External designer or in-house design department?

In the dynamic world of design and production, where every collection is a challenge and every design decision can determine market success, it's incredibly important to make the most of your available resources. Many companies, especially mid-sized and large ones, proudly rely on the strength of their in-house design team.

This is your “tea”—a daily, reliable brew that drives ongoing operations, ensuring consistency and a deep understanding of your brand's specifics. But does this mean there is no longer room for “coffee”?

We often encounter the belief that having a strong in-house team automatically excludes or makes collaboration with external design studios unnecessary. This is a myth that can limit your potential. At Hes Pattern, we believe that an external designer is not a competitor but a strategic “coffee”—an addition that, with its uniqueness, freshness, and specialization, can strengthen, not replace, your daily “tea.”

We'll show you why this combination is not only possible but also essential for achieving innovation, flexibility, and real growth in a competitive market.

Let’s start with a cup of hot tea. Your in-house design team is the foundation. They are the ones who best know your brand, its history, values, product specifics, production processes, and your customers' expectations. They are up-to-date with daily operations, maintain collection consistency, and quickly respond to current market needs. Their work guarantees the continuity and quality that your customers value. They are undoubtedly a key element of your success.

However, even the strongest “tea” sometimes needs something more. In-house teams, by their very nature, can become victims of routine, a lack of time for exploring new directions, or simply being overloaded with work that prevents a "bird's-eye view" of broader market trends. Specialization in one area, while valuable, can also be a limitation. This is precisely when coffee enters the stage.

If your tea is your daily, reliable operation, then coffee is what adds the energy, a different perspective, and the specialized flavor you need at specific moments. An external designer doesn't appear to replace your in-house team but to act as a strategic reinforcement—a flexible, specialized resource that brings new quality where it is most needed.

Think of an external designer as an opportunity

Coffee does not compete with tea; it complements it.It provides an impulse, broadens horizons, and allows you to achieve results that would be difficult to obtain on your own.

We fully understand that the decision to collaborate with an external design studio may come with certain concerns. After all, it's an investment that needs to bring real benefit.

Let's look at the most common objections and explain why at Hes Pattern, we see them as challenges that we effectively transform into value for you:

“We already have our own designers—why do we need more?”

This is an ideal situation!

We are not here to replace your trusted team but to strengthen it. Your in-house designers are experts on your brand, and we are an “external catalyst” for innovation and fresh perspectives.

We bring the latest trends, unconventional thinking, and inspiration from the wider market, allowing your team to break away from established patterns without being burdened by additional, often time-consuming, global trend analysis or experimenting with new techniques. By collaborating with us, you gain an extension of your team with specialized competencies, precisely when you need them.

“I’m worried about losing control over the brand's style / project inconsistency.”

This is a justified concern, but our working methodology eliminates this risk. Our design process begins with a deep understanding of your brand, its history, values, and strategic goals. We have created a survey and detailed briefs that allow us to delve into every aspect of your company.

We are like a chameleon that doesn’t change the brand's color but adapts perfectly to its color scheme. It can enhance its shades and bring out the best in it while fitting perfectly into a cohesive vision. Each project is consulted on an ongoing basis, and the Conceptual Folder guarantees full control and transparency at every stage.

"It's probably unprofitable / too expensive to hire someone from outside."

Don't see this as a cost, but as a strategic investment that brings measurable returns. An external expert allows you to flexibly scale resources without the need for costly and time-consuming permanent hiring.

You avoid production standstills during peak season, gain faster market entry with new collections, and access unique competencies without the need for long-term in-house training.

These factors translate into real sales growth, increased efficiency, and a significant competitive advantage, which in the long run makes this kind of collaboration extremely profitable.

"I'm afraid my ideas / designs might leak to the competition."

For us, this is an absolutely fundamental issue, and we treat it with the utmost seriousness. Confidentiality is sacred at Hes Pattern.

Every piece of information, every project element, and every technology used in your company is held in strict confidence. We have this clearly defined in our contracts, and our clients have a guarantee that no sensitive information will reach the ears of the competition. We build long-term relationships based on trust and professional ethics, and your innovations are completely safe with us.

We do not gossip about clients or their projects, focusing exclusively on delivering value.

"It will be difficult to integrate a new, external partner into our processes."

We understand that every company has its unique procedures. That's why we have created a clearly defined and proven collaboration process that minimizes friction and ensures smooth integration.

From the first contact, through the briefing stage (where we ask questions about your business, so you don't have to be a pattern expert), to the finalization of the project, we focus on transparent communication and adapting to your needs.

Our goal is to be a discreet but effective addition that fits seamlessly into your structure and doesn't create additional administrative burdens. We are here to simplify, not to complicate.

Now, imagine the combination—a harmonious blend where the strength of your in-house team (your "tea") meets the dynamism and freshness of an external expert (your "coffee"). This isn't a rivalry; it's a strategic duet in which each element brings its unique value, creating something much greater than the sum of its parts.

Together, "tea" and "coffee" form a comprehensive solution that allows your company to operate more efficiently, be more creative, and more flexible in a changing market environment. This is a recipe for design that not only looks great but, most importantly, works, sells, and builds your competitive advantage. It is an optimal use of resources that translates into real business results.

At Hes Pattern, we understand that you're looking for more than just a "pretty pattern." You're looking for a partner who understands your business, your challenges, and your market ambitions. We are precisely that strategic "coffee" that will bring unique value to your company:

At Hes Pattern, we are here to be that precise, valuable element that allows your brand to shine even brighter and achieve market dominance.

At Hes Pattern, we understand that you're looking for more than just a "pretty pattern." You're looking for a partner who understands your business, your challenges, and your market ambitions. We are precisely that strategic "coffee" that will bring unique value to your company:

Collaboration between an in-house and an external design team is not a trend; it's the future of effective design. It's an approach where "tea does not exclude coffee," and synergies create more powerful, more innovative, and more flexible solutions. Investing in an external partner is an investment in additional competencies, the ability to scale resources, and a fresh perspective that can elevate your company to a new, higher level of market advantage.

Do you still think your company needs only tea? Or has the time come to discover how a strategic cup of coffee (an external designer) can take your collections to a new level, ensuring innovation, flexibility, and an undeniable competitive advantage?