Choosing a design: Freelance vs MarketPlace

What is a marketplace?

First of all, it is important to understand the concept of marketplaces which are different from traditional merchant sites. Originally, a marketplace, in other words a market place, was simply defined as a site hosting one or more buyers. The main function of these web platforms was to optimize the purchasing procedure. However, with the emergence of the web, marketplaces are now a commercial intermediation service, under legal regulation. These are simply websites on which you can sell your products and promote them for remuneration, which often takes the form of a commission taken by the sites on the sale of the product.

There are different types of marketplace, depending on the status of the stakeholders:

• BtoC Marketplace : Connecting professionals and individuals, very popular marketplace (example: Uber, Amazon).
• BtoB Marketplace : Connecting professionals only (example: Alibaba, Manutan).
• CtoC Marketplace : Intended for sales only between individuals (example: Airbnb).

A marketplace plays the role of guarantor towards both stakeholders. This therefore guarantees a reliable payment solution, as well as protection against legal risks. The main legal risk being linked to the originality of the textile patterns. However, it is important to remember that each marketplace has its own operating rules. The quality and reliability of a marketplace therefore lies in the selection of sellers authorized to appear on the site. The higher this level of requirements towards sellers, the more the marketplace will be able to guarantee an attractive level of quality and reliability.

Reasons to prefer a design marketplace

• A wide, instant choice : Choosing a quality marketplace means benefiting from a wide choice of designers, who respect the specific requirements of the web platform! For example, in the case of French Design, it means opting for French designers who offer work and creations with assertive styles. It is certainly the best web option to find the creation of your dreams, which corresponds to your identity.
• Legal risks : Buying on a marketplace is of course acquiring an original creation in the legal sense of the term. That is to say, according to the European judges, a creation which expresses the personality of its author by manifesting free and creative choices. Purchasing a textile pattern on a web platform like French Design therefore allows the buyer to fully immerse themselves in their project, without subsequently worrying about the legal aspect.
• The good deal : To acquire a textile pattern, the option of a marketplace is by far the most economical. It has never been so affordable to acquire an original creation, it offers a very qualitative and diversified design alternative for limited budgets.
• Promote talents : Generally, a specialized marketplace achieves much more traffic than an independent freelancer on the web. This is why, by visiting and purchasing on a specialized marketplace such as, for example, French Design, you provide significant support to the designer-users of the web platform. This is a phenomenon of pooling existing traffic for these designer-users present on the platform. Indeed, by choosing this option you provide visibility to designers, beginners or experienced, who correspond to your requirements and values.
• The purchasing experience : A marketplace offers a secure means of payment, ensuring an optimal purchasing experience for the consumer via a secure web platform. Which is not the case, on the contrary for the self-employed and the freelance world where payment disputes are unfortunately quite common.

Reasons to favor a partnership with a freelancer

• An affordable tailor-made service : Choosing to work with a freelance stylist offers a multitude of work possibilities for your projects. Indeed, the main advantage of working with a freelancer is being able to call on them when you need them, without paying payroll taxes or a fixed salary every month, as for a traditional employee. However, a freelance stylist must be paid the right price if you want to get quality work. This is a real professional service concerning a very specific profession.
• A design for your project : When a project is very unique, the choice of freelance stylist is extremely important. In the textile pattern market, the choice of independent workers is significant, which makes it possible to choose an ultra-specialized collaborator for your various very specific projects.
• A breath of fresh air : A freelance stylist can also bring a fresh look to your projects, with their own style. In addition, the independent collaborator will guarantee an original and above all innovative production!

Finally, calling on a professional in the sector nevertheless requires very careful selection on your part. The freelance stylist must be in tune with your world and your visual identity, while being available for your activity. To avoid casting errors, you should not hesitate, for example, to ask for a first working draft, as well as a quote for your project. To ensure that the independent collaborator speaks the same creative language as your company or activity, and that they offer a realistic selling price for their services.

Long-term differences

The choice of a design marketplace or an independent freelance stylist, regarding your various long-term projects will be decisive and will directly influence your positioning towards your clients. Indeed, depending on the positioning of your desired activity, the choice will therefore be different.

Coherence and identity : If for your activity you are looking for a visual identity, with strong values. Choosing a specialized design marketplace is very relevant. It will then be very easy for you to keep a common thread between your creations. Thanks in particular to the careful selection of the marketplace of different designers with the same common values, while having a different creative language between them. For example, if “Made in France” is relevant for you and corresponds to the values ​​of your activity, selecting your designs on French design would be an interesting option in synergy with the identity of your company.

Creativity and perpetual change : The freelance status is a status which allows the various collaborators of the project to have enormous flexibility and organizational flexibility. It can be relatively interesting for an activity in the creative and artistic field to be confronted very regularly with different creative universes, in order to always offer varied and surprising creations.

Complementarity of online approaches

In order to develop a textile brand, the internet is of course your ally, and complementarity between these two approaches is possible. This is even necessary in order to perpetuate the activity of your company. Indeed, for a textile brand to work, it must have a clear identity and maintain a certain consistency between creations to create a community of engaged customers over time. However, it is always interesting to bring freshness to your collections through freelance status. Therefore, alternating between a project that reinforces the brand identity, and an original and innovative project, can be an extremely relevant creative strategy.

To conclude, the emergence of the web has therefore offered us several alternatives for textile design which deserve to be used, but these must be properly used wisely according to the context and objectives of your activity. We must not lose sight of the fact that the choices of services will have a considerable impact on the end customer, concerning the prices and the visual identities of the creations.