Ep. 412: How We Make Our Products at Ballard Designs

How to Decorate

Ballard Designs

Arts, Business, Design

4.2 • 785 Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this special episode, Caroline and Liz take a deep dive into the fascinating world of product development and sourcing at Ballard Designs. Joined by special guests Patrick Farrell, Vice President of Merchandising and Product Design, and Sarah Hall, Senior Manager of Sourcing, the team unveils the intricate journey from initial concept to finished product on your doorstep (spoiler alert: the whole process takes 2-3 years!). Patrick and Sarah share behind-the-scenes insights on how ideas are generated from customer feedback, trend reports, and market influences, then refined through design iterations and meticulous testing. They also explain the complex logistics of vendor selection, how products are engineered, and the importance of global partnerships to maintain quality and craftsmanship. The episode covers everything from drop testing and packaging to navigating tariffs and supply chain challenges—shedding light on how every detail ensures a stellar experience designed to unleash your inner decorator. What You’ll Hear On This Episode: 00:00 Introduction to the How to Decorate Podcast 00:34 Meet Patrick Farrell and Sarah Hall from Ballard 01:12 The Product Design Process: From Concept to Creation 05:09 Sourcing, Vendor Selection, and Collaboration 09:42 Packaging & Drop Testing: Ensuring Quality & Safety 27:54 Quality Checks & Manufacturing Standards 28:18 Understanding Minimum Order Quantities (MOQ) 30:29 Successful Product Negotiations & Cost Savings 31:58 The Art of Handcrafted Production & Manufacturing Journeys 36:47 Visiting Manufacturing Facilities & Europe Sourcing 43:54 Logistics, Tariffs, and Navigating Supply Chain Disruptions 50:40 Commitment to Quality & Customization Options 53:52 Local Store Experiences & Customer-Centric Approach 55:12 Final Thoughts & Insights Also Mentioned: ballarddesigns.com | Shop Now The collaboration behind Ballard’s new product collections How vendor partnerships drive innovation and quality The importance of quality assurance and sustainability practices Please send in your decorating dilemmas + pictures so we can answer them on an upcoming episode (⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠) . And, of course, please subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already in Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss a new episode. Happy Decorating!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to How to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home.
0:09.0	I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team. And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer.
0:12.7	I'm Liz. I head up the creative team. We're your hosts. Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks, and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world.
0:22.4	Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.
0:25.3	We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us at podcast at balderdesigns.net.
0:30.4	Now on with the show.
0:34.0	All right, welcome back to the show. I'm Caroline. I've got Liz here. Hi. And we have two very special guests today from the Ballard team. So it's been a minute since we've had a conversation with some of our Ballard family members. But we thought we could talk about how we make our products. So we've done some similar episodes a while back,
0:54.5	but it's been a minute. So, you know, in light of the news, I know there's a lot going on in the
1:01.4	world of retail. And we thought it was a great time to kind of share our perspective and give
1:08.0	you, our lovely audience, some insight into how we make our goods.
1:12.6	So we've got Patrick Farrell here.
1:14.4	He's our VP of merchandising and product design.
1:17.5	We've got Sarah Hall, who's our senior manager of sourcing.
1:21.8	They have decades of experience and are our internal experts on the topic.
1:27.7	So thank you so much for joining us.
1:30.3	Thank you, Caroline.
1:31.3	Thank you.
1:31.7	It's great to be here.
1:32.5	Yeah.
1:33.1	Yes.
1:33.7	So, you know, Patrick, your team, you have both the merchandising team and the product
1:40.3	design team, so Terran's team.
	...

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