This should honestly serve as an educational video for an entire design process. Most people unaware of what design is (me as well until recently) often think that design is an easy thing to do, drawing finished product from the get go and being done with it. But this video beautifully shows how many times initial idea changes due to financial and manufacturing constraints, changes of direction once the product is better visualised etc. Not to mention that it takes a lot of time to draw inspiration from multiple sources and mood board everything together in a coherent design in the first place.
Having been able to experience the Encore first hand, I can honestly say this is one of the most special products that I now own. Your attention to detail in the process and consumer experience is what makes this product more than just a keyboard. Can't wait to see how many people get to use the Encore in their setup. Love this film on your process too. You are the man Matthew!
Seeing this channel grow from desk setup back in 2020/21 when I was looking for inspiration to build a WFH office, to seeing Matthew share how he remodeled his living room and kitchen. The journey of Mod Musings going from leaving his day job to further launch his business. Then, finding a blank canvas in the form of a warehouse space to build a new office and seeing how the quality of the content has improved. From coffee making setups to mechanical keyboards and product designs. Keep building and sharing this type of content, made a big fan out of me with it. Hope to see more in the future. Cheers!
I feel like I'm always saying this, but absolute masterpiece of a video Matthew! So many takeaways from this that I would've never expected so you sharing your wisdom with us is always such a treat. Thank you so much mate! All the best to yourself and the Mode team to bringing this beauty to market.
Been following you since 2017 from the futur. You still don't cease to impress with whatever you do Matthew.. Huge respect for your discipline and desire.
Absolutely thrilled to see this project come to life! We're hard at work getting ready to ship these boards out after the first in-stock drop this week! 💪
Wow, as someone who has been working on a similar project for multiple years. The way you have elegantly put together this video, while in deep in the learning process yourself - ending with such an elegant presentation. I am very grateful this video can serve as a tool for others. It is very inspiring. Thanks!
What an amazing process - filmed and narrated perfectly. To say you're meticulous would be an understatement. The keyboard design and execution are stellar!!
Seeing the process behind this boards creation is awesome, as much as I wish this came in a TKL version I understand why it doesn't now. You (and Mode) knocked it out of the park with this keeb and even though I'm not a 65% enjoyer I still envy owners of this board, well done sir!
I'm so embarrassed that even I got the bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, spending total 4 years in my life, I can't even explain the whole product design process to other person as clear as you that are a newbie in product design. Love your video.
Matthew already has extensive background in other fields of design such as branding so there really wasn't any surprise he could pull this off better than others. He's VERY experienced to say the least.
For many years, I did my work as a designer without great articulation skills. It wasn't until I started to practice teaching and storytelling that I was able to summarize concepts succinctly. I still practice every day.
Remember that teaching a skill and knowing a skill are distinct abilities; I’m a graphic designer and I commonly work with people more skilled than me but I’m a pretty good communicator by comparison - we all have things we can learn 🙂
The amount of love and dedication Matthew putting into each video or product is just enormous. Not to mention the number of skills required for it to be at this very high level. Not compromising even a single small detail As always pleasure
The amount of effort and attention to detail you put into this project left me speechless! As always, an amazing project, Matthew! The white and oak one is definitely my favorite!
I wish I didn't get out of the hobby. This one, along with many other keyboards, I will miss out on. An amazing amount of effort, focus, and engineering has gone into the Encore. I can't wait to hear all the sound tests and see the builds that the community puts together. Hope to see more designs from you in the future.
Finally a video! Personally I'm not into keyboards but watched all your keyboard videos from start to end and I'm amazed by the results of the cinematography and your product. It makes me want to also buy your keyboard 😅
I caught myself smiling throughout the video. There's just a lot of cool insights and takes when watching your videos. Amazing video (as always), Matthew! 🖤👌🏻
Thank you for sharing this with us. As an industrial design student, this information has clarified some of my doubts about the design and industry process
Your video serves as a great piece of inspiration for me, someone who wants to move into the product design field to help to bridge the gap between engineering and artistic design. Studying for my AB interdisciplinary engineering degree I hope to share this video with others to give them some insight into this somewhat niche field which I feel is not explored enough in academia. Amazing content, you're hugely inspirational.
I appreciate that. Being in the creative field for so long has allowed me to compound and overlap my skills in interesting ways. Keep exploring, there’s so many interesting areas to discover.
