OUR DESIGN PROCESS
All of our Dotty Fish shoes are designed in-house by our talented team. This page gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how we develop our designs and what it takes to turn an idea into a finished shoe ready for little feet.
IDEAS AND INSPIRATION
Like anything new, it all starts with an idea. When Helen started the business many years ago, she had a simple idea – to create quality baby shoes that parents could afford. It began with a few drawings on a piece of paper, and in many ways, our design process hasn’t changed much since then. Today, Dotty Fish ships shoes all over the world, but every design still starts as a simple sketch. All of our shoes are designed in the UK by our in-house team.
Inspiration can come from anywhere. A scarf we see while out shopping might inspire a new colour combination, or a walk in the park and seeing lots of flowers might lead to a new design idea, like a daisy shoe. We also keep a close eye on colour palettes and trends so our shoes stay current and match the clothes that babies and toddlers are wearing. We also love hearing from our customers, who often share ideas and suggestions for new designs. Many of our favourite shoes have been inspired by customer feedback, which makes our designs even more special.
GIRLS VS BOYS
Over the years, children’s clothing and footwear have become much more gender neutral. When my daughter was a baby, I was often told I was dressing her in “boys’ clothes”, but today colours and designs are for everyone.
At Dotty Fish, our website is organised into Girls and Boys sections simply to make shopping easier, but many of our shoes are suitable for either. A colourful rainbow is neither a girl’s shoe nor a boy’s shoe, so you’ll often find the same designs in both categories. We listen carefully to customer feedback when designing new shoes, and many of our newer designs are more gender neutral than ever. Our Nya the Elephant design, for example, has been a best seller loved by both boys and girls.
SAMPLES
Once our sketches have been turned into electronic designs, they are sent to our manufacturing partners and we eagerly wait for the first samples to arrive. What looks great on paper or on a computer screen does not always translate perfectly into a leather shoe, so this is a really important stage of the process.
When the samples arrive, we review them carefully and often make adjustments to the design, colours, sizing or fit until we are completely happy for them to go into production. During this process, the leather is also tested to make sure it meets safety standards and is safe for babies and children. Only once we are happy with both the design and the materials do we move forward with production.
FINISHED PRODUCTS
Once we are happy with the samples, testing and final design, the shoes are scheduled into production. It can take several months from the original idea to the moment the finished shoes finally arrive in our office ready for us to share with you on social media. No matter how many designs we create, it is always incredibly exciting when that first box arrives!
Everyone in the team has their firm favourites – often the ones we buy ourselves when friends or family are expecting a baby! All shoes are quality checked by us to make sure they meet our standards before they are packed and sent out to customers. The first delivery of a new design is always a reason to celebrate, and it’s just as exciting sending out those first few pairs to customers. Even now, Helen is still involved in processing orders, which helps us stay connected to our customers and the products we create.
SOCIAL MEDIA
All of our new designs and shoes are usually launched on our social media pages first. We often share sneak peeks of new designs and sometimes run competitions when new styles are released. While we love sharing photos of our shoes, we especially love seeing photos of your little ones wearing them and hearing your feedback.
If you share photos, don’t forget to tag us using #dottyfish so we can see them. You can find us on Facebook dottyfishltd and on Instagram @dottyfish. Our newsletter is also a great way to hear about new designs, product launches, special offers and discount codes. You can sign up here!
