Building with Recycled Glass

Future cities could be 3D printed – using concrete made with recycled glass 

From: The Conversation, February 28, 2022 12.39pm GMT

Authors

1. Seyed Ghaffar

   Associate Professor in Civil Engineering and Environmental Materials, Brunel University London

2. Mehdi Chougan

   Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow, Brunel University London

3. Pawel Sikora

   Associate professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin

3D printed concrete may lead to a shift in architecture and construction. Because it can be used to produce new shapes and forms that current technologies struggle with, it may change the centuries-old processes and procedures that are still used to construct buildings, resulting in lower costs and saved time.

However, concrete has a significant environmental impact. Vast quantities of natural sand are currently used to meet the world’s insatiable appetite for concrete, at great cost to the environment. In general, the construction industry struggles with sustainability. It creates around 35% of all landfill waste globally.

Our new research suggests a way to curb this impact. We have trialled using recycled glass as a component of concrete for 3D printing.

Concrete is made of a mix of cement, water, and aggregates such as sand. We trialled replacing up to 100% of the aggregate in the mix with glass. Simply put, glass is produced from sand, is easy to recycle, and can be used to make concrete without any complex processing.

Our mission is to share knowledge and inform decisions.

Demand from the construction industry could also help ensure glass is recycled. In 2018 in the US only a quarter of glass was recycled, with more than half going to landfill.

Building better

We used brown soda-lime beverage glass obtained from a local recycling company. The glass bottles were first crushed using a crushing machine and then the crushed pieces were washed, dried, milled, and sieved. The resulting particles were smaller than a millimetre square.

The crushed glass was then used to make concrete in the same way that sand would be. We used this concrete to 3D print wall elements and prefabricated building blocks that could be fitted together to make a whole building.

A building envelope prefabricated using the 3D printing process. Mehdi Chougan, Author provided

If used in this way, waste glass can find a new life as part of a construction material.

The presence of glass does not only solve the problem of waste but also contributes to the development of a concrete with superior properties than that containing natural sand.

The thermal conductivity of soda-lime glass – the most common type of glass, which you find in windows and bottles – is more than three times lower than that of quartz aggregate, which is used extensively in concrete. This means that concrete containing recycled glass has better insulation properties. They could substantially decrease the costs required for cooling or heating during summer or winter.

Improving sustainability

We also made other changes to the concrete mixture in order to make it more sustainable as a building material, including replacing some of the Portland cement with limestone powder.

Portland cement is a key component of concrete, used to bind the other ingredients together into a mix that will harden. However, the production of ordinary Portland cement leads to the release of significant amounts of carbon dioxide as well as other greenhouse gases. The cement production industry accounts for around 8% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the environment.

Limestone is less hazardous and has less environmental impact during the its production process than Portland cement. It can be used instead of ordinary Portland cement in concrete for 3D printing without a reduction in the quality of the printing mixture.

3D printed layers of a wall element. Mehdi Chougan, Author provided

We also added lightweight fillers, made from tiny hollow thermoplastic spheres, to reduce the density of the concrete. This changed the thermal conductivity of the concrete, reducing it by up to 40% when compared with other concrete used for 3D printing. This further improved the insulation properties of the concrete, and reduced the amount of raw material required.

Using 3D printing technology, we can simply develop a wall structure on a computer, convert it to simple code and send it to a 3D printer to be constructed. 3D printers can operate for 24 hours a day, decrease the amount of waste produced, as well as increase the safety of construction workers.

Our research shows that an ultra-lightweight, well insulated 3D building is possible – something that could be a vital step on our mission towards net zero.

Ceramic Drape Moulds

Characteristics of materials

One of elements you need to consider in selecting a mould for draping is the characteristics of the ceramic material in relation to the glass being draped.  

Ceramic

Ceramic materials have what are called inversions. These are  points at which the ceramic has a quick change in expansion both on the heat up and cool down.  The two major ones are cristobalite inversion temperature at around 225°C and the quartz inversion at about 570°C.  The Crystobalite inversion is a sudden change of about 2.5% and the quartz is a sudden change of 1%.  These are very sudden and dramatic changes in comparison to the average of around 0.1% over the temperature range of 570°C to 800°C.  The crystobalite inversion does not occur until ca. 225°C.  This means that the whole structure of the ceramic is contracting less than the glass – exhibiting a CoE of ca. 66 rather 90 to 96.

