Top Tips for Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer

I’ve been a surface pattern designer for quite a short space of time, however I have already learnt so much about the industry and had the pleasure of working with many brands to bring unique products to life with my artwork.

I transitioned from working only with an illustration portfolio, to now boasting a surface pattern portfolio with numerous designs, many of which are regularly licensed. Although the surface pattern design industry is vast, there are so many ways to break into it and make a living from it. Whilst it’s true that there is fierce competition, this does not mean it’s a completely saturated market and indeed there is space for everyone willing to work hard and build a portfolio. I truly believe it’s possible to become a successful surface pattern designer and see your work on products around the world.

So here are my top tips for launching a design career in what is the exciting world of surface pattern design…

Learn a design programme (that is right for you).

I have read many articles and resources that speak about which is the best programme to use for surface pattern design. There are so many different opinions and options but I’m here to speak about my own personal experience when it comes to using the software that has lead me to create my most successful artwork.

Illustrator is often regarded as the ‘gold standard’ for surface pattern design and is a wonderful programme that has so many benefits. With vector art offering infinite scalability, recolouring tools that make colour adjustments a breeze, and the pattern tool that is a huge time-saver, Illustrator has a lot going for it. However, I do not believe that to be a surface pattern designer that you absolutely must be familiar with it.

Instead, the most important rule for me is to pick a programme that you are comfortable with and that will enable you to produce your best work. I do not create this work with Illustrator because honestly I find it overwhelming and that’s not a good place to be in whilst trying to be creative. Instead I am definitely a Procreate/Photoshop fan and am very happy to be one! It’s where my patterns come to life and where I feel I am at my most successful.

I disagree with anyone who says you can’t create professional patterns with Procreate - in fact it works effectively as a pattern creation programme. It also works seamlessly with Photoshop which is another programme used by designers all around the world on a daily basis.

Procreate is portable, it’s powerful and it has allowed me to create so many patterns that I have licensed to brands big and small. I do not believe that the quality of patterns created in Procreate don’t meet professional standards. There are non-destructive ways of working in Procreate for pattern design and methods which eliminate issues with poor resolution and pixelation when moving motifs around repeatedly. If you understand the programme and can get the best out of it’s features then I can confidently say you can create all your surface pattern designs in Procreate and still license your work widely!

Patterns I have made in Procreate have been used on so many different products and at many different scales. On occasions where I have been asked for a vector file, I just ensure that my pattern is fully layered and colour separated so it can be easily edited, and this has always satisfied the client.

So please don’t be put off by the mantra to learn only one programme for surface pattern design and that should be Illustrator - work with the optimal one for you that you are confident using and that works best for your own personal style.

Don’t be put off by designers with hundreds of patterns - start small and prioritise quality over quantity.

There is often pressure felt by new designers to produce hundreds upon hundreds of patterns to fill their portfolios before they start pitching their designs to clients.

Whilst there can be value (and pleasure) in creating vast numbers of patterns in the early stages of your career, I feel that this can lead to undue pressure to create endlessly and that rushing through patterns can diminish the quality of your work. My advice is to start small and prioritise the quality of your work.

You will make mistakes, it certainly won’t be all polished, but taking your time to hone your craft and create artwork that you can go on to license is worth it in the long run. You must have fun with the learning stage but the pressure to create a large portfolio can inhibit the creative process which is intimidating and not a good place to start from.

You can pitch to companies with just a couple of pattern collections in your portfolio - they are looking for your style and potential to work together. So please do not feel overwhelmed about the quantity of patterns in your portfolio - these will grow over time.

Lean into surface pattern design communities and your peers for valuable feedback.

One of the best ways to gain feedback on your work is to build a community around yourself, of like-minded creatives and designers with similar goals and outlooks. A method for doing this is to be active on social media where there are so many designers putting their work out there. Whilst this can seem intimidating, it’s one of the best ways to get your work seen and gain support. Instagram and Pinterest are two platforms you can of course use, or you can start blogging on your website if you have one.

Building professional networks is crucial and can lead to collaboration and many opportunities. I have gained so much support from other designers by posting on Instagram, using the hashtag #surfacepatterndesigncommunity in my posts and commenting on other designer’s posts. Also, resharing their content is one way to champion their work and invite reciprocal support.

Asking for feedback is also a proactive way to level-up your work and improve your approach to pattern design. There are also paid communities that you can join to gain feedback and ask questions and these can be so valuable. In the early stages of my pattern design journey I joined Maja Faber’s pattern club and the ability to ask her questions and other peers was just so rewarding. So take a look out there for memberships too that may help you gain more confidence and support to grow as an artist and designer.

Do your research in the real world

One of my favourite activities combines my two loves - shopping and surface pattern design! So what better than to do your research in stores and see how surface pattern designs are being used on physical products (as well as taking note of companies where your designs can be licensed).

I love nothing more than finding inspiration for my artwork than seeing how patterns end up in stores on so many different surfaces. The possibilities truly are endless. I now see patterns everywhere I go and I collect photographic examples where possible that I can refer back to when I need some creative inspiration.

The surface patterns you see in stores are the ones that have made it! So look at what styles are popular, the themes that keep popping up and also take note of all the different product categories that you can license to and you’ll soon be encouraged that there are so many opportunities out there for your work and a real need for good surface pattern design.

Explore trends and licensing categories.

Following on from my above point, it’s really important as a designer to stay ahead of trends. The work you see in stores will have been planned for months in advance and trends would have already been identified by buyers and art directors.

There are trend bibles out there and subscriptions, but these can be ultra expensive, so look to other sources for your trend inspiration , such as online fashion magazines and coverage from catwalk shows. Fashion is a great way to stay on top of emerging key trends since the industry works significantly ahead of time. So trends that emerge from fashion will often later be seen in other product categories such as stationery, home decor and textiles.

Cat Coq has an amazing yearly Trend Report which can be found here (and I’m lucky enough to have some of my illustrations featured!) - she has an innate ability to identify trends and uses this to her advantage to create commercial and licensable artwork.

One big trend of recent months has been the food trend - tomatoes and tins of sardines are everywhere! These really started in the fashion sphere again, with big high-street stores taking motifs seen in designer fashion months previously.

Start to build a strong portfolio

One way to work towards your goal of licensing artwork is to create something that reflects your best work, your style and values as a designer, and this is your portfolio. This can take several different formats (physical vs digital, PDF vs website) but ultimately it should reflect your journey and growth as a surface pattern designer.

Gather the best examples of your patterns and illustrations and start compiling them into an ordered and structured format that would make clients identify your suitability for their projects and licensing opportunities. Ultimately the client needs to see the commercial viability of your work, and visualise your work on their products.

One method for this is to use mockups in your work. I’m a big fan of mockups! There are some great high-quality ones out there (Creatsy is the market leader in this respect), and they can really elevate your work to reveal its commercial potential.

Think about the overall style of your portfolio - your branding, colour scheme and even typography all communicate your identity as a designer. I use a lot of pastel colours in my work and the branding on my website reflects this effectively. My work is divided into illustration and surface pattern designs so it’s more ordered and easy to navigate to what the visitor may want to see. Finally, I have a private portfolio of designs which creates intrigue and interest! If you use a website to host your portfolio then you don’t need to put every single pattern design on the publicly available pages, keep some back for a private portfolio where everything that is available for licensing can be found.

These are just a few basic tips for you to consider when thinking about how to become a successful surface pattern designer. It is certainly not exhaustive but there are, I hope, some takeaways from this for all of you.