The 2024 Design Challenge

What is the inspiration behind your Spread Good Vibes design?

When I read about the Good Vibes Challenge, I immediately felt motivated. I wanted a massage that also suited my target group: Mental health and people with chronic illness. I observed myself and reflected on what motivates me and gives me a zest for life despite my chronic illness and ADHD. So I came up with: ‘Enjoy the little things’. It gives me good vibes to enjoy the little things, like a delicious fruity spritzer with a straw. The turtle teaches us humans to be mindful and attentive. In other words, to be able to recognize the little things. This only works well if we take our time and don’t simply tick off the things in life one after the other. True to the motto: ‘There is strength in calm’.

The cap is my trademark, I have a lot of them, in many different colors. That’s why the tortoise wears a cap. The hand sign means: stay relaxed. No matter what, I try not to go crazy, but to make the best of it.

Would you take part in another Spreadshop challenge again?

I really enjoyed the challenge and would take part again and again. I’m very pleased that I even managed to come 3rd, which I really didn’t expect.

Joana’s designs

What are your 3 favorite or most successful designs?

As I only opened the shop two months ago, there are still many designs to come.

My favorite designs so far are:
1. chill toad
2. somehow I can manage
3. ciao cocoa with cream

How do you create your designs and what tools do you use?

I create my designs using a tablet with a pen and an app for drawing. It’s the most fun way for me and comes closest to drawing on paper.

Joana’s products

Which features of the products are most important to you?

Sustainability, good quality, a wide range of sizes and cool colors that match my designs are important to me when choosing products (beanies would also be cool).

Marketing approach

Where and on which platforms do you market your shop?

I have an Instagram page: ich.ticke.anders.thats.okay, my shop is linked here.

What content do you create for your target audience to market your products?

On my Instagram, I talk about my life with ADHD and ME/CFS, mental health and my thoughts. Education and visibility are important to me, but so is humor. No matter how stupid things get sometimes, laughing is healthy and important! Don’t take yourself so seriously, just try to stay relaxed and enjoy the little things.

Joana’s channels

We hope Joana’s story and zest for life have inspired you. Be sure to incorporate her tips into your own design process! Make sure to visit Joana’s Spreadshop and explore her Instagram channel.

The post Shop of the Month: Interview with Joana appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

With many crafty passions like writing, drawing, and sewing, Valya realized her creative potential and decided to turn her passion into a business. Learn about what inspires Valya and some of her best tips as a Spreadshop owner.

The 2024 Design Challenge

What is the inspiration behind your Spread Good Vibes design?

I was inspired by the contest themes—mental health, motivational quests, nature, plants, cute animals, and a groovy, happy style—which align with my journey. Nature is my sanctuary, aiding my mental health, and my cat’s playful spirit has helped me combat impostor syndrome and embrace my authentic self.

As I brainstormed design options, these elements merged in my mind, ultimately leading to the final piece. It reflects my growth, self-discovery, and joy in nature and my furry companion.

What did the process of creating a Bon Valyage look like and which tool(s) did you use?

I began sketching my idea on paper, then brought it to life in Procreate. Initially, I imagined a cat artist painting a vacuuming dog – a playful take on cats’ two biggest fears. The concept was “create more, fear less.” However, I realized the design was too intricate for a tote or t-shirt.

So, I simplified it to feature a cat and mouse relaxing together, embodying the ‘fear less’ mantra – embracing ease and letting ideas flow.

Would you take part in another Spreadshop challenge again?

Absolutely! I had a fantastic experience participating in the Spreadshop challenge. The opportunity to showcase my creativity, connect with likeminded individuals, and support a great cause was incredibly rewarding.

Valya’s designs

What are your 3 favorite or most successful designs?

For now, the most successful is this one: ‘Create more, fear less.’ Soon, I hope to have many more successful designs and my top three.

How do you create your designs and what tools do you use?

I create my designs using a combination of traditional and digital media and start by sketching out my ideas with pencil drawings and bring them to life using Procreate. Some merch designs are made using Kittl and Canva.

What tips do you have for other partners to create unique designs?

My tips for creating unique designs are:

1. Find inspiration from the world around you.
2. Quickly sketch or write down your ideas as they come.
3. Share your designs with a trusted friend who will give you honest and constructive feedback.
4. Be open to their opinion and use it to refine your design.

Valya’s products

What does your perfect range look like, and which products should people have in their shops?

I’m still learning about the business world, but as I explore print-on-demand and e-commerce, I’ll discover the perfect products and niches that align with my brand and artistic style

Which features of the products are most important to you?

All of them! a balance of quality, price, sustainability, and social responsibility are interconnected and essential for creating products that not only look great but also do good.

Marketing approach

Where and on which platforms do you market your shop?

I currently market my shop on Instagram.

What content do you create for your target audience to market your products?

I create engaging storytelling content on Instagram to market my products, sharing the inspiration behind my designs, my creative process, and the meaning behind each piece. By sharing my story and showcasing my art in a relatable and authentic way.

Do you incorporate promotions to boost your sales, and if so, how?

Not yet, but it’s on my radar!

Bon Valyage channels

We hope you found inspiration in Valya’s story and her approach to her designs. Feel free to apply some of her tips in your own design creation process! Be sure to visit Valya’s Spreadshop and explore her other channels on Instagram and YouTube.

