'Behind the designs' With Sharon King-Chai

When you design, do you plan it out or is the process spontaneous?

Sometimes there’s a lightning bolt of inspiration and an idea appears literally in a flash. Sometimes I might sit down with a pencil and sketchbook and plan a range and play with ideas in a more conscious & structured manner. There’s always lots of refining and crafting - regardless of how quickly the idea arrived. 

What is your favourite card/range/product and why?

The Print Room has to be one of my favourites. It was inspired last Christmas in the loo at my in-laws’ house. They had a beautiful framed shell print with a marbled mount, and the idea just popped out. The range pretty much designed itself from there.

Have you always worked in the card industry? If yes, what did you do before setting out on your own? If not, what were you doing before?

When I first moved to London from Australia - I worked in a design studio Stylorouge. Stylorouge was such a fun place to work and did album artwork for bands including Crowded House, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Blur, Morrisey and Skunk Anansie. They also designed that iconic Trainspotting poster. It was my dream come true. But after digital formats dominated and physical album packaging was sidelined, I moved into children’s publishing, joining Macmillan Children’s Books as an in-house designer. Since then, I’ve gone on to write and illustrate my own books, including the Mirror Magic board book series, and have also had the pleasure of collaborating with Julia Donaldson on our own book series. 

What motivated you to set up your own business?

I’ve always loved greeting cards. As a child, when my parents would drag me to the supermarket I’d head straight for the stationery and card aisles, where I’d happily spend ages admiring these little works of art and checking out the cool pens. When I left my in-house design job, I knew I wanted to replace it with something that gave me more creative freedom. Creating my own greeting card collections felt like the perfect fit. I love the whole process. It’s incredibly satisfying and, compared with creating books, much quicker.

What’s the toughest challenge you have faced as a business owner?

The toughest challenge has definitely been the business side of things. I really struggle with the admin, finances, and cash flow and try to avoid dealing with them for as long as possible. But it’s been a great learning curve and I’m slowly figuring it all out.

What’s the best thing about owning your own business?

Being able to create my own playground where I can experiment and play with different finishes and ideas. I love the freedom it offers. Also - the more I go out and see and experience life- the more it feeds into my own work. Creatively it’s very satisfying to have an idea and see it to fruition. To have creative control over what you want to put out there is the most satisfying and rewarding part of the job.

If you had to choose an entirely different career what would it be?

I’m really interested in neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology. I’m fascinated by the human experience -  how our brains, our relationships, and our cultures shape who we are. Understanding people, especially children and how they develop, would be incredibly rewarding. Or I’d also love to be a professional gift wrapper (of rectangular objects only).

And finally what advice would you give someone thinking of getting into the greeting card/stationery industry?

Always follow your own passions. Try not to get too distracted by other people’s journeys or become envious of the other cars on the road. There will always be impressive vehicles around you, but everyone starts from a different place and has been travelling for a different length of time. Focus on your own journey and keep your attention on where you're heading.

Make sure you get out of the car and appreciate the scenery. Fill your cup with inspiration - and your soul - with experiences that bring you joy. Joy and inspiration enriches your work and makes the whole process happier.

Bonus Question: Which part of the process do you love most?

I love all parts of the process. But you just can’t beat having that initial idea.