As part of a work experience project, second year BA Illustration student Nikki Pham spent 4 weeks working with online stationery company, Ivorymint.
Nikki, who designs stationery alongside her studies, wanted to work with Ivorymint to experience the ‘ins and outs’ of running a creative business.
Working closely with the business’s owner Katie, Nikki designed a new range of stationery, ‘First Blush’, with a focus on expanding Ivorymint’s customer base and revamping the brand’s identity. Nikki set her own brief and created pattern designs for a line of cards, wrapping papers and notebooks using ‘mark-making’. Initially hand-made by experimenting with a variety of materials, the artworks were then digitised and transformed into simple, yet exciting final products. ‘First Blush’ was then introduced at the Spring Fair International, a major trade show for the giftware, stationery and greeting cards industry held at the NEC in Birmingham. Hours of hard work and successful collaboration eventually paid off, with positive feedback from the potential international buyers, stockists and designers visiting the fair.
Speaking of her experience, Nikki said “it was invaluable being able to utilise what’s been learnt at CSAD to make things happen” and “part of the placement was also about observing the industry, learning how to collaborate, compromise and discover what other creative people are doing”.
The experience will also feed into Nikki’s third year project, where she is planning to explore creative problem solving and innovative ways to engage in the recruitment of creative workers.
To find out more about Nikki’s work: https://www.instagram.com/nikki_buttchin_art/
or visit Ivorymint: www.instagram.com/ivorymint_stationery / www.facebook.com/theivorymint
