Get Started with a Surface Pattern Design Career: An Easy First Step

As you’ve been working on your design portfolio and building your skills in surface pattern design and illustration, you’ve probably already thought about some places you’d like to see your art.?

You can imagine walking in and seeing your cards on display at Paper Source. You’ve got prints that would make the coolest leggings for the Children’s Place. And seriously, your bedding designs would be best sellers in Anthropologie. I totally get it.?

Even if your portfolio is small, the beauty of surface patterns is they can work on a lot of different products. So you may even have one single design that could work for all three of these retail clients.?

GET STARTED WITH YOUR SURFACE PATTERN DESIGN CAREER

But, you want to know the first thing I teach in my Start Your Surface Pattern Business course? The thing I totally didn’t do which is why it took me like six years to build my client list into something I’m really excited about??

Of course you do! Check out this video and I’ll tell you all about it:

(Want to skip to the What’s Your Surface Pattern Design Niche Quiz? Click here.)

YOUR FIRST STEP: NARROW DOWN YOUR PRODUCT CATEGORY

What’s step one in kicking off your career as a surface designer? Narrow down the insanely wide world of surface pattern design. Getting clients takes a combination of positioning yourself and research. But if you’re spending lots of time researching hundreds of companies and dozens of product categories, you’re going to burn out before you get started.?

Tell me if this sounds familiar: You’ve got 10 or 15 patterns in your portfolio. You’ve started to envision them on different products, maybe you’ve even tried a few prints on mockups, seeing that they look amazing on bedding, notebooks, and even water bottles! Ooh, that water bottle idea is a good one!?

Now you know you definitely have to sketch it out. And it’s such a good idea that tomorrow, you’re going to finally narrow down your greeting card list and decide on some companies that could be a good fit. Except, when you look through your portfolio, you realize you only have about 3-4 greeting card designs that you like, and that doesn’t feel like enough. Maybe notebooks are the way to go?

Seriously, this was me seven years ago. I promise you are not alone. But let me tell you, lack of clarity is the major reason people get stuck and end up working on their portfolio for years, instead of actively getting their work in front of potential buyers and clients.?

ENDLESS RESEARCH AND SECOND-GUESSING YOURSELF IS EXHAUSTING.

You may know that I’m big on taking action even if you aren’t ready. And that’s precisely why in the past, I was always looking for angles and product categories that I could find work in. Yes, building momentum requires consistent action.?

What I didn’t realize was that with all that researching and stopping and starting, I was wasting a lot of time. Trying to figure out my next move, trying to feel confident in a number of categories, working up a portfolio that covered all the bases, and plenty of second-guessing myself. It was all exhausting. The reality for me is that finding consistent clients and licensing work in surface pattern design took way longer than it needed to. If I had committed to simply starting somewhere, to finding that focus and sticking with it for 6 - 12 months, I would have made much quicker progress.

I would never ask you to limit yourself or your dreams, but I don’t want you to make the same mistake I did. I recommend starting SOMEWHERE.

PICK A PRODUCT CATEGORY YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO CREATE DESIGNS IN.

Feeling like you can’t limit your creativity and ambition? I get it. I go even deeper into the wisdom of narrowing down a product category in my course. But assuming I’ve convinced you to pick a product category, your next question probably is…

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH PRODUCT CATEGORY TO START WITH WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY AWESOME THINGS IN THE WORLD WITH ART ALL OVER THEM?

It’s likely you’re also worried the market is too saturated and there’s no space for you as a surface designer. I get why you feel that way. But honestly, the retail market is also saturated. (This is GOOD for you and your amazing designs!) Seriously, think of the last time you were at a store like HomeGoods. Do a little visualization right now. How much of that stuff has art all over it?

Walk with me for a minute and let’s do an imaginary tour of my local HomeGoods. There are throw pillows up front, a section of decorative tchotchkes like globes and animal statuettes. There’s the wall art section, the table linens and dishes, the pet section with beds and bowls and decorative signage. And that’s only 25% of the store. There’s bedding, gift wrap, notebooks, and journals….SO MUCH ART.

TAKE THE QUIZ: FIND YOUR SURFACE PATTERN DESIGN NICHE

Wondering which product category makes sense for your art?

If you haven’t been in the industry very long (or at all) you may not be so sure what kinds of products your art would work best with. I just named a number of products above and that was just a small selection.

Today, I’m making it super easy for you! I created a quiz that will help you get clear on which category makes sense for you. This quiz takes into account your skill set, the type of art you like to do, and your penchant for trends. Try it out! Click here to take the “What’s Your Surface Pattern Design Niche” Quiz.

If you agree with your quiz results, you can set your focus on finding clients in that sector…today. I designed the quiz based on my experience working with a ton of different product categories throughout the course of my career, and what types of things were required of me in each category.?

YOUR SURFACE PATTERN DESIGNS WILL ONLY EXPAND FROM HERE!

Here is something I want to note: I've already told you that I didn’t niche down when I started. And, I think that made things a little slower than they needed to be as far as my freelance and licensing trajectory went. But even if you start very narrow at the get-go, as you work with clients and earn money and get experience, you will naturally expand.?

Choosing a product category today and saying you’ll spend the next six months focusing on it does not mean you can’t have that well-balanced variety in a year or two. You know, where you’re jumping from apparel design to gift bags to dinnerware like I do. You definitely can. Focusing on one sector right now simply helps with the overwhelm of starting something new. It makes it a lot easier to START.?

LET’S CONNECT

Did you find this helpful? Don’t forget to share your quiz results below. (Here’s that link again to take the quiz.) I want to hear what you think of your new niche idea. ??

This article was originally published on ElizabethSilver.com - Get Started with a Surface Pattern Design Career: An Easy First Step