My Surface Pattern Design Toolkit: Old Favourites and Current Staples

You know that moment when you’re scrolling Instagram and see something gorgeous, or land on a beautiful website, or open a lovely email, and you immediately wonder, “What did they use to make that?” I do it all the time.

So I thought I’d make it easier. Below is my surface pattern design toolkit , covering design, marketing, learning and the bits in between. Some I use every week, some I’ve loved in the past, and some I know I’ll be back to using again. Think of it as a little try-on session: have a look, test the ones that catch your eye, and see what feels right for you. Some of them will suit you and some won’t, and that’s completely fine. Click on the logo to open the pages.

Where the patterns get made

	Adobe CC: Photoshop is definitely my tool of preference but I do work in Illustrator for certain types of patterns. I mostly use Photoshop because a lot of my patterns start as watercolour and gouache paintings, and Photoshop suits that texture-heavy way of working better. Adobe offers Free Trials for new users.
	Procreate: The best tool if you love drawing on your iPad. I use it mostly for brainstorming and sketching: rough motifs, layout ideas etc. The sketches I’m happy with then move over to Photoshop/Illustrator to be finished and turned into repeats.
	Canva. I use it for the quick, practical jobs: Pinterest pins, mockups, banners and anything that has to be done quickly. You can do a lot on a free plan, but I personally use a Pro subscription.

Where the patterns get sold

	Spoonflower. This is my main shop, selling fabric, wallpaper and home goods. I'm still in the early stages and slowly building my pattern on the platform.
	My own website: is my own corner of the internet. It’s where brands can browse my pattern catalogue and get in touch about licensing, so it’s the home for the work I’d love to see on products one day. It’s currently under constructions, launching soon.

What do I use for marketing

	Pinterest: My biggest traffic channel. It works more like a search engine than social media, so a pin can keep sending people to my blog and shop for months. It’s slow and steady, not instant.
	Tailwind: If you're a passionate Pinner, this tool is for you. You can schedule your Pinterest pins. in a batch in one sitting and it posts them for you. And it's got some amazing pinning optimisation tools. Click here to sign up.
	Flodesk: This is the email platform, I'd recommend, as it's absolutely beautiful, super easy to navigate and they have some great features such as check out, pop up boxes etc. You can get 25% off your first year here.

The website platform I swear by

Wix: I built this and other website in the past on Wix. I love it. I can design and update my website myself without any code, and it’s home to my blog and pattern catalogue. They also have a great support structure.

Where I learn

	Cass Deller’s Surface Pattern Design Course: If you’re a beginner, this is where I’d point you first. You can enrol here. You can also use a code: GOSIA for 10% off.
	Skillshare: It’s great for dipping into a specific skills, be it how to create half-drop patterns, how to paint watercolour florals or how to get productive. Click here to get your first month for FREE.
	Domestika: My personal favourite. They have amazing, high quality courses on different creative topics.

What I’d tell you if you’re just starting

You don’t need all of this on day one. When I started out, my only tool was an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. It’s quite pricey, but there are good alternatives now. I’ve recently started dipping my toes into Affinity, and it looks great. It’s free, and all you need is a Canva account to get it.

Everything else came later. Take it slow, and don’t feel like you need every tool to be successful. It does take time, but it’s all worth it in the end.

A quick note: a few of the links below are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share tools I actually use.