Paula Lukey Design

I am a graphic designer by trade. I’ve always been passionate about iconic shapes, colour, proportion and contrast - the pillars of good design. I had been in the industry for quite some time, working for great brands like Wired Magazine and Rossignol. But after a few years and gaining a ton of experience, I wanted to branch out and develop my own brand. I always feel - as a designer or artist – that it’s important to follow your own path and vision. I took a screen-printing workshop and loved seeing my designs on fabric - it opened up so many new opportunities for me in terms of what I could create. This, coupled with my experience in brand design, made it the perfect match for developing my own lifestyle business of accessories and decor products.

My vision has always been to create fresh, authentic, hand-printed textiles that fit seamlessly into other people’s lives with function and style. It’s really important to me that my products will somehow add to another person’s overall happiness and well-being; it’s what drives me to create every day. It makes me happy to know that I am enriching my customer’s everyday lives - even if it’s just with one small hand printed pouch or tea towel.

With my graphic design background I drew inspiration from designers such as Paul Rand and Paula Scher, and many others in the Swiss/Euro design movements I discovered whilst I was at art college. I love clean graphics that still evoke character and have a sense of fun to them. I derive a lot of my designs from nature, animals and the urban environment. My family have a place down in Arizona which we go to every year and this plays into a lot of the motifs in my work, such as interesting plant forms. It’s really important to me that everything in my work has a sense of authenticity, fun and style - that really speaks of who I am. I believe that is what people are wanting when they buy something from me, or any handmade designer/artist for that matter. They can see the value in what you are creating because it’s coming from within YOU: it is an accumulation of your experiences, your style, and ultimately your authenticity.

I appreciate the small things when purchasing a product from someone, and packaging allows you to do this - small details such as a thank you note, beautiful tissue paper, and even putting your labels on with care. All of that adds up to a sense of appreciation for your customer, and that you care about them and your brand. noissue was an excellent choice with its competitive pricing, especially for a small, growing business like mine.

As a designer, it’s important to remember that there’s no-one else quite like you, so be proud of who you are! Embrace all of your achievements, imperfections, the mistakes you’ve made, and your own creativity - it’s your unique path that makes you who you are and what you can offer to the world. So go get it, and don’t worry about the rest!