Typography pieces are incredibly valuable because they tend to translate well across many product categories. Think stationery, journals, phone cases, stickers, art prints, and even home decor.
For my typography piece, I wanted a phrase that felt broad enough to work across all of those categories. My goal was versatility.
One strategy I use often is what I call “generic positivity.” These are phrases that feel uplifting and widely appealing, which makes them much easier to license.
I also paid close attention to how this piece connected visually to the rest of the collection.
I really liked the looseness of the forms in the hero illustration, so I added these small wiggly dollops around the typography. They help anchor the lettering into the composition and keep it from feeling too floaty. This also helped me solve the layout as a vertical design rather than a horizontal one.
In my experience, vertical and square formats tend to perform better across products, especially in the stationery space, which is where I’ve seen a lot of licensing success over the past few years.
I used the same sparkle effects here to tie all the designs together. They add energy and movement, and they’ve become a recognizable part of my signature style. These sparkles come from my
Retro Charms brush pack, which I created in Procreate based on the embellishments I use regularly. Drawing them once and turning them into brushes lets me use them
endlessly without redrawing every time.
The typography itself follows a style I’ve used consistently in past lettering-driven designs. I work on a slight slant, about 15 degrees, and combine chunky sans serif forms with loopy, cursive elements. That blend has become a signature look for my hand lettering.
To tie everything together, I used the same thick acrylic brush I used on the lily pads. That Procreate brush comes from my friend Charly Clements’ new
Yummy Textures brush pack, and it helps visually connect the typography back to the illustrated elements in the collection.
