Architects and designers know the gaps in the design market intimately, and they often have great ideas—and maybe even some sketches—for licensed product lines to fill them. However, setting out to create them is a more complicated process, one that requires the right manufacturing partner and a host of considerations. When should one explore licensing a product design with an established brand? What are the benefits of having your own line—and what might be the potential drawbacks? AD PRO consulted six designers with lucrative product licensing agreements to glean their insights.

“Everyone has to think first about why a company would want to license with you. What do you bring to the table to help them sell the product? If you have a brand name, there will be interest,” says New York–based designer and AD100 Hall of Fame member Bunny Williams, who has licensed product through The Bunny Williams Outdoor Collection for Century Furniture.

Likewise, interior and product designer Libby Langdon of New York firm Libby Interiors (whose lines include upholstery and casegoods for Fairfield, wall decor with Paragon, lighting with Crystorama, and accessories with A&B Home) stresses the importance of brand awareness. “The first step,” she says, “is building your brand and raising awareness of who you are and what you do.” Langdon also emphasizes the importance of price point when considering a licensing partner. “You need to know your audience, your voice, and where you can promote your collections,” she offers. “I know my lane, and I know my audience. I have partnered with companies where the product was so expensive I wouldn’t have purchased it for my clients. A bad fit for me is something that’s crazy expensive or too inexpensive.”

Before entering into product licensing, it’s critical to ask yourself why you want to go into licensing in the first place. “Do you want a deal to get your name out there, or do you want to make money and really sell your product?” Langdon asks. “If you want to make money, it’s really important to understand how your aesthetic can translate into what your target audience is looking for.”

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But it’s not all about money. Collaborations between designers and manufacturers must feel genuine to be viable for both participants. AD100 Washington, DC–based designer Darryl Carter, who has licensing agreements with Baker Furniture, Benjamin Moore, and Urban Electric Co., says he cannot work with brands that don’t align with his ethos. “I have walked away from several opportunities that might have been successful in the eyes of others, but these undertakings would have compromised my own integrity,” he says. “I suppose some may find fame rewarding, but, in my opinion, authenticity and integrity are far more important.”

While product licensing with the right partner can indeed be fruitful—both monetarily and in terms of notoriety—it is also a massive undertaking. “Make sure you are ready,” urges Windsor Smith, founder of Santa Monica, California’s Windsor Smith Home, with home furnishing products licensed to companies as diverse as Kravet, Century Furniture, Arteriors, Boyd Lighting, Mansour Modern, and Jamie Beckwith Collection. “It is a huge commitment, like opening a tandem division of your interior design business.”

There also must be a market need for your product to help ensure its success. Identify a void then design a solution. “Understanding the market demand is crucial: Does this product fulfill a need or desire within the market, and can it stand out?” says Houston-based designer Nina Magon who creates licensed product for Cosentino, Studio M Lighting, Wall and Decò, and Sahrai Milano. “Another major consideration is exclusivity—whether you want a limited-edition piece to retain a sense of rarity or a more widespread product to increase accessibility and reach.”

Quality is key, regardless of price point. Williams believes that the most essential consideration is choosing the correct licensing partner, “One who will execute your design in the quality that you wish to attach your name to,” she says. Barry Goralnick, principal of his namesake New York architecture and design firm, concurs. “Since it’s your name on the product, you must be proud of the result,” says the architect, who designs products for Villeroy and Boch, Watermark Designs, Arta Broch, Currey & Company, and Visual Comfort. “If the quality is subpar, your line may struggle, no matter how strong or innovative your designs are.”

Carter stresses the importance of fostering a synergistic relationship between designer and manufacturer. “Do the parties complement each other and is their ‘bring’ to the table beneficial to both the brand and license? Do the two parts together equal more than the whole singularly? Is the relationship credible?” he posits. Acknowledging that there’s a good deal of compromise necessary with any partnership, Carter says, “There is a delicate balance between maintaining your own identity across multiple distribution venues; if, in the end, the product is not representative of your work, then you may feel failed.”