Ceramic drape mould from Creative Glass Guild

Glass

We are used to saying glass expands and contracts at a standard rate, depending on the glass this may be a CoE of 83 to one of 104.  This is not the case.  The coefficient is an average calculated between 20°C and 300°C.  If you change the temperature range, the coefficient will also change.  And if you look at the range 570°C to 580°C you find the CoE is around 500.  This means that as the glass cools into the annealing range, it is contracting about 7 times faster than the ceramic. 

This dramatic difference in contraction means that the glass is attempting to crush the ceramic by enclosing it tightly.  Sometimes it does it so strongly that the strength of the glass is exceeded, and it breaks.

Possibilities

It is possible to drape over ceramic in certain conditions.

Influence of draft

The term “draft” indicates the slope of the sides of the form.  The steeper the sides, the more likely the glass is to trap the ceramic mould.  To be useful, the draft of the mould needs to be sufficient for the glass to slide upwards on the mould as it cools. This means the mould needs smooth sides and be well covered with a separator.

Compensations

You can compensate for steep drafts by wrapping the ceramic form in 3mm refractory fibre paper.  You can bind this with high temperature wire to ensure it stays throughout the firing. The fibre paper can be compressed and so provides a cushion between the rapidly contracting glass and the slowly contracting ceramic.

These need a circle of 3mm fibre paper over the open top of the kiln posts that have no draft at all before use. Of course, they need to have a circular piece of fibre paper over the hole in the post.

The use of ceramic forms to drape over requires care about the draft of the ceramic or addition of a cushion to avoid the greater contraction of the glass than the ceramic grabbing the mould so tightly it cannot be removed.

Bioactive vs. Biocompatible: What’s the Difference?

 

Bioactive vs. Biocompatible: What’s the Difference?

Posted Krista Grayson on Dec 1, 2021

The study of biomaterials — substances that are engineered to interact with biological systems for medical purposes — is a relatively new field, but one that has already produced a number of valuable discoveries and treatments.

Over the last few decades, the field has grown rapidly; and, with it, the list of new terms used to describe biomedical devices and materials. In this article, we take a look at two of the most common adjectives in the field, bioactive and biocompatible, and how they are used to describe a range of highly specialized materials.

Essentially, the term biocompatible is used to describe any material which is well-tolerated by the biological system it comes into contact with. At a minimum, most biocompatible materials are chemically inert. In practice, biocompatibility for a given application may depend on any number of other characteristics such as mechanical strength, elastic modulus, or adhesion with the surrounding cellular matrix. It is important to note that biocompatibility is application-specific: a material that is deemed biocompatible in one specific use case may not be biocompatible in another.

Bioactive materials go a step further – these are materials that produce some kind of local physiological response, typically through physical or chemical action. A common example of a bioactive material is bioactive glass: typically silicate-based glass-ceramic materials that are often degradable within the body. Used for bone repair, ion exchange at the surface of bioactive glass leads to the formation of bone-like hydroxyapatite, around which natural bone will readily grow.1 In this way, bioactive glass can actively stimulate the regeneration of bone within a patient.

The term “bioactive” is the opposite of “bioinert”, a word that refers to materials that don’t produce a physiological reaction.

Definitions and Distinctions

If we had to pick “official” definitions of “biocompatible” and “bioactive”, it would probably be those offered by The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), a world authority on standardized scientific nomenclature.2

Bioactive: “Qualifier for a substance which provokes any response from a living system”. IUPAC also notes that the term is often used positively, i.e., to reflect a beneficial change.

Biocompatibility: “The ability to be in contact with a living system without producing an adverse effect.”

These definitions seem simple enough, but there are some subtleties that often cause confusion. These can be cleared up by thinking about how we apply the terms to a very familiar medical device: a contact lens.

Biocompatibility without Bioactivity

Modern contact lenses are made from soft, inert synthetic polymers known as silicone hydrogels. Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are wettable, permeable to oxygen, and cause minimal irritation to the tissues of the eye. We can confidently say, then, that modern contact lenses are highly biocompatible when used properly.

But is a contact lens bioactive? Although a contact lens modifies the light as it enters the eye (resulting in improved vision), the contact lens does not produce a local physiological response with the eye tissue. Thus, we can’t refer to an ordinary contact lens as bioactive.

Note also that “biocompatible” is typically used only in reference to materials, while the term “bioactive” is used to refer to materials or drugs. So, a drug that is tolerated well and without negative side effects would not typically be described as “biocompatible” even though it meets the IUPAC definition.