I’m designing a keyboard rn and this transparency is so unbelievably helpful. Thank you! Could you talk a little bit about how you got partnered with mode initially
@@MatthewEncina that’s really cool! I definitely hope I can get some of the same love and opportunities that have presented themselves to you in the industry
so many of the things i love all in one video. design, mech keyboards, ur style. been following u since the blind/futr days back in the day. everything about this vid was so well put together. not a huge fan of wood on a keyboard, but they sound and look great nonetheless. to be honest, thought they looked ugly af at first, but they kinda grew on me by the end of the video, especially the look of the white one in the typing test
@@MatthewEncina 😁😁 (as an aside, is there anywhere in the recent past - video or blog where you've detailed the creative software you currently use? From mood boarding all the way to video editing and project tracking/management?)
Such a lovely and thoughtful design, I’m a fan. I love the side profile, this is such an improvement compared to your other keyboard collaboration. I hope you create a 75% option, because I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
This is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing and making this. One thing I’ve been struggling with is finding a manufacturer / supplier that can turn my idea into an actual product. Would you mind sharing your experience in finding the right partner! I specialise in coffee or espresso prep products, so working with metal is essentials and this is where things get complicated. I’ve made multiple prototypes with my resin printers to save cost and get tolerances just right in a shot amount of time. I’m basically ready to mass produce. I’m just missing the manufacturer. Thank you for your help ☺️
@@mehrdadhaghighi5140 thanks. Check out my latest video for my advice on how I found the right partners, and check the links in the description for more resources.
While I come from a background in industrial design and am now delving into the graphic design field, I am excited to see your exploration into the industrial design space. It's really fun, especially when it comes to making 3d mock-ups yourself!
@@tonykauffmann2917 thanks. It’s made with a different partner, so it’s not as clear cut of including the keycaps. But I try to show them at the end with them.
Great video and process. Felt like you had a good amount of time at each step for refinement. Wonder if they are a good client. You are good designer to work through each step (I’m sure) or there was some labour of love too. As it seemed like a very complete long project which I don’t know if there would have been a big margin if you were not in house. Maybe all products like this need this much work or the return and waste will be high, as I’ve never taken a physical product to market. Well done
Well this situation is different, cause they’re not a client, they’re a collaborator. That said, there was a lot of down time between focused sprints of work. It is a lot of work, but hopefully we can do future runs, which should be easier.
Any future plans for different colors? Was hoping to snag a white/white oak but it only comes with the copper bottom. Would love to see a polycarb version or an alu bottom version with white. Awesome job!
very cool new take on a 65% mode keeb ! i was curious, will the july 12th drop also be featuring the same 4 colors as the june 12th drop ? also, will we be able to expect new colorways in the future, would love an all white/white oak/white iteration similar to the black/white oak/black version ? congrats on the upcoming drop !
The second half of our stock will be in the same colors in July. If this keyboard does well, it can open up the possibilities for future runs and colors. We'll see how the community receives it first.
Hello, I was interested in the part at 21:53 that the mode team can build the keyboard for you, and because I am not the best builder, is there an specific way I have to ask for help to the mode team to build the keyboard or when you purchase it?
I am in love with the white version, but no full keyboard for me :( These 60% may be cool, but I feel like half of the keyboard is missing, And I do use the num pad a lot.
What an awesome video! As someone who is figuring what my passion is and what I wanna study and do for the next chapter of my life. This really confirms that, that is industrial design. Every part of the process through out this video I found so interesting. This just hits the home run for me. With the video being very well made, as well as the product on top. Amazing job Matthew!
Your videos with your process on creating new things and exploring new ideas are huge inspirations in my creative/design career. Thank you for another great content!
do you verify market demand before creating your ideas into products? i haven't seen this in any of your videos, so i'm very interested into what extent you do this before. Or is it because of your already-built audience that this step isn't as necessary?
Wherever possible I use related/comparable sales data when available to inform decisions. The rest is just instinct/anecdotal based on studying the niche and trends. Having an audience helps of course, but you still have to know what direction is worth pursuing.
Thank you always for the support. 🙏🏽Learn all about the Encore and when it goes live 👉🏽 www.modmusings.com/modmusings-encore-keyboard
Thank you matthew for seeing such a beautiful vision through till the end. You created something very special here.
