Hey Reader
Happy Thursday!
So back when I was a baby surface pattern designer, there was this time (maybe, it happened more than once… a lot more than once) I was updating a sell sheet. Standard stuff — swap out the patterns, adjust the color story, drop in new product mockups. Should have taken me fifteen minutes tops.
Except the fonts were wrong. Three of five colors were not on-brand. Everything was screwy. Forty-five minutes later, I had fixed it, but it was a complete headache.
If that sounds familiar, hang tight. We’re going to talk Brand Kit in the tech hack.
But first, two weeks ago I asked you to take a look at what you wanted to accomplish during the first 90 days of 2026 and do an honest assessment. Whatever you did, I’m glad you did it and I’m happy you’re here.
Now were in the second quarter of the year and I want to remind you what that means as a surface pattern designer.
It means Christmas. (Doesn’t seem right, does it? I mean, I literally just put away the last box of lights about two weeks ago.)
And once we talk timelines, we're going to get through another thing I see designers getting stuck on: the pitch email. Yeah. We're getting all the things done today.
Let's get into it.
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Stacie Mar – Snowdrop Nouveau
Art Nouveau, But Make It Moody Dark forest green, mirrored snowdrops, dot work tendrils weaving through everything like lace. This is technically ambitious and it paid off — the mirror repeat gives it a wallpaper-panel quality that feels editorial and intentional.
Mirror Repeat with Real Depth The layering here is doing a lot of work. Structured enough to feel designed, organic enough to feel alive. Study this one.
Great for Wallpaper, Scarves & High-End Licensing Statement wallpaper, silk scarves, upholstery fabric, luxury stationery. This has a built-in buyer with taste — and she knows exactly where she's hanging it.
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Papergrape Prints – Summery Sardines
Sardine Tins. Stay With Me. Yellow ground, blue illustrated tins, lemons, tiny scattered flowers — it sounds odd and looks completely right. That's what a strong concept does. The palette is confident, the illustration is tight, and the whole thing just works.
Toss Repeat with Concept-First Energy Varied orientations, consistent style, enough breathing room for each motif to land. Simple structure, maximum personality.
Great for Kitchen Textiles, Totes & Gift Wrap Tea towels, market bags, coastal kitchen wallpaper, gift wrap. This one's for the person who summers in Portugal in their head. We know who we are.
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Carly Watts – Painterly Cat Toss
Watercolor Cats Being Weird. We Love It. Loose, painterly, pink and lavender cats doing whatever they want on a clean white ground. The open background gives every character room to breathe — which is exactly the right call. Feels handmade in repeat, which is harder than it looks.
Character Toss with Painterly Texture Multiple poses, consistent loose style, white ground keeping it from going sideways. Controlled chaos, done well.
Great for Stationery, Gift Wrap & Pet Licensing Notebooks, gift wrap, tote bags, pet bandanas. Cat people are loyal buyers. If this lands the right licensing deal, it has legs. All four of them.
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Tip #1: Designing for December Starts NOW — Yes, in April.
Here’s something that tripped me up early on, and I see it trip up almost every designer I work with.
You finish a beautiful holiday collection in early September and you think you’ve got a jump on things. I mean, the kids are barely back in school. But if you start reaching out to companies then, at best you’ll probably get a polite “we’ve already finalized our Q4 lineup, but we’ll keep your work on file.”
Art directors plan 6 to 9 months ahead. Sometimes longer.
Which means right now — mid-April — is prime time for pitching Christmas tree patterns.
If you want your holiday patterns in front of the right people, this is your reminder. The window is now.
Your action step this week: Pick ONE Q4 theme — maybe it’s a cozy winter lodge vibe, or a modern holiday botanical, or a playful Hanukkah geometric. Start a mini collection with a hero pattern and two coordinates. You don’t need 20 patterns. You need enough to show an art director your vision and your range.
If you’re not sure if you’re designs are ready for prime time, check out my free email course, Designing With Insight. It teaches you how to self-critique your work and gives you more confidence about submitting collections.
Tip #2: Pitch Emails That Don’t Sound Like Everyone Else’s
Okay, so now you’ve got a winter collection ready (or you’re creating one this week — go you). The next step is getting it in front of someone who can actually say yes.
And that means sending a cold email.
Isn’t that the worst name? I mean, who wants a cold email? 🥶 Not me.
But here’s a fun secret. Did you know that most designers chicken out before they send a single cold email? And even if they send one, they’re so dang timid that the email has basically no personality left.
This is what I’m talking about:
“Hi, my name is Bellatrix and I’m a surface pattern designer. I create patterns for home goods and apparel. I’d love to work with your company. Please find my portfolio attached. Thank you for your time.”
