Quick AnswersDesign FAQsHow do design challenges work?Red Clay announces Design Challenges regularly based on raw material discovery, special occasion themes, or seasonal opportunity… among other bright ideas. We match the sustainably sourced material with a suitable theme and product category and hope you find it as inspiring as we do. You submit a design or 20 (there’s no limit to the number of designs you can submit), the Red Clay community votes, and the most popular designs are selected for Red Clay’s next exclusive collection. To find out about our current or upcoming challenges, sign up for our email list at info@redclayhome.com.
Who should I contact if I’m having technical difficulties submitting a design?When experiencing technical difficulties, or have any question whatsoever, start by thoroughly reading the Challenge Brief and Instructions first. If the answer you seek is not among these pages, please email us at info@redclayhome.com and someone will get back to you shortly. Please include a description of the problem you are experiencing, Red Clay checks these emails regularly!
What happens after I submit my design?Hitting SUBMIT on your Red Clay design entry is an exciting time! You will receive an email confirming your submission has been posted to the Voting Page. Voting launches shortly after the Design Challenge Deadline expires. The Voting ballots are only open for 1 short week, so get the word out to everyone you’ve ever met, leave no stone unturned! A few weeks after the close of voting, the winners of the Design Challenge will be announced and the winners will be contacted via email with directions on how to submit their working files and collect their prizes. We celebrate design and designers here at Red Clay, winners prepare yourselves for the spotlight, as we feature the latest Red Clayers on our Winners Circle blog.
Does it increase my chances of winning if I submit multiple variations of the same design in different colors or sizes?Unfortunately, no. In fact, doing so will only water down the impact of your designs. Always put your best foot forward. Please submit the best version of each unique concept. In order to preserve the integrity of our voting process, we may be required to refuse designs that are too similar. Don’t worry, you will have the chance to suggest added optional color variations on your Entry Form.
I submitted my design, why was it not posted for voting?Good Design for All, that’s our motto. No longer should good design from responsible materials and manufacturing be priced out of reach. In order to accomplish this goal, Red Clay must assess the feasibility of producing submitted designs at an accessible price point. Our philosophy of lean manufacturing ensures we eliminate wasted materials, energy and cost from our production process. Only rarely will a submission not meet our criteria for qualification. In this case, an email will be sent to notify the designer.
I was asked for working files of my winning design on short notice – why?Once you’ve won a Design Challenge there are hundreds (even thousands) of voters waiting eagerly with baited breath to get their hands on your creation. Time is of the essence. We do our best to give designers as much time as possible to turn files around. But please know, it is in the best interest and success of your design to be as prompt as possible in submitting your working files.
Once my design has been selected for production, when will it be available for purchase?All Red Clay products take variable times to go from concept to finished product, depending on the Design Challenge, the raw materials and complexity of design. The nature of the process entails several weeks lead time before a product can be available for purchase. Never fear, we will alert the community when products are released. In the meantime, continue to check in for additional Design Challenges and Voting Ballots, there is plenty of action going on in the Studio!
How can I help sell it?It’s as easy as clicking a button…a Facebook or Twitter button that is! Click on your product for purchase and scroll to the bottom of the pop‐up window to the Facebook or Twitter icon. Doing so will send you through to your Facebook or Twitter account where you can share a message with your entire network that your ingenious design is now available for immediate purchase. Then repeat for all your designs for sale. Why not tweet it from the rooftops? Voting FAQsWhat is voting?Our main goal at Red Clay to help you be the artist of your own home, what better way to do that than to have you select what products need to be made? Your involvement in our process is critical as you let us know what you like, need, desire, and have to have! That way we only make pieces that meet your high standard Bonus…by only producing things you like, we don’t have to waste a bunch of time and materials making things that nobody is interested in? Confused? Think about that picture frame you got for your wedding that was waaay off your registry, or the throw blanket Aunt Nellie gave you for your dorm room that reminds you of your little brother’s childhood nursery. The more input we have, the less stuff like that will get produced!
How do I vote?We, here at Red Clay, use a rating system to determine what designs raise your temperature. Rather than voting 1, 2, 3, which we find to be so limiting and inside the box, we want to get your feedback on each and every design submitted. That way you can tell how much you love polka dots and hate stripes, or vice versa…that part’s up to you! Simply click the number of stars you think each design is worth. Think it’s okay, but been there, done that? Give it only 1 star. Think it’s the best thing since sliced bread? Rank it high, high, high with 5 stars!
Can I comment on a design?At this point we are gathering feedback only through the star ranking system. We don’t condone designing by committee, as greatness tends to get lost in all the transition. Rather, we want the designers to offer up to you their best and brightest, and then you let us know of that creme de la creme, you think is the best! And for you, we’ll produce the best!
How can I tell people what I voted for?Share? We like sharing! You’ll find that each design has little symbols under the ranking stars. Those cute little symbols allow you to shout out to your world letting them know what’s cool through either Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail. The more people that you can get to vote, the more likely that product is to come to market. So, if you want a particular pillow for your couch, get off yours and share that pillow design with a friend!
How will I find out that the item I voted for won?When the products from each competition are available for purchase, we’ll be sure to shoot you an e-mail. That way, you’ll be the first to know. Can’t wait that long? Keep checking back to the Red Clay blog, as we’ll put our constantly evolving thoughts and commentary there.