@@iLuvCats I appreciate that.
It’s crazy how someone who’s not primarily a product designer can create such a professional product. You really do it all Matthew! Truly inspiring.
I had amazing collaborators!
This should honestly serve as an educational video for an entire design process. Most people unaware of what design is (me as well until recently) often think that design is an easy thing to do, drawing finished product from the get go and being done with it. But this video beautifully shows how many times initial idea changes due to financial and manufacturing constraints, changes of direction once the product is better visualised etc. Not to mention that it takes a lot of time to draw inspiration from multiple sources and mood board everything together in a coherent design in the first place.
Thanks for the thoughtful observations.
My goodness this is so cool
Ali thank you! I also appreciate you being so transparent with your keyboard endeavors lately. It came at the right time for me.
@@MatthewEncina you two!💯
Having been able to experience the Encore first hand, I can honestly say this is one of the most special products that I now own. Your attention to detail in the process and consumer experience is what makes this product more than just a keyboard. Can't wait to see how many people get to use the Encore in their setup. Love this film on your process too. You are the man Matthew!
Appreciate it! Welcome to the keyboard club.
Seeing this channel grow from desk setup back in 2020/21 when I was looking for inspiration to build a WFH office, to seeing Matthew share how he remodeled his living room and kitchen. The journey of Mod Musings going from leaving his day job to further launch his business. Then, finding a blank canvas in the form of a warehouse space to build a new office and seeing how the quality of the content has improved. From coffee making setups to mechanical keyboards and product designs.
Keep building and sharing this type of content, made a big fan out of me with it. Hope to see more in the future. Cheers!
Thanks for sticking around. Glad I can share the journey with you.
I feel like I'm always saying this, but absolute masterpiece of a video Matthew! So many takeaways from this that I would've never expected so you sharing your wisdom with us is always such a treat. Thank you so much mate! All the best to yourself and the Mode team to bringing this beauty to market.
Thanks Avi! We miss seeing your content on here, but I know you're doing the work. 👌🏽
You don't just make products for us. You provide insight into how the product works best.
Masterpieces from my favorite designers!
🙏🏽🙏🏽
I watch this video and type this comment with my Encore keyboard :)
🖤🪵
Been following you since 2017 from the futur.
You still don't cease to impress with whatever you do Matthew.. Huge respect for your discipline and desire.
Cheers
Absolutely thrilled to see this project come to life! We're hard at work getting ready to ship these boards out after the first in-stock drop this week! 💪
We're ready!
Wow, as someone who has been working on a similar project for multiple years. The way you have elegantly put together this video, while in deep in the learning process yourself - ending with such an elegant presentation. I am very grateful this video can serve as a tool for others. It is very inspiring. Thanks!
You're welcome. Good luck on your project!
Love this process! Great video man.
Thanks Alex! Excited for your Sonnet!
What an amazing process - filmed and narrated perfectly. To say you're meticulous would be an understatement. The keyboard design and execution are stellar!!
Thanks Torrey!
Seeing the process behind this boards creation is awesome, as much as I wish this came in a TKL version I understand why it doesn't now. You (and Mode) knocked it out of the park with this keeb and even though I'm not a 65% enjoyer I still envy owners of this board, well done sir!
@@nadtz thank you!
I'm so embarrassed that even I got the bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, spending total 4 years in my life, I can't even explain the whole product design process to other person as clear as you that are a newbie in product design. Love your video.
Matthew already has extensive background in other fields of design such as branding so there really wasn't any surprise he could pull this off better than others. He's VERY experienced to say the least.
For many years, I did my work as a designer without great articulation skills. It wasn't until I started to practice teaching and storytelling that I was able to summarize concepts succinctly. I still practice every day.
Remember that teaching a skill and knowing a skill are distinct abilities; I’m a graphic designer and I commonly work with people more skilled than me but I’m a pretty good communicator by comparison - we all have things we can learn 🙂
@@MatthewEncina are you still working in blind tell how logo look
Yeah this was a backhanded comment
The amount of love and dedication Matthew putting into each video or product is just enormous. Not to mention the number of skills required for it to be at this very high level. Not compromising even a single small detail
As always pleasure
I appreciate the thoughtful words.
Love enjoying your videos while having dinner, so calming!
Cheers
This video is brilliant and shows the gruelling but rewarding iterative process of bringing a product from idea to life.