Mechanisms of Bioactivity

The mechanisms by which bioactivity can occur are numerous and often complex.3 Attempts to engineer bioactive materials often involve emulating intra-cellular signaling, using coatings of proteins or peptides to modulate cell interactions.

There are also many bioactive materials – largely within the category of bioactive glasses and ceramics – which produce a local physiological response through the exchange of simple ions such as silver, fluoride, and calcium.4 These “therapeutic ions” can activate, inhibit or enhance a huge array of cellular pathways, resulting in effects such as antibacterial activity, and stimulation of bone and blood vessel formation.

As research continues and scientists learn more about how different materials can influence cellular processes, we can expect more biocompatible and bioactive materials to find their way into mainstream medical treatment.

Mo-Sci has extensive experience in the manufacture of bioactive glasses. We produce standard compositions, such as 45S5, S53P4, and 13-93, and can also research, develop, and manufacture glass that is customized to fit your application. Contact us to see how we can help with your next product.

References and Further Reading

1. Ferraris, S. et al. Bioactive materials: In vitro investigation of different mechanisms of hydroxyapatite precipitation. Acta Biomaterialia 102, 468–480 (2020).
2. Vert, M. et al. Terminology for biorelated polymers and applications (IUPAC Recommendations 2012). Pure and Applied Chemistry 84, 377–410 (2012).
3. Meyers, S. R. & Grinstaff, M. W. Biocompatible and Bioactive Surface Modifications for Prolonged In Vivo Efficacy. Chem. Rev. 112, 1615–1632 (2012).
4. Baino, F., Hamzehlou, S. & Kargozar, S. Bioactive Glasses: Where Are We and Where Are We Going? JFB 9, 25 (2018).

Grinding direction

There is a suggestion that the glass being ground should be passed along the in the direction opposing the spin of the grinding bit.

The grinder bit rotates in a clockwise direction as you look down on it.  This means the grinding surface is moving toward the left.  The recommendation is that you will get more efficient grinding by passing the glass to the right, against the rotating direction of the bit.

This is more theoretical than practical. In practice, the bit is spinning so rapidly that only a minor difference, if any, can be perceived.  Without a noticeable difference, there is no reason to be concerned. Move the glass you are grinding in the directions that you find convenient.  You will find a little more resistance when you move the glass from left to right, rather than the other way.

You are much more likely to damage the bit and grinder motor by excessive pressure against the bit than by any directional movement.

Glass Milling Equipment and Techniques

 

Glass Milling Equipment and Techniques

Posted Krista Grayson on Aug 26, 2021

Milling is an effective top-down process for producing glass powders with particle sizes ranging from nanoscale to micron-size. This article provides a guide to the various types of milling processes used by Mo-Sci to produce our range of specialty glass powders.

Alongside microspheres and ingots, one of the primary forms in which Mo-Sci provides glass is as a powder. Powdered glass has numerous applications throughout research and industry. For example, glass nanofillers offer unique advantages in developing composite materials for medical and dental prosthetics.1,2 Such composites are not only incredibly strong, but exhibit superior biocompatibility due to their surface roughness, hydrophobicity, and chemical inertness.

While glass powders and nanofillers can be produced via “bottom-up” methods such as the sol-gel process, such techniques are not always practical, especially when producing glass particles with complex compositions.3 In these situations, a “top-down” solution is preferred: larger particles of glass can simply be broken down into smaller particles in a process known as milling.

Note that in the world of machining, “milling” has two meanings: it can refer either to grinding (e.g., using a ball mill) or cutting (e.g., using a CNC mill). Here, we’re strictly using the term in the former sense.

Glass Milling Processes

Jaw Crusher

A jaw crusher produces the coarsest grind out of any of the processes in this list. Much like a nutcracker, a jaw crusher uses direct application of compressive force between two mechanical “jaws” to fracture solid materials. The jaws are typically arranged vertically so that the gap between them narrows as material falls through the system. The particle size decreases as the material moves down through the crusher. Crushed material escapes through the narrow gap at the bottom between the jaws after it has been processed. Jaw crushers are heavy-duty machines often used for mining and quarry applications, and are suitable for continuous use with materials across a wide range of hardness. Jaw crushers are typically used to process larger fragments of material and are not capable of fine grinding. They may be used as a preliminary step before more controlled grinding in a ball mill or jet mill.

Hammer Mill

With more precision than a jaw crusher, a hammer mill (or hammer crusher) can crush aggregate material into smaller particles using hammers. Commonly used for processing papers, organic waste, and foodstuffs such as grain and fruit; hammer mills can also be used to produce glass powder. Available in configurations with one or several rows of hammers, hammer mills are high-durability devices capable of coarse grinding.

