Welcome back to my Inspiration Everywhere series. Where I look at how the world around us can inspire design and how collecting your own primary research as a designer can be the best starting point for any new project.
Like many of us, I've been enjoying wandering around the shops at this time of year. Although not so much the shoppinng part, most of my Christmas shopping is done the slightly less stressful way: online. I'm a chronic window shopper, perhaps it's the designer in me and the many comp shops I've completed over the years, but if I see a good window display - I'm going in.
Comp shops, or competitive/competitor shops, are part of many designers research stages of developing a new collection. Gaining inspiration directly from your target market, is a great way (and honestly the funnest way) to see the designs and colours that have made it into stores. In terms of print, as a print designer, I'm looking at prints and colour palettes I feel drawn to, how peices are merchandised within a store, pieces that seem to be popular with shoppers and if I can spot any long standing trends that have continued over from the season before.
Below are some of my favourite spots from recent visits this season to Liberty London and Burford Garden Centre (garden centres stock some fab small home brands!). From brightly coloured ceramics to tonal block printed homewares. Mix prints in fashion pieces to prints on prints in traditional colour palettes in the Christmas departments. I'll be using much of this inpiration in my own prints for The Print Boutique and h.e.r. home.
If you are a brand interested in commissioning any prints inspired by mood boards shared on my blog or would like to work together on building your own design concept, I would love to hear from you. You can get in touch via email: harrietruscoe@gmail.com