The idea of developing products the way songs are written came to me years ago. I realized that for true innovation, a sudden inspiration is far more powerful than collectively solving existing challenges in detail. Searching for solutions quickly brings in countless conditions, people, opinions, limitations, and resistance, all of them hindering progress.
In fields such as architecture or mechanics, I understand the need for such a detailed program of requirements, but if you truly want to create something new, I feel that my approach works better. In that sense, my work is the modern cousin of the classic inventor. I look at myself as a composer, more than an engineer.
Even on this smaller scale, product innovation isn’t something you do on a Friday afternoon. Where normal product innovation takes years, we can be finished within six months, for example with Trapkwast. However, my projects can also take longer, depending on the flexibility of our production partners and the technical challenges we are facing at that very moment. Kruiskaars for instance, took just over two years to achieve results, which is extremely long by my standards. The outcome though we find is stunning!
I’ve never lacked perseverance, and it’s always gratifying to discover that same determination from my clients.
“Everything already exists” is a familiar credo I often repeat. You’re searching for a specific component for a new product, and wouldn’t you know, almost exactly what you have in mind already exists in another sector, in another industry. Indeed, many production components already exist, but they often appear in a slightly different form.
So, what do we do then? Do we accept the limitations of the existing component, or does the not-quite-perfect component actually offer new possibilities? There’s no hard and fast rule for this, but we always manage to come up with something useful!
I don’t just work with multitalented partners, as you can see under the 'Resourceful' section, I’m capable of directing a lot of disciplines myself here in the studio. The best way to generate new ideas is through a sense of wonder: being amazed at how inconveniently things around us often function.
From product design to branding, from packaging to websites, from photography to copywriting, it all happens in-house here in my studio. A very efficient working method, because adjustments will be needed along the way. Controlling all these disciplines my self then works faster. But don't get scared now, 'change' is a normal word when you’re exploring new paths.
In the projects where we develop new products, I prefer to work 'branded'. This means that each product is immediately ready to stand on its own entering the market. The product receives its own trade name, including a domain name on the web. We primarily focus on the .nl extension, but if the .com extension is available, we won’t hesitate to secure that one as well.
The added benefit for the client is that they can easily enter the market with the new product. For ronaldjan.com, the advantage is that a trade name also holds value, making it easier to transfer ownership of the product when its time has come.
Selling product ideas is challenging. If I were to tell you that tomorrow we could fly to Mars in an hour, I’m certain you’d wait until tomorrow to see if we actually can. In other words, that idea only becomes valuable the day after tomorrow. It’s only after proven results that ideas gain value. But right at that point, ideas are also very vulnerable.
Unlike songwriting, copyright protection for product development is less robust. In our field, there’s no equivalent to BUMA (the Dutch music copyright organization). That’s why ronaldjan.com works with design patents relying on the EUIPO and the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP).
Like composing songs, some product ideas may come to life in five minutes, while others still don’t quite work after three weeks. Developing a product idea is an unpredictable process. And unlike melodies, a product’s function must be proven to work. This proof is a process in itself. We order test materials that we think will work.
As a result, we sometimes end up with leftover materials that we no longer use. Throwing them away is an option, but that feels wasteful. So, we sell these 'leftovers' through our webshop. If there’s nothing in the shop, it simply means we have nothing to sell.
Songs don't come with a warranty, but products are. Either way, I believe products should always provide joy based on the functions they offer to the user. If a product doesn’t do that, we’ve made a mistake, even after the two-year legal warranty period set by European warranty standards.
If there are products from the ronaldjan.com range or from one of our partners that you’re disappointed with, please let us know immediately. We will do everything we can to find out the cause of your disappointment, and of course, we’ll assist you in whatever way you prefer being served.
Ronaldjan.com has an impressive network of artisanal suppliers at its disposal. These are never large multinational corporations. No, the ronaldjan.com network covers small scaled, agile all-rounders working along short communication lines, where quality and competitive prices are still key. We’re talking about metalworkers, woodworkers, graphic production companies, a true glue laboratory, CNC milling specialists, water jet cutters, 3D printers, CADCAM designers, cardboard experts, and toolmakers. Although we do have connections in the Far East, we prefer to work with Dutch craftsmen, and women of course.
During my projects, both producer and client typically support each other with their own services and efforts because their mutual interest is clear. Which is also why we often don’t need large financial resources to launch new products. However, we cannot always avoid expenses. Within the network of ronaldjan.com, there are various sources that can generate financial support. These include provincial governments, venture investors, and even ronaldjan.com itself often invests. It is also important for the client to contribute financially. Please note, we are never talking about truly staggering amounts here.