Ball Mill

Ball milling is one of the most commonly used techniques for milling glass, thanks to its adaptability and relatively low cost. A ball mill for glass processing consists of a rotating or vibrating ceramic-lined drum, inside which are a number of balls that act as the grinding medium. These can be made from a variety of hard and durable materials such as alumina or zirconia. Glass is added to the drum, and the continuous impact and attrition between the balls and the glass as the drum rotates breaks the glass down into small particles.

Ball mills are supremely versatile, they exist in a wide range of sizes, can perform wet or dry milling, and can accommodate a wide range of different grinding media. Ball mills are suitable for either batch or continuous processing, and grind size can be controlled by changing the diameter size of the balls. Industrial ball mills may be used to coarsely crush relatively large pieces of material, whereas lab-grade ball mills are capable of finely milling glass to micron level and below. So-called “high energy” ball milling can even be used to reliably grind the material into nanoscale particles.4

Centrifugal Mill

Most centrifugal mills lie firmly in the realm of labware. Inside a centrifugal mill, shearing action between a rotor and a fixed sleeve breaks material down in a relatively well-defined manner. High rotational speeds (up to several tens of thousands of RPM) enable fast and finely controlled grinding of small batches of material, often using sieves to enable the extraction of particles with sizes in the tens of microns region.

Jet Mill

Another precision piece of equipment, a jet mill uses a high-velocity flow of gas or compressed air to cause glass particles to collide with each other inside a chamber. A process known as cyclonic separation enables particles to leave the gas stream once they have reached a sufficiently small size. Consequently, jet mills can continue milling particles of glass until they reach the desired size, resulting in a glass powder with very little variation in particle size.5 Like ball mills, jet mills are capable of grinding glass powder down to sub-micron particle sizes.

Milled Glass Powders from Mo-Sci

At Mo-Sci, we are experienced in the use of all of these milling methods to produce a wide variety of specialty glass powders, including those made from complex formulations which are difficult to find elsewhere. As well as using different types of mills, we make use of various milling media (such as alumina, zirconia and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)), and perform wet milling in water or alcohol to achieve superior results.

To find out more about our capabilities in the specialty glass powders market, get in touch with the Mo-Sci team today.

References and Further Reading

1. Velez, M. et al. Processing of yttrium aluminosilicate (YAS) glasses for dental composites. Cerâmica 57, 1–9 (2011).
2. Erol-Taygun, M., Zheng, K. & Boccaccini, A. R. Nanoscale Bioactive Glasses in Medical Applications. Int J Appl Glass Sci 4, 136–148 (2013).
3. Vital, A. et al. Ultrafine comminution of dental glass in a stirred media mill. Chemical Engineering Science 63, 484–494 (2008).
4. Yang, L. 2 – Nanotechnology-enhanced metals and alloys for orthopedic implants. in Nanotechnology-Enhanced Orthopedic Materials (ed. Yang, L.) 27–47 (Woodhead Publishing, 2015). doi:10.1016/B978-0-85709-844-3.00002-1.
5. Wachtman, J. B. Materials and Equipment – Whitewares Manufacturing. (John Wiley & Sons, 2009).

Increase Your Sales

 I came across this just now and think it might have wider relevance. As Patricia says, make a 10-minute space in your day for some inspiration on selling.

