As a designer, there is nothing cooler than seeing my art on a physical product, and I see Spoonflower’s requirement that you proof every design as a benefit rather than an annoyance! Seeing every pattern ensures that the file is clean, the colors are correct, and I can ensure scale is correct compared to complementary patterns. BUT since I’m not a sewist myself, and I’ve got over 600 designs proofed, all of those swatches were starting to pile up.

Identifying your target audience (the end purchaser of your art) is your first step in creating strategic content and improving your portfolio but where do you go from there? I’ve outlined a few tips for starting to engage with your target audience once you’ve identified your people!

It feels a little crazy that I’ve been designing art to go on products for three years (time flies when you’re having fun), but here we are! My technique, style, and brand name have changed since I started and I’ve learned a ton, so I thought it’d be fun to share three things that helped me grow over these past three years!

Looking for some guidance on when you should be creating, pitching, and promoting your surface pattern designs? You’ve come to the right place. I put together this calendar for 2023 to guide for myself to start thinking about designs for the next year and felt that it was too helpful not to share!