When I answer the question “What do you do” with “I am a creative director and surface designer”, most people get the creative director part but when it comes to surface designer, they usually stare at me with a blank face.

I think Marie Perkins of print and pattern said it best in her book when she described who a surface designer is as “A graphic designer, illustrator, textile designer, and more, all rolled into one. Pretty much anything you see in the marketplace that has a printed design on it will have been through the hands of a surface designer. The plates you eat from, the fabric of your table cloth, the design on your rug, your curtains, wallpaper, cushions, handbags, wrapping paper, birthday card, and so much more, any product with a surface print or pattern on it is part of this often overlooked form of design.”