🙏🏽
The amount of effort and attention to detail you put into this project left me speechless! As always, an amazing project, Matthew! The white and oak one is definitely my favorite!
Thanks Silvia! You know how much works it takes to make a design great ;)
I wish I didn't get out of the hobby. This one, along with many other keyboards, I will miss out on. An amazing amount of effort, focus, and engineering has gone into the Encore. I can't wait to hear all the sound tests and see the builds that the community puts together.
Hope to see more designs from you in the future.
I appreciate it!
I’m just starting a degree in product design and this video has me SO excited. Thank you for sharing your process! Best of luck with the launch!
Thanks. Good luck with your program!
What amazing process and journey. Thanks for sharing it to us!
You're welcome
this is an absolute masterclass in the design process.
@@Iswhars 🙏🏽
This was amazing. The clarity, structure and pacing are perfect. Excellent work both on the video and the board.
I appreciate that
Saw your how to make UA-cam videos tutorial. Really great and engaging. Love the fact you go through and read all comments ❤
Thanks
Finally a video! Personally I'm not into keyboards but watched all your keyboard videos from start to end and I'm amazed by the results of the cinematography and your product. It makes me want to also buy your keyboard 😅
I appreciate your support!
I caught myself smiling throughout the video. There's just a lot of cool insights and takes when watching your videos.
Amazing video (as always), Matthew! 🖤👌🏻
I’m glad it was insightful!
The copper one in green sound test is the sound of rain. So beautiful...
It's fun experimenting with different builds and discovering their sounds.
You really came a long way from redesigning your studio to working alongside with other people that you're clearly passionate about the hobby.
Thank you so much.
It's so rewarding to get to use a product that you designed. Dream, that one day will come true in my case 😃
🙌🏽
Your videos, skills and results are awesome and inspiring. Keep doing it, please! Congratulations on the release, looks really great.
Thanks
The keyboard looks amazing. And the presentation of its creation process as well :)
Thank you
Love the look of this board! Great job with the design!
Thank you
Thank you for sharing this with us. As an industrial design student, this information has clarified some of my doubts about the design and industry process
@@Lucas95R you’re welcome
Your video serves as a great piece of inspiration for me, someone who wants to move into the product design field to help to bridge the gap between engineering and artistic design. Studying for my AB interdisciplinary engineering degree I hope to share this video with others to give them some insight into this somewhat niche field which I feel is not explored enough in academia. Amazing content, you're hugely inspirational.
I appreciate that. Being in the creative field for so long has allowed me to compound and overlap my skills in interesting ways. Keep exploring, there’s so many interesting areas to discover.
wow I love the clear and concise wat you comunícate all your process into making this, its amazing to see all of the effort and creativity thank you
@@min11benja you’re welcome.
I didn't cared about keyboards before watching this video, now i want to learn and want one!
If you want to learn about custom mechanical keyboards, I created a guide here: www.modmusings.com/how-to-build-a-mechanical-keyboard
@@MatthewEncina Thank you so much!
The sound is so soothing!
🙏🏽
I’m designing a keyboard rn and this transparency is so unbelievably helpful. Thank you! Could you talk a little bit about how you got partnered with mode initially
@@isstylertho it was a relationship that devoted over several years. First doing some content for them, then building the relationship from there.
@@MatthewEncina that’s really cool! I definitely hope I can get some of the same love and opportunities that have presented themselves to you in the industry
Your visual presentation of your ideas is truly next level, clear and precise!
Appreciate that
Love the details, you videos are so soothing to watch haha, great work as always
I appreciate that.
Plz upload more often.
Your videos are amazing and i have alomost watched most of them more than twice
Thank you. It’s a lot of work to make a video.
@MatthewEncina oh no problem I too believe in quality over quantity 😊
Sorry wrote the opposite 😅
My career path has been in aviation mechanics but Matthew always makes me wish to get into design. It’s so fascinating and rewarding.
You can always start on the side. If you’re curious enough, you’ll find the answers you seek.
@@MatthewEncina looking forward to updating you when I venture off into my next step.
