My online courses through Make it in Design are the ultimate guides to becoming a design professional. If you have ever dreamt of seeing your designs on stationery, homewares, fabric or other products, these courses are for you! They will guide you along an exciting path from developing your signature style to putting a collection together, & from protecting your work to monetising your designs. With a rich combination of design inspiration, practical advice, video demonstrations, creative exercises, resources and interviews and resources from leading industry practitioners, this is the go-to guide for anyone wanting to develop their design skills and break into the industry. My courses really cater for all levels & cover all areas of design from interiors & fabric to business & selling.

If you also want to become part of a safe, supportive & encouraging online community, Make it in Design’s Live Hub  opens for registration 2-3 times a year!

Find out more on www.makeitindesign.com

I run my own design label here in the UK with the focus being kitchen textiles & accessories. I also have several licensed product lines from greeting cards to home decor & computer accessories. Licensing does take time & it’s important to build a strong brand & identity as a designer. I believe that staying true to my own natural style has played a key part. I’ve been very fortunate that my own licensing has increased rapidly over the years.

I have dealt with some rejection over the years, it’s important to believe in yourself & never give up. Joining an agency or studio can be really beneficial in the beginning as they can help attract clients & potential licensing contracts. I am signed with the fantastic Lilla Rogers Studio who represent me internationally. Having Lilla as an agent allows me more time to focus on designing. During Monetising Your Designs (Module 3) of my online course through Make it in Design we cover this in great detail.

I initially licensed a small amount of pieces via an agent (these were mainly unnamed ranges) & after a while I decided to launch a small product line of my own, as I wanted to become a recognised brand. Soon after I was approached about further licensing deals as a branded range using the ‘Rachael Taylor’ trademark. Social media has been a hugely useful tool throughout my career as well as networking & sending out beautiful pitches & packages.

In my online courses through Make it in Design we cover design licensing in greater detail.

I’m inspired by spontaneous design I’ve always really admired the work of artist Jackson Pollock, I love the energy his work brings. I’ve always been a fan of Alexander McQueen as I admire the risks he took with his work. I also love art & design from the 1950’s & 1960’s.

Travel has also always been hugely influential to me & when I found myself stuck in a creative rut I took myself on a rainbow travel tour. When visiting Cuba I instantly fell in love with the people & culture & now call it my second creative home.

In May 2008 I decided to set up on my own & I left my full time design employment. Initially I just worked as a freelance designer, I spent the first year mainly freelancing whilst building my own personal portfolio. I took nearly a year to launch my own website as I really wanted to design & create a site that was really me. After years of working in house I felt my personality had been really reigned in & I wanted my website to feel fun & reflect my style to attract the type of clientele that I really wanted. It has since been through several iterations up to the one you see today!

I launched on the Print & Pattern website in February of 2009 & I was very lucky to receive a nice review. It has been chaotic ever since! I’ve never looked back; setting up on my own was the best decision I ever made. Each year I have set myself goals, as I want to expand as a brand & continually grow and improve as a designer.

In my online courses through Make it in Design we cover design business in greater detail.

A designer who specialises in creating patterns & repeats for a surface. Pattern has the ability to decorate multiple surfaces. It creates rhythm energy & movement. Surface pattern design has always been popular with the homewares market, however nowadays it really is applied to everything from the socks you wear to your notepad & even your iPhone case. Pattern design actually incorporates many disciplines & it really does touch on all areas of design. Patterns can be created from numerous motifs & varied subject matter. You will find most surface pattern designers have a specialist area; for me I’m known for my floral, organic, textural & abstract signature style.

I don’t remember a particular piece of advice but there has always been a particular quote that has inspired me from a very young age: “Choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life” Confucius.

For my coaching clients & students I also love the quote “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle”. Everyone is at a different stage in their journey, so rather than being envious, I encourage you to celebrate one another & how those have been successful have shown what is possible.

I’ve always been creative from a very early age & studied & specialised in art & design. During university I carried out many work placements & I was very lucky to go straight into design employment after graduating, it really is the only career that I know. I really went for it from a very young age; the creative path was the only one for me!

The title ‘surface pattern designer’ came accidentally & my career in the field just naturally evolved after studying & working within the creative industry. I’m also experienced as an art director, typographic artist, graphic designer, textile designer, mixed media artist & illustrator.

More recently my work involves teaching & coaching & I’m actively involved in education. I’m very lucky to have worked on some very wonderful collaborative projects. I really do have the best clients & a great supportive & professional network around me.

I studied Art GCSE & Design Technology at St Mary’s college, Wirral. I then went on to complete an A level in Art & Design. Whilst at Sixth Form College I decided I wanted to pursue my creative dream further & I completed a BTEC Foundation Art at The Arts Centre in Liverpool. Shortly after I was accepted to study a BA (Hons) in Textile & Fashion Design at The University of Leeds. I graduated in 2005 & have worked professionally & internationally within the industry ever since.