How did you tackle the logistics of launching your own store? 

Well I started on Big Cartel, but that platform really requires you to drive your own traffic. People aren’t going to find your products if they don’t already know that they’re there. I struggled with that for a while, but then I took some inspiration from other small business I followed that seemed to be doing well with Etsy. I looked into it and I discovered it was a lot easier to search for specific items on Etsy. From a sellers perspective, it also allowed me to to launch advertising easier. A bonus as well is knowing Etsy encourages buyers to shop small, which is great! 

What pushed you to launch your store, and did you face any obstacles during the launch?

I was actually really hesitant to put myself out there, as I felt there was a sort of prejudice almost against female graphic designers. When I first started to post my work online, I tried to keep myself as far removed from is as possible. I wanted it to be all about the work, and not about me. I kept my face and as much information about myself hidden as I could. But as I started branching out into in-person markets more, I thought- people are going to see my face anyway, so I might as well go for it. Even though I’d started a seperate Instagram the business side of things, I slowly let people get to know before about the face behind the things they were buying. The response was great, and it really boosted my confidence and pushed me to do more with my store and my branding. 

Once I got the confidence, the next biggest challenge was capital. It’s hard starting out when you’re a student with very little money! I started out predominantly selling Lino prints I made myself, as they weren’t expensive to make and I could sit in my front room with the TV on and just crack on with making them. But even then, figuring things out like packaging and shipping can be hard when you’re starting out. I figured out a lot of stuff as I went along. Fake it ’til you make it, am I right?

What inspires you when creating a new product? 

I actually love to research things and then form an idea from my research! Having your own business gives you the creative freedom to make products about the things that you like, so whenever I stumble across something interesting, I look into it more and build an idea from that. I love looking into different design formats, but then I also love reading into spooky stories and finding out more about the lore behind it. 

Once you’ve got a new product, how do you get it launched? 

Whenever I create something I want to turn into a product, I’ll do some promotional teasers on instagram while I’m experimenting with printing styles behind the scenes. Providing updates to your audience is a great way to keep yourself motivated, and also builds hype for your new products! If people take an interest, it encourages you to go ahead. Once the hype is there, I’ll play around with some digital mock-ups and then move onto production. When the final version is ready, I move onto product design and store photos, then release my new baby into the world.