TJ Maxx Holiday Surface Patterns
Project Role: Illustration & Surface Design
Elum Designs is a creative studio known for its high-quality stationery and gift products, combining modern aesthetics with traditional craftsmanship. They specialize in letterpress printing, using eco-friendly materials and techniques like embossing and foil stamping. Their products are recognized for their minimalist designs, elegant color palettes, and attention to detail.
The Challenge
When Kristi from the Elum Designs team first reached out to me, I was thrilled! She was looking for fresh, creative artwork to incorporate into their upcoming holiday product line, which they were gearing up to pitch to TJ Maxx.
The Goal
Design a selection of holiday surface patterns, including three vintage styles and two featuring pet themes, that the Elum Designs team can use to develop products for their holiday line, which will be pitched to potential retail partners including TJ Maxx.
The Solution
When collaborating on work for hire surface designs, I really want to make sure that the client is receiving exactly what they’re envisioning. Heres a look at my process:
Moodboard & Color Palette
I usually start by creating a moodboard that reflects the vision for the proposed artwork, along with a color palette. This helps me align with my client to ensure we're on the same page creatively. However, for this project, Elum Designs provided a clear vision and color palette upfront, so we discussed and finalized everything together before I began drawing.
Clean Black & White Draft
Once we were aligned on the moodboard and colors, I moved on to creating a clean black-and-white draft using Procreate on my iPad. I then sent over a PDF, along with the moodboard, to confirm character designs, layout, and to ensure that all necessary elements were included.
Color Version
After the black-and-white draft was approved, I transitioned into the color phase, which is always the most relaxing part. Since the layout and elements were already finalized, it felt like a paint-by-number process. I began by color blocking all the elements, then added textures and details. For Elum Designs, the patterns were created in Procreate as raster images, with layout adjustments done in Photoshop.
Deliverables
Once the color version was approved, I delivered the final Photoshop files with organized and clean layers, along with a seamless Photoshop pattern for easy use. Everything was packaged into a folder and sent via Dropbox.
The Results
The Elum Designs team turned my surface pattern designs into wrapping paper, gift tags, gift bags, and more! I didn’t even realize they were available at my local HomeGoods until I unexpectedly came across them while Christmas shopping with my husband and daughter. I was so excited to see my work in one of my favorite stores! Although I didn’t find all of the products in that location, Samantha from the Elum Designs team was kind enough to send me photos of the tags and napkins for my website. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Elum Designs and have continued working with them on even more projects since!
Here I am in store surprised and excited to see my designs!
Are you in search of eye-catching surface pattern designs that truly connect with your audience?
With more than 10 years of experience, I specialize in creating patterns that speak to the hearts and minds of your customers. My designs have appeared in top retailers such as Target, Walmart, TJ Maxx, Hallmark, and Paper Source, among others. I’m passionate about crafting patterns that spark emotion and leave a lasting impact, especially for Christmas-themed products. Let’s team up to create designs that not only stand out but also bring joy and warmth to your customers during the holiday season!
