Patterns are on the rise in Helsinki, as four very talented women have recently joined forces to found the design studio, Pattern Bakery. Beyond having a wonderful company name, Maria, Salla, Miia and Minttu all compliment each other quite strategically with a unified goal and varying creative backgrounds. After first discovering this studio on Bloesem, we decided to throw a few questions their way to further understand their design process. Check out our Q+A for a glimpse into the world of this pattern-minded printing studio. We’re expecting big things from this creative quad.
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PP: The name “Pattern Bakery” is quite clever, how does each studio member’s specific talents, or “creative ingredients,” add to the mix?
PB: Our strength lies in the fact that we are all trained designers with varied backgrounds. For example, Minttu has previously worked as a fashion designer, Salla as a journalist, Miia has a keen interest in printed fabric and architecture and Maria in trend forecasting and the web.
Though we are all different personalities, we share a common interest and our drive helps us work together. It may be a cliché, but our differences complete each other and makes for a great mix of spices in terms of personality and visual style. This combination allows us to offer our customers a diverse selection of patterns.
PP: Please explain your studio’s design process, particularly when approaching new seasons and varying collections.
PB: Our kitchen always has something simmering! In addition to our research and on going curiosity for the future, one of our designers has a background in trend research and was recently a member of the Intercolor Finland team. It’s only natural that every year we would create a recipe for the future.
Normally, everyone collects information that interests them. Once our research is complete, we bring our opinions to the table to discuss, then come to a consensus on how to visualize our hunch. Our designs become full themes with stories and color charts which we use as a backbone to our collection.
For example, right now we have seven different themes and color charts for our patterns. This ensures that a customer can match patterns from different designers and build their own collections from our body of work.
We pursue to illustrate the home and life in general. All of our patterns have a story and reason behind them. The same applies to the other services we provide, such as custom-made collections, brand and design management and illustration.
PP: What are some of Pattern Bakery’s greatest challenges as a growing business? Are there any business models that you look up and hope to emulate?
PB: Our biggest challenge is gaining our client’s awareness. We primarily sell our prints to companies without knowing where our patterns will end up. This can make it difficult to explain why our designs will be beneficial to potential customers. Being located in Finland also creates it’s own geographical challenges, though the web is fairly global.
On a more personal level, it’s a challenge to maintain a balance between business and personal liberty. Any job has it’s good and bad days, but we really strive to keep our studio fun! It’s a wonderful thing to cook for ourselves rather than cut someone else’s cookies. Integrity is the key to our working philosophy. The business has to feel right.
PP: How do you incorporate commercial trends into your collections and is this a factor that drives Pattern Bakery’s design?
PB: Design is a form of customer service. There are reasons why a certain client works with you, be it be style, recipe or taste. While a design might simply serve as decoration for some, it’s the core and soul for other customers. A pattern should convey a positive feeling, story and at the very least, relate to the product it’s being used for.
To achieve this, the each repeat should have a story behind it. Commercial trends have roots and don’t appear out of the blue and the most interesting part of the process is translating trends into visual stories. As said before, it is not always conscious, but design is the pursuit of visualizing silent knowledge and trends into a concrete form.
A good pattern marries commercialism and something familiar that catches your eye. The most interesting designs aren’t always ready for market.
PP: Who are some of your dream clients? If you could sell or license your patterns anywhere, where would they end up?
PB: Pattern Bakery is very much a pantry of ideas. The most optimal scenario would be to co-operate with a client in such a level that we get a grip on the core of the product. When you can influence the brand and not only the physical outcome, it’s a rewarding experience.
We would love to work on a campaign with a non-profit or develop the visual concept for a chain of an organic food-stores! We’re open for ideas.
