How to build an enchanting winter design portfolio

It feels like just yesterday when I was sharing how to create cosy autumnal designs & now we have snow in the UK! Where does the time go?

Although this definitely isn’t my favourite season, my winter & Christmas design portfolio has always been popular with my clients. They have been used on everything from cards & cushions to sculptures & champagne glasses. Below are some of my top tips on how I achieved this:

Include staples but also think outside of the box. Yes it’s true that Christmas trees, candy canes & snowflakes will always be popular this time of year but it’s also true that a lot of clients are looking for something fresh & innovative. It’s good to have a bank of the traditional designs clients might want in your portfolio but make sure to offer something a bit different too.

Go international. Expand your research & inspirations – there are so many winter celebrations around the world:

Winter Solstice also called Midwinter; the Shortest Day; the Longest Night

Thanks to platforms like YouTube and TikTok we are becoming more aware of traditions & celebrations around the world, meaning there will be more & more demand in the future for designs surrounding these events. Ensure to always do your research & be conscientious & respectful.

Set the mood. It might be a simple piece of advice but it really truly works! Break out the fair lights, pop on some Michael Bublé or listen to my friend Beth’s Calm Christmas Podcast & really immerse yourself in the season. Even if you feel it’s too early, all designers need to learn to adapt & design out of season a lot of the time.

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Finding the beauty in the everyday…

This is a really useful task from my book Power Up Your Creativity if you want to find inspiration to create something new:

“II challenge you to look around you, and I mean really look around you, and soak up the inspiration in your environment, as there really is so much beauty in what can be mundane to us and can easily go unnoticed.

Try closing your eyes and clearing your mind for just a few minutes. When you open them again, think of how a child seeing your room for the first time would react. Would they be inquisitive? […] Would they find unusual shapes that spark their curiosity and imagination? Do you think that everything would feel so new that it would naturally encourage exploration? Now make a list of what you can see through these innocent, unfiltered eyes. I challenge you to look beyond what is considered traditional beauty or the typical points of interest and see what you can come up with. You can try this exercise in a variety of places and see where the results take you.”