By Jane Addis – Founder and Creative Director at Ivy Lemon Studio
In a world full of fast design and trend chasing, there’s something very special (and very powerful!) about creating a product that’s 100% yours. For business owners, original surface pattern design is one of the most impactful ways to stand out in an oversaturated commercial marketplace. Whether you’re developing a kidswear collection, refreshing your best-selling ranges’ packaging or building a new homeware line, original pattern design can elevate your product and make your brand authentic.
At Ivy Lemon Studio, we work with businesses of all sizes, in the UK and internationally, to deliver market-leading and commercial products. But what makes an original surface pattern design worth the investment? Let’s look at how investing in an original pattern design can elevate your product, drive sales and keep your business thriving.
1. Instantly Recognisable
When you invest in original artwork, you’re not only accessing years of design experience, but you’re also building your brand’s design language. Let’s take Marimekko as an example – they’ve built a brand around a very strong design story told via their giant florals, stylised prints and bold colour palette. Their signature floral creates consistency and is easily recognisable. When a customer buys a dress from Marimekko, it’s because the aesthetic resonates with them, and they’ve been drawn to the brands style.
2. Originality Sells
Using royalty-free, Etsy sourced, or stock patterns can be very tempting – the price point and immediacy of the artwork means its just a click away but it also means your products can be easily replicated by anyone. This can put you at risk of being undercut, having lots of stock sitting around and losing your uniqueness as a business.
Original designs are tailored to your brand, product, audience and goals. They can help your brand carve out a niche, command higher prices, and generate a stronger brand aesthetic. When you purchase original pattern design or illustration you are investing in the authenticity and integrity of your business.
Don’t Follow Trends – Create Them
To be at the forefront of design product timing is crucial. As an experienced designer with an extensive and deep understanding of trend forecasting, we don’t just create pretty patterns, we create strategic ones.
Working collaboratively we can align your patterns and products with upcoming seasonal trends, brand colour palettes, and market gaps. For business owners or design teams that are adventurous, we can work together to set a new visual direction that others will follow. What business doesn’t want to be at the forefront of design!
Have Creative Control Without Being A Designer
When you work with Ivy Lemon Studio, you don’t need to have a clear vision but just the desire to create something unique to your business. We take care of the technical requirements (like repeat patterns, file setup, colour separations), whilst you guide the look and feel. From hand- painted watercolour to digital vector design your feedback and ideas will help shape every stage of the design.
Invest In Original Surface Pattern Design For Long-Term Value
We recently worked with a small business owner who had purchased some patterns from a well know stock image site and was struggling to use them. Her manufacturer had given her a call to let her know that he couldn’t use them as they weren’t big enough.
Having worked with us before she hopped on a call and we agreed to take a look at the artwork for her. What seemed like a bargain buy actually turned out to be wasted time. Without being 100% clear on exactly what she was buying, she ended up with flattened artwork at a very low resolution. This meant colour changes or motif tweaks were impossible to action and the artwork not fit for use.
When you choose to buy from Ivy lemon Studio you’re guaranteed artwork that is ready to use and also adaptable across product ranges, resizable for different applications and manufacturing guidance from an experienced team.
Ready To Create Something Unique?
If you’re a product based business looking to elevate your range with pattern design that’s purposeful, strategic, and full of personality, we’d love to work with you. We offer flexible licensing and custom design packages to suit your business needs along with product development services and trend direction. Get in touch today to discuss your project or to explore our ready-to-buy pattern library.
