Knowing your customer: how indie designers actually figure it out

From trial-and-error to informal feedback, the tactics that make the difference.

Welcome to the third edition of our four-part Summer School series. Released every Tuesday in August, each piece will take the form of a conversation between 1 Granary and the co-founders of the brand Palmer//Harding. Our aim is to provide a mini mentorship: unvarnished, hard-won lessons drawn from years of the designers’ trial and error. It’s what you aren’t taught but must learn about building and sustaining a brand.

Designers often build dream collections before they know who they’re designing for. In part three, Palmer//Harding reflect on how long it took to truly understand their customer – and how that shift changed everything. From finding product-market fit to building trust with buyers and editing with intention, this chapter is all about alignment: between your designs, your customer, and the identity of your brand.

Only have a few minutes? Scroll to the bottom for the TLDR.