Magon echoes Carter. “When licensing a product, it’s important to ensure that the product aligns with your brand’s values and maintains the quality and luxury that your clients expect,” she says. “You must also consider whether the licensing partner can deliver on these standards in production, distribution, and customer service.”

“One of the best places to start looking is at companies that aren’t making what you want to make,” Langdon advises. “Going with someone who already offers something similar can cannibalize their product offering, and you don’t have a chance to grow. You also want to look for a company that could use a boost.” For Crystorama, a manufacturer of elegant, elaborate chandeliers, Langdon crafted with “a sleeker, more transitional style [using] materials such as drum or silk shades or glass,” she explains. “My designs were a totally different look for them, so my collection was a great addition.”

When considering potential brand collaborators, Smith says that having an established relationship with the company really helps. “I was a buyer of Kravet product for years prior to having a collection there,” Smith notes. “So when I [began designing for them], they already had a sense of my aesthetic and knew I fit in with theirs.”

In addition to identifying a need in the marketplace, having a unique and viable idea, and partnering with an appropriate manufacturer, Goralnick recommends getting a good lawyer or agent to help guide you through the process and to the best deal.

“Understanding the financial and legal aspects, including intellectual property rights and contracts, is key to protecting your design integrity while expanding your reach,” Magon notes. A hired expert can do that legwork—and paperwork—for you.

Carter mentions that an agent can also help to fast-track product visibility and placement, although he did not choose to engage one for his licensing agreements. When not working with an agent, having the utmost patience is as important as having product design savvy.

It’s essential that the company that will produce your designs fully comprehends the ethos of your brand and that the two parties are true partners. To help foster this collaboration, open communication is key.

“Be sure to stay in constant communication with the manufacturer about production costs,” Langdon advises. “The last thing you want is to bring a product to market and learn that the price point is not in line with what you wanted.” In an effort to quell this issue, she recommends making tweaks during the prototype stage that could help pricing, if necessary. “It’s better to be flexible,” she says, “and make slight design adjustments to get the look you want but for an optimal cost.”

Asserts Goralnick, “Take into account the time, money, and sources required for you to deliver what your partner needs. Developing, revising, and optimizing designs can be far more time-consuming and resource-demanding than you might imagine, which can take a break even or profitable scenario further away than you think.”

Besides the obvious advantage of potentially providing a stream of revenue, a huge benefit of product licensing is that designers are able to focus on what they really love—designing—rather than getting bogged down with the minutiae of bringing a product to market. “My favorite part of the process is working out the details with the engineers and manufacturer’s team to make it producible, scalable, and hit a price point, all while keeping the designs’ creative integrity,” Goralnick explains. “Licensing allows me to do what I enjoy best, while my licensing partners help to realize the vision. In the end, we both benefit financially when the partnership is successful.”

Another positive result of product licensing is enhancing awareness of your brand through your manufacturer’s audience. Goralnick explains that the increased awareness of his product designs on an international level also had a positive outcome—a “halo effect,” he says—on his architecture and interior design business.

“Product licensing offers an incredible opportunity to extend your brand’s reach and influence beyond your immediate clientele. It’s a way to diversify your portfolio and tap into new markets while staying true to your design vision,” Magon explains. “The benefit lies in the ability to collaborate with established manufacturers or brands that have the infrastructure and expertise to bring your vision to life at scale. Licensing also allows you to build your brand’s equity, offering consumers a tangible piece of your creative world, all while generating passive income. It creates a symbiotic relationship where both the designer and the partner can grow through collaboration.”

While Carter urges designers to distinguish themselves from the crowd, “don’t be different for different’s sake,” he advises. Similarly, Landgon suggests creating products that are designed to sell. “Wacky or avant-garde is tricky,” she says. “Be sure to have a handle on what the final collection will look like, who you’re designing for, how much they will pay for it, and where they will use it.”

“Stay true to your aesthetic,” Carter encourages, adding a final piece of advice when considering product licensing: “Maintain creative control, and don’t do anything that feels artificial.”

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