Working with designers - how to get a competitive edge

When it comes to selecting homewares and window treatments, it’s not surprising consumers are avoiding mainstream offerings in favour of gorgeous pieces that feature the work of independent artists and designers. 

Choosing to work with an artist or surface pattern designer gives brands an immediate edge over their competitors, allowing them to offer something completely different to their clients.

As an artist and surface designer myself, I work with a broad spectrum of clients to create beautiful prints that reflect the lifestyle ethos behind their brand, creating products that resonate and connect with their audience.

One such client is Aleisha of Mahalo Eco Blinds, who has taken an innovative approach to the standard blackout blind. With a visionary approach, Aleisha has taken what is a fairly unremarkable product and transformed it into a beautiful, statement piece – simply by choosing to think outside the box and collaborate with an artist on her product design.

Creating custom patterns often requires an in-depth knowledge of current colour and aesthetic trends ~ this expertise is particularly invaluable to brands like Mahalo Eco Blinds, who want to create a best-selling product with broad appeal.

For example, when designing for children’s rooms, it’s important to consider the colour palette that a parent might choose for the space. This is where my skills as a designer come into play. As stereotypical as it sounds, pink for girls and blue for boys is still a deciding factor for children’s rooms. So for this particular brief, Aleisha and I decided on a simple rainbow for the pink design, and a simple watercolour wave for the blue design.

Working with a skilled artist or designer is the perfect opportunity to really connect with your audience and offer your customers something they won’t find anywhere else.

When choosing an artist, always check out their existing portfolio and body of work. This is their style. If you don’t already like what you see, then it is better to find someone else ~ it’s like match-making with a designer. Find someone that already fits your style and brief as this will also give you the best result because this artist is an expert at what they offer. Never ask an artist to paint or design outside of their style.

Another faux pas is to source artwork online or via another avenue in order to ask a designer to replicate someone else’s work. Aside from this being highly unethical, this could potentially cost you a fortune in legal fees down the track when the original creator sues for copyright infringement and loss of income.

If you love someone’s work that much, work with that artist. If a designer offers to replicate another artist’s work, consider this a BIG red flag and extract yourself from the deal before any contracts are signed.

Establishing the brief from the beginning will set the tone of your experience together. There is a saying in the design world: “The better the brief, the better the outcome”. If your Surface Designer is unsure of the direction of the design, the process can become lengthy and frustrating. When you are both on the same page, everything will flow much more smoothly.

A good brief should include an overview of your brand style and ethos, a simple colour palette, plus the ideal target audience / purpose of the artwork. Ideally, I also recommend providing your budget and timeframe expectations from the outset.

The purpose of working with an artist is usually because you love their style so much, you trust them to create the perfect design for you. If you feel the need to micromanage the process, then you might want to reconsider who you are working with or find a graphic designer that will work to your specifications.

 With growing consumer demand for greater transparency in design and production processes, working with an independent artist provides a brilliant opportunity to connect with a whole new audience and tell a story through the products that you make.

The most exciting part of an artist collaboration is that the possibilities are ENDLESS. This is something a lot of brands are yet to awaken to, but once you realize that any design and any artwork can be printed onto any material, it really opens up a whole new world. Art is no longer limited to a frame on the wall ~ it can be transferred to every surface imaginable ~ including curtains, blinds and drapery.

The ability to collaborate with an artist and create custom art for virtually anything means that brands can now make their wildest dreams possible, step outside of what is the trend of the time and make products that show they really understand their target audience.

So the next time you are thinking about creating a new collection of beautiful upholstery fabrics, drapery and blinds, why not think about working with an artist? Your unique vision is exactly what the world has been waiting for!

Cass Deller is a watercolour artist, surface pattern designer, mama of two and a mentor for creatives. www.cassdeller.com.au