Thanks for making this video Matthew. Aside from the great storytelling, it’s nice to see your process. I am so inspired ❤
Likewise. Always inspired with what you create.
so many of the things i love all in one video. design, mech keyboards, ur style. been following u since the blind/futr days back in the day. everything about this vid was so well put together. not a huge fan of wood on a keyboard, but they sound and look great nonetheless. to be honest, thought they looked ugly af at first, but they kinda grew on me by the end of the video, especially the look of the white one in the typing test
@@joebazooks it’s all about preference. The best part of the hobby is we have so many great options,
Amazing storytelling and work
@@madouche thank you
Awesome insights homie, and a fantastic product. I'm sure it's a banger!
Thanks Clack! Appreciate you!
This is fascinating Matt, you're the best!
Thanks Mat!
A wonderfully insightful video, Matthew. I've appreciated watching your videos as you share your journey, always an enjoyable watch. Thank you.
You're welcome
Super insightful video! It shows how patience and delayed gratification is needed when creating something new.
Good things take time.
this is so awesome Mathew, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching.
I don't no much about keyboards... but it sounds like a very well thought through design and it sounds like a dream ✨
I appreciate that
Thanks for sharing the whole process, very enlightening and inspiring. And congratulations on a finished product
You're welcome, adn thanks
Great demonstration of how iteration works!
Thanks!
@@MatthewEncina I saw your Gantri lamp - do you have trouble choosing items like that when there are so many options, or do you have strong gut feel?
This was an awesome video! Awesome product 🙏
@@therealamatitech thank you
Oh my god. The sound profiles are amazing!
🙌🏽
great presentation and great product, good job man 👍
Thank you
Incredible stuff! I’ve always wanted a walnut keyboard and this is so perfect. Can’t wait to buy it
🙌🏽
Got to type on this board during a meetup yesterday. Really stand-out keyboard and felt great to type on
Nice! Which meetup, and who brought it?
@@MatthewEncina it was a meetup in New England, there were two colorways showcased by the team at MODE
Nice!
i spot the Dieter Rams book. Really appreciate the video, Matthew and Mode Keyboards team
👌🏽🙏🏽
Please do more videos like this!
What in particular did you find valuable from this video? What else would you like to see?
20+ minute Mathew Encina video. Nature is healing. 🥹
I was reluctant to release it cause it was so long. This gives me the confidence to make longer videos in the future.
@@MatthewEncina 😁😁
(as an aside, is there anywhere in the recent past - video or blog where you've detailed the creative software you currently use? From mood boarding all the way to video editing and project tracking/management?)
this is amazing! thanks Matthew!
Glad you liked it.
🙏🏽
The coolest thing ive ever seen i my entire life :)
@@ronaldmark1198 🙏🏽
Such a lovely and thoughtful design, I’m a fan. I love the side profile, this is such an improvement compared to your other keyboard collaboration. I hope you create a 75% option, because I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
I aprpeciate that. We'll see where this journey takes me.
Wow that looks beautiful
@@MacAoi thanks
I always wanted to make a Wooden Case for the Akko 5075b, but I thought I was complete crazy.... Than I found this video, now I need to make it happen
Enjoy the process
This is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing and making this.
One thing I’ve been struggling with is finding a manufacturer / supplier that can turn my idea into an actual product. Would you mind sharing your experience in finding the right partner!
I specialise in coffee or espresso prep products, so working with metal is essentials and this is where things get complicated.
I’ve made multiple prototypes with my resin printers to save cost and get tolerances just right in a shot amount of time. I’m basically ready to mass produce. I’m just missing the manufacturer.
Thank you for your help ☺️
@@mehrdadhaghighi5140 thanks. Check out my latest video for my advice on how I found the right partners, and check the links in the description for more resources.
@@MatthewEncina You’re awesome!
One with the number pad (right side) included will be great
That would be
While I come from a background in industrial design and am now delving into the graphic design field, I am excited to see your exploration into the industrial design space. It's really fun, especially when it comes to making 3d mock-ups yourself!
also, its time to get yourself an FDM/SLA 3D printer (recommend Creality) and vacuum forming machine (recommend Mayku) for prototyping!
@@Jed0328. Thanks for the commendations. I definitely want to get a 3d printer soon!
Love this so much, Matthew! It's really inspiring and might be just the push I need to learn how to design a board myself :D
Go for it. It’s a fun process to learn.
I want one so bad but i don't have 300 dollars. man your desk is so organized too❤❤❤
@@dogavocado9341 🙏🏽
GOAT GOAT! You are going crazy day by day.