Polite. And completely forgettable. (We all know that in real life, Bellatrix is anything but forgettable.) So how do you stand out?
Here’s the Framework:
1. Lead with THEM, not you.
Start with something specific about their company. A product you noticed. A collection they’ve released. Show them you’ve done your homework.
“I noticed your spring home collection leaned heavily into botanicals and soft neutrals — it’s beautiful work and clearly resonating with your audience.”
2. Connect your work to their need.
Don’t just say “I make patterns.” Tell them how your work fits what they’re doing or where they might be headed.
“I’ve designed a holiday collection with a similar organic, nature-forward aesthetic — rich jewel tones with hand-drawn botanicals that would coordinate beautifully with your existing line.”
3. Make it easy.
Send 5 of your strongest, most relevant images, or link to a curated page. Make this step verylow-effort for them.
4. Keep it short.
Does your pitch email fit on a phone screen without scrolling? If not, it’s too long. Besides, you can totally squeeze a decent amount of personality into a short email. You’re creative.
5. Follow up once.
One. Time. 7–10 days later is a good rule of thumb. Keep this super short, but include at least one image. Art directors are much more likely to remember your drawings than your name when you’re cold pitching.
Your Action Step: If pitching art directors is on your “TO DO” list. Pick one specific company. Research their current collections. Write your pitch. Hit send.
You can even use your Brand Kit from today’s tech hack to create your sell sheet template.
Stop Hunting. Start Building a Brand Kit.
Okay, back to my forty-five-minute fiasco.
Back then, I was still figuring out my branding and a lot of other things about being a professional surface pattern designer. I wasted a ton of time looking for color swatches in my libraries. Trying to remember my brand fonts. Where I saved my logo. Which version of my logo I was using.
Put it all in once place. That’s a Brand Kit.
A Brand Kit is exactly what it sounds like — a single, organized home for every element that makes up your visual brand. Your primary logo and any alternates. Your color palette with hex codes. Your brand fonts. Your tagline. Your watermark. Anything you reach for repeatedly when you’re creating content, updating your portfolio, or putting together a client pitch.
One place. Every time.
Maybe you’re just starting out and building your brand from scratch. Maybe you’ve been around for a while and just… haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe you haven’t updated yours in a long time. Whatever your story is, this is an easy project that will save you time once it’s finished.
Where Do You Build One?
You have options.
Canva (Free or Pro) This one is popular. Note, the free version is pretty limited. It lets you store up to 3 colors. The real powerhouse is Canva Pro. (No, I don’t work for them.) You can store multiple logo variations, color palettes, and even brand templates you can reuse. If you’re regularly creating marketing content in Canva, Pro is worth it for this feature alone.
Adobe Brand Kit If you’re living in Creative Cloud, Adobe has a Brand Kit built right in. You can store logos, colors, fonts, and character styles, and access them across Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Not the flashiest tool, but if Adobe is already your home base, it makes sense to keep everything there.
Notion (Free or Paid) Notion isn’t just for project management. A simple Notion page makes a surprisingly effective Brand Kit. It’s not as simple or visual as CanvaPro’s Brand Kit, but it brings a lot to the table for a free tool. If you’re willing to put in a little more time you can save a buck or two and have a searchable, linkable, free Brand Kit. For designers who already use Notion to run their business, this is a solid fit.
There are more options out there, but these are three that I’ve used or currently use and I can vouch for them. So which one is right for you? Only you know the answer to that. Think about:
Where do you spend the most time?
Where are you when you lose time hunting for brand stuff?
💡 Pro Tip: Many business tools surface pattern designers use — email platforms, social media schedulers, etc. — have a branding section built right in. Take the time to set those up, too. It’s one of those small setup tasks that saves hours over the course of a year. |
Your Action Step This Week
Set a timer for 45 minutes (see what I did there?) and build your primary Brand Kit — wherever you decide to keep it. Gather your:
- Logo + alternates
- Hex codes
- Font names
- Watermark
One focused session and you’re done.
Let’s bring it home.
Here’s what I want you to take away from today:
The timing matters. If you’ve got holiday collections, this is your window.
The pitch matters. Be yourself. Be specific. Do your research. Make it easy for them to say yes.
The system matters. Get your Brand Kit set up and stop reinventing the wheel.Text
Now go get it done.
P.S. Are you right at the edge of something big, but just can’t seem to get there? Do you need accountability and encouragement? This is a great time of year to schedule a coaching call because it’s the time when a lot of people lose momentum. Stay on track and get the clarity you need 👉 Art Biz Audit.