The post Bon Valyage: Shop of the Month appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

Opening his Spreadshop rollerdisco has helped him to get the word out about roller skating in France, where the activity is not widely known. Learn more about what motivates Jérôme and get to know a bit about him with our little interview snippets.

Winning the 2024 Design Challenge

What is the inspiration behind your Spread Good Vibes design?

Competitions are an excellent way of creating artistic content under pressure. As one of the themes of the competition was good vibes, I immediately thought of roller skating. I also knew that I would have the support of my community.

What did the process of creating your design look like and which tool(s) did you use?

I started with a brainstorming session, listing various words related to the competition. The aim was to match the specifications as closely as possible to score as many points as possible for the connection to the theme. Then I built a mood board on Photoshop by googling several varieties of banana, roller skates, and so on. The hardest part for me was choosing the color palette (of course, it had to be yellow!).

Would you take part in another Spreadshop challenge again?

I entered the Pride competition (published in another shop), but unfortunately my design wasn’t one of the 20 selected (which are superb!).

Jérôme’s Designs

What are your 3 favorite or most successful designs?

These designs are classics:

1. Roller disco chick
2. Jpeux pas j’ai roller (quad)
3. Anatomy of a roller quad

How do you create your designs and what tools do you use?

I mainly create my designs in Illustrator because the bezier curves allow me to manipulate infinite paths. I’m very fond of one-line paths. The use of vectors is essential because they are non-destructive and pure, which means I don’t have to worry about alterations to the image when resizing.

What tips do you have for other partners to create unique designs?

One piece of advice that comes to mind when looking at competitors’ visuals is this: to create a unique design, if you’re using text, I think it’s a good idea to either write it yourself or modify the font used. That’s what I did for my design. Using a ready-made font with characters that repeat themselves is not interesting (although there are exceptions), especially if the font is stylized and plays a dominant role.

Jérôme’s products

What does your perfect range look like, and which products should people have in their shops?

In my opinion, the shop should absolutely contain classic T-shirts, a mug, a tote bag, and a sticker.

Which features of the products are most important to you?

The quality I value most is durability: a good mid-season T-shirt should be made from a tightly woven cotton.

Marketing approach

Where and on which platforms do you market your shop?

I got my community involved, particularly on Facebook and Instagram. Also, during my roller skate and roller disco sessions. I’m going to be running a lucky draw as well, to choose a winner from the people who voted for me. I also created a visual with a QR-code to encourage people to vote (when the page’s JavaScript wanted to load properly). 

What content do you create for your target audience to market your products?

I share content related to roller skating. That includes tutorials, stories, montages, visuals, videos, etc. 

Do you incorporate promotions to boost your sales, and if so, how?

I’ve never used promotions to boost my sales. To be honest, my shop is not the end-goal in itself and is not intended to make me rich.

Jérôme’s channels

We hope you enjoyed reading about what inspires Jérôme’s and the way he runs his shop, be sure to implement some of his tips in your own ways! Check out Jérôme’s Spreadshop as well as his other channels and winning design below.

Winning design
Website
Facebook

The post Shop of the Month: Interview with Jérôme Forest appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

Erik has been with Spreadshop for 8 years , and his shop follows the theme of his YouTube channel about his sailing adventures. He sails across the North Atlantic ocean, and shares his journey with his audience as he catches the high waves. Erik started offering merch after his audience showed interest in it, and through selling merch related to his passion he was able to spread his message and connect further with his audience.

Erik’s Testimonial

Tips and tricks

What does it take to be successful?

“In my case it started out making a reputation, brand and logo for my business. Then I utilized Spreadshop to spread my word by printing my brand on the merchandise, and promote it on my social medias.”

What lessons have you learned along the way? How did you start?

“I have learned that opening a shop and start branding myself selling merch was a very smart move. In the start I had doubts and didn’t think people would wear my merch. I learned not to let doubts and fear get in your way.” 

What’s your best tip you would recommend other shop owners who are just starting out?

“Work on your design, make it simple and let it tell the story of your brand. Make it clear for your audience what your message is.”

Erik’s designs

What are your top 3 – bestselling or favorite designs and what makes them special?

“I use my logo in several different designs. They all sell good and reach a broader audience as everyone have different desires of what they want to wear.”

How do you come up with your designs?

“I hand draw firstly, then use Photoshop for the finished product.”

What tips would you give other partners to create unique designs?

“Be creative. Ask others who have knowledge about making designs. Get your friends and family to help out, their opinion is very valuable.”

The bestsellers

What are your best selling products?

“T-shirts and hoodies are on the top.”

Which products shouldn’t be missing in your shop?

“T-shirts, hoodies, and hats.”

What features of the products do you particularly value? (sustainability, quality, price, etc.)

“Quality and how it fits. It has to make you feel good when you wear it.”

Marketing tips

Where do you advertise your shop?

“I market my shops in the end of each YouTube video, on Instagram, my website and Facebook.”

What kind of content do you create to market your products?

“I wear my designs in my videos, then promote them in the end, and direct my audience to the shops.”

How do you integrate promotions to drive your sales?

“I do promos on Instagram and FB stories mostly.”

Erik’s Channels

We hope Erik’s interview has given you some valuable insight into what makes a successful shop and simple tips you can implement too. Don’t forget to check out Erik’s Spreadshop as well as his social media channels. You don’t want to miss out on his adventures on YouTube!

YouTube
Instagram
Facebook

The post Shop of the Month: Interview with Erik Aanderaa appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.