🙏🏽
It's so amazing!! I always like your video and products.
Glad you like them!
beautiful process!
Appreciate that
inspiring to say the least ❤
🙏🏽
The keyboard test was straight up ASMR! Unfortunately it's sold out😞
@@bettasplendens367 🙏🏽
love the details. and the walnut one. will you have more thinner models?
Thanks. No plans for other designs yet. We’ll see how this does
fantastic product and video, you should be proud of both! I'm curious, why didn't you include your own keycap designs by default on this keyboard?
@@tonykauffmann2917 thanks. It’s made with a different partner, so it’s not as clear cut of including the keycaps. But I try to show them at the end with them.
So good!
Thanks!
Great video and process. Felt like you had a good amount of time at each step for refinement. Wonder if they are a good client. You are good designer to work through each step (I’m sure) or there was some labour of love too.
As it seemed like a very complete long project which I don’t know if there would have been a big margin if you were not in house.
Maybe all products like this need this much work or the return and waste will be high, as I’ve never taken a physical product to market. Well done
Well this situation is different, cause they’re not a client, they’re a collaborator. That said, there was a lot of down time between focused sprints of work. It is a lot of work, but hopefully we can do future runs, which should be easier.
The black Keys with the walnut wooden accent looks so sexy
It's such a classic combo
Love you’re videos keep up the good work
Thanks! Will do.
Every color sounds different 😮
The sound is very different, depending on how you build it. It's the fun part about custom mechanical keyboards.
"encore" means "again" in french, I click on the video expecting a french youtuber, but that's a right I like it !
👌🏽
so beautiful!
Thanks Carlo!
Any future plans for different colors? Was hoping to snag a white/white oak but it only comes with the copper bottom. Would love to see a polycarb version or an alu bottom version with white. Awesome job!
If this one does well, anything is possible. Hoping we can try more with this design.
very cool new take on a 65% mode keeb ! i was curious, will the july 12th drop also be featuring the same 4 colors as the june 12th drop ? also, will we be able to expect new colorways in the future, would love an all white/white oak/white iteration similar to the black/white oak/black version ? congrats on the upcoming drop !
The second half of our stock will be in the same colors in July. If this keyboard does well, it can open up the possibilities for future runs and colors. We'll see how the community receives it first.
the walk in 16:12 tho XD
What do we think of it?
I hope we get to see you again with the Blind team, for a podcast.
Would be great to jump on with Chris
just wonderful!!🔥
🙏🏽
i like the top mount PP spacebar. hits real nice! HMX poro a little too bright for me, i'd rather use MX blacks. great video!
I agree. I had to see what the hype was about behind HMX, but in this instance I do prefer the Blacks
Hello, I was interested in the part at 21:53 that the mode team can build the keyboard for you, and because I am not the best builder, is there an specific way I have to ask for help to the mode team to build the keyboard or when you purchase it?
They have a build service as a separate item in their catalog. It’s on the Encore sales page on Mode’s website if you scroll down.
Super random thing caught my eye - what case is that on your iPad mini?
It's part of this magnetic stand. Pretty nifty: amzn.to/3VgR76P
I am in love with the white version, but no full keyboard for me :( These 60% may be cool, but I feel like half of the keyboard is missing, And I do use the num pad a lot.
@@ValPetrova-w1x thanks. I used a full keyboard for many years. I understand if you use the numpad a lot. I learned to live without it.
What an awesome video! As someone who is figuring what my passion is and what I wanna study and do for the next chapter of my life. This really confirms that, that is industrial design. Every part of the process through out this video I found so interesting. This just hits the home run for me. With the video being very well made, as well as the product on top. Amazing job Matthew!
Glad this could shed light on your journey ahead. Now is a great time to learn, since everything is so accessible.
Your videos with your process on creating new things and exploring new ideas are huge inspirations in my creative/design career. Thank you for another great content!
Thanks for the kind words.
Love this ❤
🙏🏽
do you verify market demand before creating your ideas into products? i haven't seen this in any of your videos, so i'm very interested into what extent you do this before. Or is it because of your already-built audience that this step isn't as necessary?
Wherever possible I use related/comparable sales data when available to inform decisions. The rest is just instinct/anecdotal based on studying the niche and trends.
Having an audience helps of course, but you still have to know what direction is worth pursuing.
alright, thanks alot for the reply!