Creating beautiful things out of passion
It is the love of beautiful things that determines my life and my work. As soon as I graduated from high school, I knew that I would take up a creative profession to create beautiful things. As a young student, I didn't think about products for children. That changed when, during my studies, I designed a collection based on the classic children's book “The War of the Buttons”. My professors were thrilled by the lovingly drawn characters and the playful details. The idea of making designs for children in the future was born.
Training
I studied fashion design at the University of Applied Sciences in Pforzheim and graduated in 1996. I spent my first few years working for German companies that specialized in children's clothing and products. From 2002 I worked as a freelance designer and created, among other things, patterns for children's bedding, wallpaper and curtains. I also illustrated characters for baby books, tableware and bags. Since 2021, I have fulfilled my personal dream with my online shop “Design for little ones”.
Through the world with your eyes open
I get ideas and inspiration from those who should be happy about my products: children. As a mother, I immersed myself in the fantasy worlds of my son and his friends and discovered a wealth of ideas and inspiration for my designs. Whether it's the dinosaurs that my son loved more than anything, cute animals from all over the world that always delight children, or delicate elves that reflect the child in me. Today I wander bookstores and toy stores with my eyes open. I watch children, take in how they dress, what colors they like, what interests them. I don't get involved in fast-moving trends. It is important to me that my products are timeless. I like the idea that, for example, a desk pad is passed from one child to another, and that a friend's book is still picked up years later to reminisce about.
From the idea to the product
I first put my ideas on paper with pencil and colored pencils. When I draw animals, I base myself on real images, but I don't paint them naturalistically, but rather try to make them child-friendly. Simple lines, playful details, lovingly designed backgrounds and harmonious colors determine my work. I then work on the scanned drafts on the computer. In some of my books - such as the friends' book "Animals of this World" - I take children's ideas and advice, am amazed at their ingenuity and their very specific ideas, and incorporate them into the layouts.
Responsible production
I design beautiful, long-lasting products for children. We are all responsible for their future. Sustainability in production and sales is therefore important to me. I only work with printing companies in Baden-Württemberg and the neighboring state of Bavaria that are technically up-to-date. The school enrollment book “Hurray – I am a school child” was printed with the Blue Angel certificate.
Treffen mit unserem Fotografen
Ich freue mich, euch von unserer Zusammenarbeit mit der talentierten finnischen Designerin und Fotografin Sanna Harman zu erzählen! Wir haben uns 2020 auf der Heimtextil in Frankfurt kennengelernt und es war sofort eine herzliche Verbindung zwischen uns. Seitdem sind wir nicht nur Freunde, sondern arbeiten auch eng zusammen.
Sanna ist die Gründerin und Kreativdirektorin des Studio Harman, das im malerischen Großraum Helsinki ansässig ist. Sie hat ein wahres Händchen für Produktdesign, Graphics, Markenstil und Fotografie – und das in einem internationalen Kontext! Besonders begeistert sie sich für Kinderprodukte, Mode, Haustiere sowie Gesundheit und Wellness.
Mit ihrer beeindruckenden Karriere als international ausgezeichnete Designerin bringt Sanna zudem wertvolle Erfahrung im Bereich Kinderbekleidung und Surface-Design mit. Über 13 Jahre lang war sie bei Reima tätig, einer der führenden Marken für funktionale Kinderbekleidung weltweit.
Ich schätze ihre Kreativität und Professionalität sehr und freue mich auf viele weitere gemeinsame Projekte!