My name of birth is Ronald Jan Veeneman, but in conversation, I also go by 'Ronald.' People who know me for a longer time even call me “Ron”… All fine by me. A long time ago, I completed my senior secondary education (HAVO), followed by a colloquium doctum. However, I chose to pursue creative fields. I started at the Arnhem Art Academy. Then, after two years, I switched to the Utrecht Art Academy. Eventually, I realized that my independent creative ambitions couldn’t be supported by any formal education.
I did, however, got a real job at a legitimate design agency. After years of working there, I was surprised to see that designers are only brought in, the moment a client needs some err 'design'. But a new product that is well-designed can still be poorly conceived… I felt I needed to do something about that. And… that’s just what I do!
I’m a socially engaged person, and I care about details. I can do many things, which is why I’ve officially earned the title 'versatile', with an emphasis on 'inventive', because my core competence is best described with the word 'resourceful'.
“Hey, why doesn’t your website show a cookie policy?” This is true, in fact, none of the sites affiliated with ronaldjan.com have cookie walls. Ever since the mandatory cookie notifications were introduced (GDPR/AVG 2018), I found them dreadful. Sometimes, the settings on websites to properly manage cookies are so complicated - or they don’t work at all - that people abandon the site before visiting. At least I do. That’s why I decided not to apply any tracking functionality to the websites affiliated with the ronaldjan.com label.
This means we miss out on an important source of information about our potential customers and clients, but the big advantage is that you can visit our sites without any interruptions. Customer experience is important too, right? Cookies are automatically triggered only for technical reasons, your browser simply wouldn't display our websites properly.
Working with ronaldjan.com is a bit different from what you're used to. Together we will leave the race for profit, time, and efficiency behind for a moment. All three of these items thrive on what you already know, familiar things can be done the fastest. But that’s not why you contacted me, no, you were looking for something new! To explore opportunities for innovation, you need reflection. Like I always say in Dutch: "Innoveren is niets anders dan een kwestie van proberen." (Innovation is nothing but a matter of trying.)
And beware of the next question I always tend to ask: “When was the last time you, as a product owner, managing director, or CEO, took your own product in your hands? Opening the packaging, taking out the product, and without reading the manual, discovering what the product says about its functions.” When I ask this question, the vast majority of my clients answer… “I’ve never done that!” With a blush of shame, that’s true.
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For years, we owned multiple - what the Dutch call - ‘youngtimer’ Volvo's in our network. 'Youngtimers' are cars of at least 15 years old, by then very cost-efficient when owned as a company car. These somewhat aging Volvo's are still noble vehicles with high mileage that complete their daily routine without complaint. However, they did have one small issue up to this day: their leatherette door cards peel off. So what to do about that?
For several years, I provided 'Panelpads' repair kits all over the world, an in-house developed repair kit that allowed owners to restore the door cards of their older Volvo vehicles to a nice, tight finish. Unfortunately, I had to discontinue Panelpads due to increasing commitments to other projects, but here I share their blueprints, including their manuals, for free. To make Panelpads successful, you do need some DIY skills though. I wish you the best of luck!
Many of the products I develop have an environmental claim.
I believe it’s important to be conscious of how we treat our planet, and I’m happy to do my part. But keep in mind, we’re barely awake, just starting to realize how terribly we’ve overslept. The result? Much of the grumbling about sustainability often ends with the realization that while the intention is there, the right technology is not (yet) available. Perhaps, until then, we should focus on returning to the times when we kept our things much longer with us, 'sustainable' in the way the word was conceived originally.
Products developed under the ronaldjan.com label - whether commissioned or initiated independently - are never complex to their core. The idea and its execution is simple in design: each product is a representative to a ‘1.0’ version, produced in small batches. This is essential. We only get a true sense of the product’s viability by presenting it to the market in its purest form. If it resonates, we’ll know what the essence of the product is capable of, and then, not long after, version 2.0 will undoubtedly be introduced: let’s bring in the marketing people!
Developing products in the way songs are written means starting with a modest release. Product development on a smaller scale, needs partners who can produce flexibly in smaller quantities. Almost always, you then end up knocking on doors of the social sector: sheltered workshops and day care centers. These are often state-of-the-art locations where skilled craftsmen show their talents under adapted conditions. High workloads and responsibility aren’t always suitable for these environments, so delays can happen, but remember, here some treasured skills are hidden!