Feature in Pattern Paper Winter 2023 edition

I participated in my first ever design challenge earlier this year run on Instagram by Melanie Johnsson. I’d come across design challenges and prompts before, but I found that they often had one prompt a day, which I knew would be hard for me to keep up with. But after feeling a bit creatively uninspired since the beginning of the year, I hoped the design challenge would boost my portfolio and challenge me to create patterns for themes I would normally shy away from.

At the start of the design challenge, I tried to get ahead, like trying to finish an assignment early. I sketched motifs for most of the prompts, so I could then spend the rest of the time on the computer. I had to dig up old motifs and re-colour and re-imagine them, as well as find a colour palette that I felt could work for the theme. Drawing mermaids and people, are not my forte, but it was fun to try something different and see how it turned out. I tried different colourways and came up with prints and placed them on mock-ups - it was a bit of fun to experiment. You can find the patterns I shared on my Instagram.

Melanie then curates a selection of patterns to feature in her printed Pattern Paper, with the proceeds going towards a charity; this time the Marine Conservation Society in the UK was chosen. I just wanted to get back into creating, so it was a little icing on top of the cake to be featured in Pattern Paper (now sold out). Look out for the next design challenge through Melanie Johnsson’s Instagram.