[Home & Living] Opportunities for Emerging Brands in a Bedding Market Where Consumer Preferences Have Become More Defined

They say, “The things I use say a lot about me.” These days, unique items that reflect personal taste are more popular than ever.

Here’s a brand that has introduced a new option to the home living market with products that embody its own distinct style rather than emphasizing mass appeal. This home living brand came to wadiz to connect with consumers who appreciate designs brimming with personality, and through three funding campaigns, raised approximately 76 million won. Let me tell you the story of Dydine.

Tak Hoon-sik and Kim Da-young, Co-founders of the home living brand Dydin, makers

Hello. We’re Kim Da-young and Tak Hoon-sik, the founders of the home living brand Dydin. This is our fourth time introducing ourselves through wadiz. Last January, we first introducedour gradient bedding collection inspired by “sunset.” Since then, we’ve run two more funding campaigns themed around “a forest in the mist.”We connected with about400 supporters and received a high satisfaction rating of 5.0.

We were a bit worried at first because the designs weren’t exactly mainstream. However, thanks to our supporters who understood and empathized with the process behind creating these products, we were able to achieve such great results. We are truly grateful.

We take inspiration from everyday life
and infusing it back into daily life

The beginning of Dydin was somewhat spontaneous. Having worked in the home goods market for a long time—from part-time jobs to full-time positions—I’d always dreamed of one day launching my own products. Suddenly, I found myself thinking, “If not now, when?”

That’s when the concept of “gradation” came to mind, and I decided that bedding was the perfect way to incorporate it into our daily lives. It also aligned perfectly with my desire to bring rest and relaxation to our fast-paced lives, so I created the Gradation Bedding Set.

Since I aim to create a brand that blends seamlessly into everyday life, I draw inspiration from specific moments or experiences—scenes from life—when designing my products. Among these, the sky is an inseparable part of who I am. I’ve been fascinated by the sky and sunset landscapes since I was a child—so much so that I even have a separate folder for them in my photo album. I love the pure colors that can’t be replicated artificially and the moments of solace I find within them.

Since this was my first product, I wanted to start with something I love. That’s whythe sunset and gradients naturally became the theme.

A product from the second funding round that captures a subtle mist

The products released afterward are no different. The “Forest in the Mist” series, introduced during the second funding campaign, I wanted the “Forest in the Mist” series to capture the sense of calm and tranquility found in a dewy forest. The recently released Sprite pattern was inspired by my father’s sofa—he’s been in the furniture industry for a long time. Since it was based on my own experiences and observations, I think I was able to truly capture my unique style.

On wadiz, both emerging and established brands
start on an equal footing

What I’ve come to realize through my years in the home living industry is that“personal taste”is becoming increasingly important. Consumers no longer buy something just because others are buying it. Instead, they actively seek out brands that resonate with them. This trend seems particularly pronounced among single-person households who take great care in curating their own spaces with love.

That’s why crowdfunding was the first thing that came to mind when launching Dydin. After all, it’s a community of people who are happy to choose a product they’ve never seen before, as long as it meets their own standards. I thought I could gauge whether we were ready to expand into a larger market by observing their reactions.

The maker’s first funding campaign, successfully concluded in February 2022

The reason I chose wadiz among various platforms was clear: here, both emerging and established brands start on an equal footing. On mostchannels, new companies have few opportunities to gain attention; theyoften favor brands with a strong existing fan base. Wadiz, however, focuses on the product or service itself. I felt that brand recognition was a secondary concern.

As someone just starting a business, it’s not easy to get feedback on your product. It was great that the supporters shared their honest reviews without holding back. With an atmosphere that emphasizes product quality and unbiased supporters, it was truly the best channel for validating market potential. 

The More We Do It, the Clearer the Benefits of wadiz funding

Wadiz is a platform we’re quite familiar with. My boyfriend, who’s an optician, has successfully run more than six funding campaigns through wadiz. So we already had a good understanding of the process and system. We were also aware of wadiz’s unique strengths.

Itwas particularly helpfulthat we couldcover production costs through funding andreduce inventory burdens bymanufacturing only the funded quantity, as well as efficiently allocate our advertising budget using Wadiz’s advertising services. 

The maker capturing the product’s color palette through photography

Of course, I had some concerns before the funding. Since the design wasn’t mainstream, I thought opinions might be divided. So I paid close attention to conveying the color palette—the key strength of the gradient bedding. I tried to weave in the story inspired by sunsets and the product development process.

Writing a wadiz Story isn’t easy because it requires a longer narrative, but I appreciate that it allows me to convey the maker’s perspective.Unlike customers on other e-commerce platforms, who tend to focus heavilyon the product itself, wadiz supporters seem to understand the process leading up to the product’s launch.

I think the reason we were able to successfully complete the funding campaign—even with a design unlike anything seen in the bedding market—is that everyone’s personal feelings about sunsets resonated with others.

Introducing a product that didn’t exist before to the world

State-of-the-art printing technology that best captures gradients

Just because we understood the platform didn’t mean the launch was easy. With gradients, the most important aspect is the subtle way colors blend as they intersect. Since the colors need to flow naturally rather than appear choppy, we required a wide range of colors while maintaining consistent tones. There were many challenging aspects, from the fabric pretreatment process to the printing itself, and since bedding items are large, finding a manufacturer capable of achieving this wasn’t easy either. 

On top of that, various issues—such as fabric and ink problems—compounded, leading us to scrap the entire first production run. Since we had no prior experience in the bedding market and were essentially starting from scratch, we had to let go of many products. However, thanks to that, we gained production know-how and learned how to navigate crises. It’s a relief that we’re now able to maintain stable production.

wadiz: The Source of Communication, Feedback,and Product Improvement

I don’t think any product can be perfect from the start. Plus, you can’t gauge customer satisfaction without actually selling the product. That’s why, when preparing for our funding campaign, I viewed wadiz as “the place where Diedin’s products would receive their first evaluation.” Since I took it for granted that listening to feedback and making improvements was part of the process, I was able to immediately implement the comments provided by our first-round backers.

Some of the reviews included feedback on the fabric and size. When I thought about it, I realized it made perfect sense from the user’s perspective. So I made the adjustments right away. We’re still selling that product today, and we’ve received a lot of praise for the soft fabric texture, and the newly added king size is also very popular.

Thanks to that feedback, the product quality has improved, and I’m satisfied that we’ve been able to deliver a product that brings greater satisfaction to our customers.

Don’t be afraid of criticism;
and follow your own path.

Since it was a product that emphasized aesthetics, I didn’t expect it to be a success right from the start. But because I chose to take on the challenge rather than dwell on my doubts, I was able to connect with people who resonate with our brand.

So, if you’re currently working on an item with a unique design or something that adds a special touch to solo living, I hope you won’t waste time doubting yourself just because it isn’t mainstream. If you keep moving forward quietly, holding onto the belief that “there are people out there who will resonate with my taste,” I believe the day will come when you meet them. 

I, too, am preparing for the future with this mindset. This year, we plan to expand beyond bedding to launch living products like curtains and cushions, and we aim to fully capture Dydin’s unique style. Familiar yet fresh, innovative yet understated. We’ll be offering products that blend seamlessly into your space, so please stay tuned for what’s to come.

Written by Jeong Da-hye,Edited by Han Ji-hye
▶ This content was first featured on the wadiz blog. If you’re curious about more stories from the blog, check itout here!