👆Watch the story behind the production of our products.
As a lifestyle brand with an extended and diverse portfolio of products, choosing the right manufacturer has been a challenge since day one. In fact, we've had meetings with at least several dozens of of manufacturers before we settle on the ones that become our partners.
▲ Machines that creates the shape of little bulb.
As a new brand with a stringent quality control, we can't compete with established brands with their order of quantity, the manufacturers that we have established long term relationships with are the ones that truly believed in our mission and willing to try something new with us together. They are the ones that constantly inspire us of what "Made in China" can mean.
▲ PUPUPULA design director, Wang, is working with a manufacturer.
Made in China is a symbol that with many connotations. Sometimes, inevitably, people associate it with low quality and cheap goods. Our mission as a brand, is to use our products, one by one, to promote the bright side of Made in China, using original design to redefine a product.
▲ Little bulb is born!
During little bulb's production, we visited two manufacturers in Dongguan and Jiujiang, China with our design director Wang and engineer Zhang to witness the birth of little bulb.
A tale of two cities
Founded in 2002, the manufacturer for little bulb's handle and base and the final assembly is located in Jiujiang, China. We started working with them last year through the production of little can habit helper, and continued our relationship through the production of little bulb.
▲ A worker is checking the production line.
We are delighted to find out, during our visit, that this is a factory where workers can take their kids to work. Inside the 540,000 sqft industrial park there is a day care center for workers' kids. This facility makes life easier for workers to work and live their family life.
▲ Assembly line of little bulb has 10+ workers.
The full assembly line of little bulb is made up with more than 10 workers. Repetitive work is part of the necessary procedure.
"This is the first time I see a final product," said Ye, who works here and is at the final table of the assembly line. She is curious about the product as well, "It's so round and lights up, I've never made anything like this. I don't see the switch yet I can adjust the brightness level, it's very magical!"
▲ Ye, who's working on the final procedure on little bulb.
Ye said that assembling little bulb is more challenging than what she has previously worked on, "the products I've dealt with only needs to tighten with the screws, and are hard plastic material. Little bulb is soft and I had to precisely place the handle inside the 'bulb', very tricky." The initial curiosity turns into sophistication and professionalism after thousands of times of the same procedure.
There are 400-500 employees like Ye in the factory. Mostly local, so this factory is more stable in terms of employee turnover than the industry.
▲ Silicone bulb de-molding process.
Our manufacturer for silicone light bulb is located in the more South Eastern part of China, Dongguan. We can tell the difference between different factories during the visit. This factory, just like the city itself, is a melting pot of people from different provinces, there are more turnover here than the one in Jiangxi. Workers produce one part of the products, which become a key component of the final product.
▲ Silkscreen printed information on the base of the product.
People behind little bulb
Most people will look at designers behind a product, whose work is very important. In the meantime, engineers play a pivotal role in the realization of the product. How to realize the imagination of designers to as close as possible? What kind of material does it take and is it feasible? These are the questions they think about everyday.
▲ Handle of little bulb.
"The simpler it looks, the harder it takes to make." After getting the design illustration from the designers, design director, Wang started the process of realization of the product. For little bulb, Wang is responsible for the realization of little bulb's distinct look, and his colleague, Zhang is responsible to develop the core circuit of the product to make functions like candlelight mode possible, software engineer tuxin's job is to make "Smart Mode" possible. They spend their days in the factory when a new product is in production mode.