Stop selling awards
Start solving recognition problems
By John Hathaway
Images courtesy of Polaris Custom Awards
Early sketches and material studies help transform an initial idea into a finished recognition piece.
Over the years, I’ve heard a few stories that changed the way I think about the business of recognition and small-batch custom manufacturing.
One person told me they threw away a box of old awards during an office move. They had collected them for years, but eventually they became one more box to pack, store, and move.
Another person still had the crystal cube they received after closing their first transaction decades earlier. It wasn’t expensive, and it certainly wasn’t elaborate. But they could tell you exactly where it came from, who gave it to them, and why they had kept it all those years.
People don’t keep recognition pieces because they’re made from crystal, acrylic, or metal. They keep them because they represent something worth remembering.
When you’re in the business of designing and producing recognition pieces, that’s an important distinction.
Whether a client asks for a crystal award, an acrylic piece, a retirement gift, a donor recognition display, or a custom deal toy, the request is usually the starting point, not the assignment. The real assignment is understanding what happened, why it mattered, and how to represent it in a way that still feels meaningful years later.
When you take this approach, you’re doing more than supplying a product — you’re helping clients decide how to commemorate important achievements. In my experience, that’s where the most rewarding projects begin.
Most projects begin with a few notes and a rough sketch that develop into a finished design.
Every project starts with a blank page
An interesting part of working in this industry is that no two projects unfold exactly the same way.
Some clients know precisely what they’re looking for. They’ve ordered deal toys for years, understand the preferences of their firm, and may already have sketches or examples they’d like us to build from.
Others come to us with only the basic facts of the transaction and are looking for guidance on where to begin.
Regardless of where the conversation starts, I try to approach each project with fresh eyes. Experience gives us a starting point, not a template. Just because a transaction involves commercial real estate, healthcare, or private equity doesn’t mean it deserves the same solution as the last one. Experience is valuable, but every achievement has its own context, its own audience, and its own purpose.
If a client asks for crystal, there may be a good reason. Perhaps previous transactions were recognized in crystal and they want this one to feel consistent. Maybe the recipient prefers it. Maybe the presentation calls for something formal and substantial. Other times, the initial request is simply a place to begin. As we talk through the project, another material, another construction method, or even another design direction may prove to be a better fit.
The important thing isn’t challenging the client’s first idea. It’s understanding enough about the project to know whether that first idea is already the right answer or whether there’s an opportunity to make it even stronger.
Consistent quality comes from careful production and attention to detail.
Find what makes the achievement unique
Not every project reveals itself in the same way. The goal isn’t to force a concept, it’s to recognize the opportunity when it’s there.
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about this business is figuring out what makes each project unique. Sometimes it’s obvious — sometimes it takes a few questions. Either way, that’s often where the best design ideas begin.
Sometimes clients know exactly what they want to commemorate and what message they want to convey. More often, they know the event, but they haven’t yet thought about how that event might be represented. That’s where the conversation becomes interesting.
A retirement after 40 years is different than a company’s 50th anniversary. A safety milestone tells a different story than a successful capital campaign. A product launch calls for a different approach than a donor recognition piece. Sometimes there’s an obvious idea to build around, and sometimes there isn’t. The important thing is understanding enough about the achievement to make better design decisions.
In some cases, it’s the history behind the organization and in others it’s an architectural detail, a product, a map, or an object that everyone involved immediately recognizes. Sometimes, those details give you something specific to design around.
Other times, the strongest solution is simply choosing the right material, the right proportions, and executing the piece well. Not every project needs a complicated story, but every project deserves thoughtful consideration.
I’ve found that once clients see their own story reflected in the concept, the conversation changes. Instead of comparing products, they’re evaluating ideas. That’s a much more productive discussion, and it usually leads to work that feels more personal and memorable. You don’t have to be an artist to work this way. You simply have to be curious enough to look beyond the order itself.
Strong recognition pieces begin with an idea, then evolve through design and production.
Good design doesn’t end when the sketch is finished
One lesson I’ve learned over the years is that good ideas and successful projects aren’t always the same thing.
A concept that looks great on a screen still has to be manufactured, assembled, packaged, and delivered. Every material has its own strengths, limitations, and production realities. Understanding those tradeoffs doesn’t limit creativity. In fact, it gives you more ways to solve the problem.
Take crystal versus cast acrylic as an example. Both can produce beautiful recognition pieces. Both can be simple or highly customized. Both can communicate quality when they’re designed well. The question isn’t which material is better. The question is which material is better suited to the project.
Crystal has a weight and presence that many recipients associate with premium recognition. Standard optical crystal blanks are readily available, engrave beautifully and arrive in presentation boxes, making them a practical choice for many applications. Custom crystal shapes open up additional possibilities, although they require different production capabilities.
Cast acrylic offers a different set of opportunities. Layering, embedded graphics, color, and encapsulated objects can all become part of the design. At the same time, experience teaches you that not everything can be embedded successfully. Heat, pressure, and chemistry all influence the outcome.
Understanding those tradeoffs helps you explain why one approach fits the project better than another. Instead of recommending a material because it’s familiar or because it’s what your shop happens to produce, you can explain the tradeoffs and help the client choose the solution that best represents the achievement. That’s what advisors do.
Manufacturing knowledge helps turn good concepts into successful projects.
Good judgment is hard to copy
The recognition industry has changed dramatically over the years. Materials have become more accessible, equipment has become more capable, and clients have more choices than ever before. Those are all good things.
They also make it easier for competitors to produce work that looks similar. What remains difficult to copy is good judgment. This includes knowing when a simple design is stronger than a complicated one, and knowing when crystal is exactly the right choice and when another material opens up better possibilities.
Good judgement also includes knowing which ideas are practical to manufacture and which ones are likely to create unnecessary problems, knowing when to guide a client in a different direction, and when to leave a good idea alone. None of those decisions come from a catalog. They come from understanding materials well enough to know when to simplify a concept and when to push it further. The greatest value we provide isn’t found in the materials or the equipment. It’s found in the decisions that happen before production begins. Clients may remember the finished piece for years. They also remember who helped them get there.
John Hathaway is the deal toy expert at Polaris Custom Awards, where he helps firms in finance, real estate, and beyond commemorate major transactions with custom deal markers. With over 25 years of experience in design and production, he’s worked hands-on in Lucite, crystal, and resin manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia.