From The Design Trust

​

Do you want to get more sales, clients or commissions? Of course you do! Grab yourself a nice drink or lunch for this 'long read'. Today I want to take you through these 6 questions to help you get more sales, orders & commissions. See it as a short, unexpected 10 minutes mini-marketing course. Full of ideas & inspiration. For free in your inbox. Enjoy! And feel free to pass it on to other creatives too. ​ Q1: What are you *really* selling? You might think that the answer to this question is: “My jewellery” or “My workshops” or ‘My illustrations & prints”. But … people who buy creative products and services often buy so much more than ‘just a product’! They buy because they want something really original and unique. A special gift for a special friend or occasion. To celebrate. To treat themselves! Start to think about your creative products much more in terms of a 'memory' that they are buying, or a gift that reminds them of 'friendship' or 'the freedom of the sea'. Focus on the feeling that they want to get when they are wearing your colourful necklace or give a beautiful handmade jug with hand-picked wild flowers to a dear friend who is going through hard times. And even if you are selling to shops and galleries think about what you are selling to them. They want to create wonderful displays of emerging or local creatives. They want to show gorgeous hanging flower pots for the summer and to be 'on trend' and share on their Instagram feed. They want to have 'wow pieces' for their window display to lure visitors back into their shop once again. And when you are selling your creative products & services you are also selling a little bit of you of course! That doesn't mean we want to know all your secrets or what you had for breakfast. But your clients want to connect with your creative lifestyle, they want to know how your environment looks like and how that inspires you, your values from sustainable gold, or mindfulness, to Black Lives Matter and how that connects with them as 21st century human beings and consumers. Especially if they love buying from small independents and find it important to spend with small creatives like you! Take action: Brainstorm around what YOU are really selling. Go beyond the 'what' of your products and services, and think about the emotions or feelings your ideal clients have … not just when they are looking to buy, but also when they have bought your work, when they use it or give it to somebody else. WHY do you create the work you do? Emphasis these stories and occasions much more in your social media, your images, your product descriptions and your emails to really connect with the emotional side of buying, owning and loving creative products & services. ​ Q2: Have you got a plan? Did you set a financial goal at the start of 2022? Do you know how many sales you want or need this year? Online, at events, from stockists? We are big fans of financial goals here at The Design Trust! Why? Because without a goal or destination that you are aiming for you will just be running around like a headless chicken or just ‘hoping’ that things will happen and that the universe will listen to you. I personally don’t believe in that working out very well … Plus … if you don’t have a financial goal for your different income streams then you can’t really create a proper marketing plan either! You will need to know which products or services you want to focus on for sales, who your clients are and how much you will charge. Selling £15,- products on Etsy needs a very different marketing approach than selling £150 necklaces online or at an event. Of course, this year is very unpredictable. You might think that there is no point in creating a plan as it will have to change before you have even started. You might have had to change your financial goal for 2022 (we have!). That’s actually perfectly normal! And at least you are being realistic about what's happening in the world right now. You are being pro-active. And you will be more in control when you know what you are aiming for. ​Next Monday morning 4 July I will be hosting a practical 3-hour Plan The Rest of 2022 online workshop where you will be setting your own smart + juicy goals for 2022. ​ ·         Juicy goals + do-able actions for yourself and how to make sure you are in the best mental & physical place to create and work. ·         Juicy goals + do-able actions for your finances, your different income stream goals, to keep an eye on your costs. ·         Juicy goals + do-able actions for your marketing – with my expert tips on exactly what marketing activities to do to get more online sales, event sales, wholesale orders this autumn. ·         Juicy goals + do-able actions for your creative production. To stop making without thinking about who your ideal clients are (see below!), your actual costs + what you can charge. ​If you want to be less overwhelmed and back in charge then join me for this practical, thought-provoking planning workshop next Monday (the first Monday morning of the 2nd half of 2022!). Q3: Who are your ideal clients? And do you know why, when & where they buy? Do you really know who your dream clients are? Why they buy your creative products? When they buy? What’s important to them? What stops them from buying from you? Many creatives find marketing really difficult and it’s often because they don’t really know who their dream clients are. They try to sell to anybody, but then fail as it doesn’t appeal to anybody either! Many creatives rarely think about their clients when producing new work. Some creatives are even scared of their clients! Getting to know your ideal clients at a deeper psychological level can really help you to create products that people love to buy. It can help you to get more confident to create more innovative, unique and more well paid work too. It will help you to connect with the right people who have similar values and interests as you, boosting your inspiration & confidence, and then selling, marketing and talking to them will be so much easier! ​In exactly two weeks’ time on Monday 11 July from 10am – 2pm (UK) I am hosting a 4-hour practical workshop around Dream Clients – to help you to identify, get to know, approach and wow your ideal clients. Step-by-step you will find out and get a lot more confident to reach out to them and get sales and orders. ​ Q4: Are you just selling or actually building relationships? If you don’t really know how marketing works then it often feels like you are ‘pushing’ people to target them to become your client. And especially when you start to get a bit desperate for sales then often it’s very obvious that you are selling the hard way! Marketing & selling should NOT be pushy! At The Design Trust we have a marketing mantra: “People only buy from people they know, like & trust”. Unless people know what you can do for them (see Question 1!) and remember your name (so standing out from the crowd is important!) you will unlikely get any sales. They need to really fall in love with you these days to get their credit card out. And they need to trust that you can deliver. Marketing that works (=to get sales) is based on two principles: 1. Focus on a niche: What are you good at and who is interested in that? Don’t sell to everybody but really focus and get to know your ideal clients. 