Print Design Challenge – Winter 2024

#thepatternchallengebymel

One of my 2023 highlights was joining Melanie Johnsson’s pattern challenge over on Instagram. It was so nice to create a whole set of prints just for the fun of it, rather than working to a specific brief.

February saw a new challenge begin, with the prompts this time having a bit of a winter theme, with a slight leaning towards the ocean and the environment.

The challenge is still in progress, so follow along via #thepatternchallengebymel on Insta. For now, here are the prints I’ve designed so far…

‘Peace’ – Dove illustration for kids fashion

Kept this one simple with sketchy dove illustration. This kind of design and layout is so commercial for kidswear. If I was designing this for a client, I would probably rotate the doves so they fly in different directions, as this will help with fabric usage in production.

‘Zodiac’ – Constellation print for sleepwear

I went down a rabbit hole on this one! Part of the challenge is to not overthink the designs, but for this, I got a bit obsessed with finding accurate constellations. I then thought it would be a good idea spend ages drawing every star individually! Sometimes you just have to indulge in the process I guess?

‘Bodies’ – Geometric repeat pattern

I wanted to have fun with colour and form for this prompt. I did 2 versions: a kid friendly option and a playful one just for Insta. Votes on my stories has the x-rated version as a clear winner though!

‘Arctic’ – Polar bear print for kidswear

This prompt immediately had me thinking of sad polar bears asking for help. One of the nicest things about being a kids print designer is that it’s genuinely a really happy, positive job, so making this print felt quite contrasting and actually made me a little sad 🙁

‘Dive’ – Striped print for swimwear

I imagined this print as quite a tight geo, but while making it, it softened a bit. I used a loose hand-drawn stripe and spaced out my divers so everything had a bit more space to breathe. I love how it still turned out to have a bold overall look on the swimsuit. It shows how you can have a really clear idea in mind, but when it comes to print development, it’s good to let the artwork guide you a bit too.

‘Fire’ – Fire engine print for babies

This was not what I planned for this prompt! I went from some abstract ‘fire’ shapes to a cute little fire engine. Sometimes it’s better to drop an idea that isn’t working and move on – something I say to clients now and again too! I was really happy with how the design turned out – it’s such a perfect print for babies that is bold, but still very sweet.

All prints for this challenge were designed as seamless repeat patterns with Pantone references. Can’t wait for Mel’s next #patternchallengebymel.

If you’re interested in working with me to develop custom prints, get in touch – I’d love to create some print magic together!

Prints mocked-up on garments from Zara Kids, Mango Kids and H&M Kids.