We truly believe that there’s room for everyone in this exciting industry and are happy to share our creative passion, knowledge and trade secrets with all budding surface pattern designers.
Whether you’re looking for a fun creative workshop to excite and inspire or a more formal talk about life as a full time surface pattern designer, we can tailor make a program to suit your needs.
Talks and workshops can be delivered by surface pattern designer and illustrator, Rachael Taylor, and our Make it in Design Education and Resource Officer Vic Lem.
Some of the topics include:
- A real life ‘designer perspective’ and/or ‘industry perspective’
- Growing a business and licensing
- Starting a product label
- Drawing workshops on basic motif development, mark making and naming colours etc.
- Freelancing
- Getting an agent
- Monetising your designs
- Building a portfolio
- Launching a brand
- Protecting your work
- Manufacturing your designs
- Developing your signature style
We can also provide:
- Commercial creative briefs with feedback from the Make it in Design team and Rachael Taylor
- Portfolio Reviews and interview techniques
- Question and Answer sessions with Rachael Taylor (timings agreed in advance)
- A host of free resources – worksheets, videos, templates etc to develop skills and inspire.
Talks and workshops – Rachael Taylor
Rachael Taylor is a fun and energetic surface pattern designer and illustrator who’s work features on fashion, home décor, greetings, gadgets and ceramics across the world. Rachael runs her own design label along with successfully licensing a number of global branded collections. She is the sole author and designer for ’20 Ways to Draw a Doodle’ with Quarry Books. Rachael is also a hit with the press with her designs often appear in numerous leading publications and on the television.
Rachael is also co-founder of the groundbreaking e-course The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design in which she shares her expertise and knowledge in surface pattern design and is regularly hired to deliver seminars, lectures and workshops.
Rachael also plays an important role on the ACID Advisory Council. ACID is one of the leading voices for design and intellectual property in the UK. Read more about it here.
Rachael has delivered talks and workshops, held Q&A sessions, presented awards and reviewed work and portfolios at places including:
- Printsource New York – New York, USA
- New Designers – The Design Trust Start-up day – London, UK
- Sketch Doodle Draw – Liverpool UK (up-coming events in USA, Finland and UK)
- Global Art Gathering – Brighton, UK
- The Teenage Cancer Trust – Leeds General Infirmary, UK
- Do What you Love retreat – Yorkshire, UK
- Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) – Baltimore, USA
- The Association of Illustrators (AOI) – London, UK
- The University of Leeds – UK
- Liverpool College – UK
- Cleveland College of Art – UK
- The Design Initiative – Liverpool UK
- St Mary’s College – Wirral, UK
Talks and workshops – Vic Lem
Vic Lem, has over 8 years experience working in a professional design studio for Tigerprint, a division of Hallmark Cards. She has extensive experience of working with in-house designers, freelancers and placement students to create commercial designs. In addition Vic has much experience managing design archives, design competitions and creative design briefs both set by her and in collaboration with companies.
If you are interested in booking a talk or workshop, email [email protected] providing details about your event and a brief outline of your requirements and we’ll look forward to discussing it with you!
Please note: advanced bookings are required as Rachael is a full time Surface Pattern Designer, Illustrator and Director at the Rachael Taylor Studio.