2. Build relationships with your clients, especially if you are selling unique or less frequently bought purchases, high end work, or services like craft & design commissions or workshops. People need to think about their purchase, and that's part of the natural process of buying from you. Stay in touch and be helpful. Marketing & selling is about pulling in the right people that love what you do & what you stand for! Listening to them, taking care of them, creating value for them in their lives. Get into action: How can you build your profile, credibility & trust with your ideal clients? How can you reach out to them and remind them what you really do? (See Question 1 again!) How can your marketing become more ‘educating them’ around your values or creative process? And especially if you are selling to other businesses, galleries or shops how can you be helpful to them right now? How can you promote them and highlight them on your website, emails or social media? Could you offer to do a demonstration or talk? Have you talked to them about the new work you are developing and have they got the best images to promote you? Q5: Do you encourage clients to spend more? Offer commissions & pre-order! This might sound counter-intuitive but the creatives that are struggling the most right now are those selling work between £100 - £1,000. Why? Because up to £100 is a gift. Either for themselves, or for others. And it’s often a quick purchase that they don’t need to think about too much. There will always be birthdays, weddings or other special occasions that need lovely, unique creative products! Above £1,000 is the territory of commissions and higher end unique work. These are often very special and very personal purchases, for special occasions like wedding anniversaries, house extensions and even memorials. And many collectors will keep collecting! (This part of the market has not been impacted that much by the cost-of-living crises as most of us …) When you are trying to sell work between £100 - £1,000 then often you are both too expensive (for people looking for a gift) and too cheap (for people who want something really unique) at the same time! We are big fans of using more pre-order options and don’t really understand that not more creatives are using this opportunity to promote new work to their clients who then can purchase it for a selected period only at a very special price. The big benefit of pre-ordering is that you get a far better idea of how much stock to create, which designs or colours will be more popular and you will be paid upfront! Very useful indeed for your cashflow and to avoid loads of unsold stock later in the year. We are even bigger fans of commissions! These are creatively, financially and personally great opportunities for creatives to create amazing and really unique works of art, that push your creative skills, raise your profile, and really are very meaningful for your clients too. Commissions really can be amazing for both creatives and their clients. But … we also know that many creatives do not manage their commissions or their clients very well, and have trouble setting boundaries, do not charge properly for their time and expertise, and find it difficult to promote themselves and their commissions. We recently did some research around commissions and realised that there is very little advice around this important topic and income stream. So, we created this brand-new online course Creative Commissions to help creatives manage commissions professionally (with loads of templates!), price your commissions properly and promote yourself too. ​Creative Commissions is a 2 x half day online course on 14 – 15 July PLUS we have invited 3 creatives and experts for 3 x 1-hour interviews too so you can learn from their expertise and as them questions too. Can’t make this course live? No problem! All the sessions are recorded and you will have access till the end of 2022 to the course. Q6: Do you encourage repeat business? And finally … something that’s often overlooked by creatives: your existing or previous clients! Don’t take them for granted. They already know you, like you, and trust you! So it's often much easier to sell to them. Get into action: Have you heard about the Pareto principle or the 20/80 effect? It turns out that about 20% of your sales will come from 80% of your clients! Do you know who your top clients are? Check your bookkeeping system and see who those top clients are. Can you get to know them better? Do you know where they live, what gender they are, how much they spend and how often they return? If they bought online or at a specific event? Even simple factual data like that can help you to get to know them, and to connect with them better. Could you let them know that you are working on some new work that’s related to what they purchased before? Hint: Tell them they are the first to know about this new collection you are launching in September! Have you got an event coming up near them that they might like to get an invite to? What else would this client like to buy? Could you give them special treatment to show that you appreciate their custom? Can you create exclusive videos showing your creative process, could they get VIP invites for your Summer Sale, or can you give them free postage & packaging next time they buy? Making your clients less ‘strangers’ and more human beings is really the only way to build your business, your ideas, your creativity and your confidence. ​ And that’s it! The end of your unexpected mini-marketing course! 6 questions to help you get more sales this summer. I hope you found it useful and that you got inspiration to take some action too. And of course we would love to help you with getting more sales & getting more organised in one of our 3 Summer courses. Looking forward to seeing you. Patricia van den Akker The Design Trust – the online business school for designers, makers & other creative professionals ​www.thedesigntrust.co.uk @TheDesignTrust​ ​ ​