Why wasn’t the one I voted for chosen?Good Design for All, that’s our motto. No longer should good design from responsible materials and manufacturing be priced out of reach. In order to accomplish this goal, Red Clay must assess the feasibility of producing submitted designs at an accessible price point. In addition to your input through ranking, we have to consider factors such as available materials, technique needed for manufacturing, and final price of the product. We want to find the best harmony of those factors, which means that if a product is super popular, but would be crazy expensive, we likely won’t produce it. We will do our absolute best to weed out designs that can’t be produced before we add them to the voting portion of the site, but just in case one or two slip through, now you’ll know why they aren’t produced. We’ll outline the specifics on our blog every time we move from voting to product availability.
Other Molding TipsThere will likely be some changes to these answers especially as we work through the shopify details, but we wanted to at least provide an idea of what questions and how much copy each answer will be.
Will I be charged sales tax?Red Clay is incorporated in Wisconsin, therefore we must charge Wisconsin Sales Tax on orders shipped within the state of Wisconsin.
Is it safe to use my credit card on redclayhome.com?Red Clay leverages industry standard 128 bit SSL encryption to protect your credit card and personal information from prying eyes. Red Clay does not store your credit data on our servers, giving you an additional layer of security.
Which credit cards or payment types are accepted?Red Clay welcomes most major credit cards including Visa and Mastercard. We also accept Paypal and Google Checkout for your security, if preferred. Unfortunately, we do not currently accept American Express.
When will my credit card be charged?Your credit card will be charged upon placing your order.
ShippingHow long will it take to receive my order?You may expect your product to arrive in approximately 3 weeks after you place your order, shipped directly from the manufacturer. Red Clay’s designs are produced with the utmost responsibility and craftsmanship. We embrace a lean manufacturing process that leverages local sourcing and artisans to offer you the most honestly made products at a competitive price. Doing so requires a little more TLC and some time. We thank you for your patience, we think you’ll be pleased when your Red Clay design arrives at your door.
How are shipping charges determined?For regular sized items, we offer a flat rate shipping at the following rates: Ground 2-day Overnight $7.95 $24.95 $34.95 For oversized items, shipping will be assessed case by case per weight and size assessments.
Do you offer delivery outside the US?Currently, we do not ship outside the US. Please stayed tuned as we grow internationally.
If I haven’t received my shipment, who do I contact?If your order has shipped, you will receive an email containing the tracking number for your shipment: FedEx: http://www.fedex.com/us/pckgenvlp/track/index.html USPS: http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm?from=home&page=0035trackandconfirm If you cannot find your tracking number, or if your order has not shipped, please email us at info@redclayhome.com. Please include your order number in the subject line.
Do you ship to P.O. boxes?We’re sorry but we do not ship to P.O. Boxes or APO/FPO addresses
Change/CancellationHow do I update or change my order?Cancellation and Return PolicyCustomer ServiceHow can I reach someone regarding my order?Please contact us at info@redclayhome.com if there are any issues with your order. Please know we are committed to your 100% satisfaction with your design. What is Red Clay’s email address? Have a question? We’re here to service, please email us at info@redclayhome.com.
What is Red Clay’s mailing address?You may send correspondence to: Red Clay; 604 SW 2nd Street; Bentonville, AR 72712
Registering/AccountDo you have to be a registered member of Red Clay to order online?Yes. Red Clay cannot process orders unless a customer registers. Please visit our registration page here.
How do I register?Please click on the “My Account” link in the top right hand navigation bar, and you will be taken directly to the registration page. We will lead you through the simple registration steps from there. You will also be automatically directed to register upon submitting, voting or purchasing designs if you have not already registered or logged in.
I forgot my password, what do I do?Please go to the login link located on the top right navigation bar and click on “forgot password”. You will receive an email with a password reset link. If you need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us via info@redclayhome.com
How do I update my mailing address or email address?Please click on “My Account” in the top right navigation bar, you will be taken to the registration page where you are giving the option to update your account information.
ShoppingHow do I shop on redclayhome.com?We encourage you to start shopping with Red Clay by checking out our home page, where you will find the freshest designs in our studio and a link to our Red Clay Store. Get to know our designers by checking out the designer profile section which features their entire portfolio and personal bio. Read our blog, where you will find the latest interior décor trends, tips for special events and seasonal makeovers, decorating solutions, artisan features, and community news. You may also customize your search for the perfect design by room, color, material and category. We encourage you to register with us as some features and information are made exclusively available to our Red Clay community, including new releases, design challenge announcements and breaking news.
How do I find the products I want?To browse our selection of products, click on the Store page on the top navigation bar. From there you can select any product and read in detail its design, material, color and manufacturing information. Each product page allows you to zoom in for detailed images of each design, selected desired colors and add designs to your shopping cart. You may also type the name, designer, material or keyword in the search box on any page. You can further narrow your search by simply clicking on desired attributes, such as room, color or category found on the left side of page. Only designs featuring those attributes will be displayed. Are you super smart? Still have questions, please feel free to e-mail us at: info@redclayhome.com , one of our masterminds will connect with yours shortly! |