Design Process

What Is Your Design Process?

When I start a new design collection it is usually from being inspired by photos I have taken of flowers. Once I have chosen a few images I then set up a private board on Pinterest and I pin these images plus additional photos to reference colours, textures, current trends and anything else that can be used for inspiration.  I then start by drawing some rough sketches on paper to capture the look and feel for the design and motifs.

When I have enough, I usually draw way more than I use, I scan the drawings and I start to digitize them in either Adobe Illustrator or on my IPad Pro depending on the look I want for the collection. Then it is time to add colour because I usually work entirely in black and white  until I have completed all the motifs and icons I think I will need for the collection. After I am happy with the colours it is time do to the layout and build the repeat pattern. If it is vector art I will use Adobe Illustrator for this and Photoshop for any painted  work.
 

The main hero pattern will shape the look and feel of the collection and it will dictate what other coordinating designs are needed to round out the collection. Sometimes I will design a placement illustration first and then work on repeat patterns. If I am designing for a particular product or market area I will keep in mind the scale, size, complexity and density of the repeat as well as the type of the repeat that would be appropriate.  

I also like to mix up my process, mediums and tools, so I will switch between drawing, working digitally and painting.  Taking breaks from being behind the computer and working more traditionally is not only good to give my eyes a break from the screen but is also very freeing and it allows me to experiment and just  to create without any set plan. This is when I make those happy mistakes and have those ah ha moments!

A love a good sketchbook with smooth pages, markers and pens in various sizes, gouache paints, Posca paint pens, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Draw, Photoshop and now my iPad Pro.  It literally took me half a year to get used to drawing on it and at the beginning I felt like I was skating on ice!

Do You Have A Routine?

I like to try and keep a routine as it helps me to achieve more by being disciplined with balancing my business, daily chores and family life.

At the start of each week I set myself a weekly to do list as a target to work towards filled with things I want to achieve or need to complete during the week. This list is often quite large and sometimes is a bit too ambitious, but it keeps me on track and makes me accountable!
 
The beginning of each day is always the same and really regimented and always involves a coffee first thing in the morning whilst I check my emails and social media accounts, followed by some light household duties to get them out of the way and I if I am not too busy I like to go for a morning walk.  

Next I select 3 - 5 tasks from my weekly to do list  that I plan on completing that day, this way my weekly list is broken down into smaller more manageable chunks and is not too daunting. 
I like to start the week by dealing with all the non-artistic business related things such as accounts, admin and planning, to get them out of the way early in the week and off my mind. This then leaves me feeling more refreshed, motivated and free to create and work on my illustrations and designs for the rest of the week.

I am a bit of a night owl so I do a lot of my initial sketches and drawing at night when I have the house to myself and then the next day I will work on final artwork and repeat pattern collections. 

Some days and weeks do not always go as I had planned and I  juggle my design work in between running a business with my husband  so I try to make sure I have at least one day a week where I do not do any work and I am away from the computer.