gifts. If be happy with 12/24 months (races) with a running focus. Not as interested as single posters
So from a product standpoint, I’d be interested in one of two approaches if you wanted, say, $30 from me:
I’d want a calendar with 12 (or 16 or 24) months, each page representing a different iconic race (or stage), whether it’s targeted at runners, triathletes, or cyclists. Then I’d treat each page as a poster once it was past that month. Your design is worthy of wall art, in my opinion. These can be sold to anyone who’s a fan of that particular sport or those particular races, regardless of whether they’re doing that race.
This would be perfect. I think the way to do this would be print a few of each (run focus, bike focus, tri focus, mixed focus) see what sells best and go with it. Personally, i would buy any model it there were a 12 month option
I love the idea of number 1 being able to pull apart the various months to use as posters after the month has past. The website I found does print calendars so I will have to see if they can print them in the style that I am looking for (more so a booklet of posters than a spiral bound “save the date” calendar).
On the other hand I could see option 2 hanging on someones wall in their office as a way of counting down the days till a race, also a bit as bragging rights. Could be good design that’s also serving as a reminder to finish your work so you can get home and go for a run. It might be worth putting both out there and see which one sells better.
To answer the question about races corresponding with their months, they already do. I was very aware of that when I started the project and yes the winter months were difficult to find some good (popular) races; especially races that had interesting landmarks around them to draw.
Once everything is up and running, I can post a link to the site. I want to make sure they’re not printing junk and then it looks bad on my part.
