Design Pool Turns 5!

This week, Design Pool turns 5! I launched Design Pool back in 2019 so I could bring the magic of digital, on-demand printing to the commercial interior design market. As I’ve learned these past few years, owning your own business is full of peaks and valleys. And those peaks and valleys are all the more intense because everything is my responsibility. Still, I wouldn’t change it for anything. As I look back on these five years, I’m thinking a lot about some of the lessons I’ve learned the hard way.

Top lessons I’ve learned as an entrepreneur.

Just because you build it, doesn’t mean they’ll come.

Starting an online business seems so easy. You can do it from your laptop, in your pajamas, while listening to podcasts! Right? Just post about it on Instagram and become an overnight success! The truth is, building the website is the easy part. Getting people to find and use your website is another story. Despite being an online business, I’ve learned that it’s just as important to prioritize networking and fostering relationships in person as it is to learn more about SEO.  

Log off social media.

Social media marketing is essential to any business, especially online businesses. Yet, it’s also important to keep it in perspective. It’s easy to think that if you just post more, show your face more, or do whatever is trending more, you’ll become an overnight success. I’ve learned to limit my time spent on social media to an appropriate amount, focus on my work, and stop comparing myself to others.

Come up for air regularly.

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to keep your head down and just keep working. Yet, it’s important to pause periodically to ensure it all makes sense, and you’re working as smartly as possible. Sometimes, that means getting an outside opinion, such as an SEO or UX audit. It can also mean asking people questions as simple as, “Would you use this service?” I’ve found that people are always gracious and positive when I talk about my business. Most people want to be encouraging! Yet, when I ask questions like “Would you use this?” instead of “What do you think?” I get valuable feedback and not just polite praise.

Keeping my art in my business.

I launched Design Pool because I’m an artist and a designer. I want to bring beautiful patterns into interior spaces. Yet, most days, I’m not on a nature walk with my sketchbook. I’m doing things like making phone calls, responding to emails, and following up on requests. I learned early on in Design Pool that success for me meant balancing the creative side of my business with the operations of my business. It’s important to me that I still make art, exhibit in galleries, and feed my creative spirit. In everything I do, I try to maintain a sense of balance between my drive for success in business with creative satisfaction.

Celebrate the wins.

Getting wrapped up in what you could be or should be doing is easy. If you’re not careful, each accomplishment can feel like something to check off your list before you move on to the next task. But if you never stop to celebrate those small wins, you’ll burn out and feel like you’re constantly pushing a boulder up a hill. It’s important to be proud of what you’ve accomplished so far, even as you work toward your bigger goals.

Speaking of wins, here are a few I’m proud of.

Employing Kristin

During Design Pool’s first year, I was overwhelmed with designing patterns, seeking out new business, and the day-to-day tasks that keep the lights on. In year two, I took the leap and hired Kristin Crane to work on marketing and communications for me. It was one of the scariest decisions I made. Being responsible for myself was one thing, but for another person, that was daunting. Yet, I knew I’d never get where I wanted to myself. Four years later, Kristin is still with me and helping me grow Design Pool.

HiP Awards

I am so proud to say that we have been recognized by Interior Design Magazine at the HiP Awards at NeoCon for three years in a row. First in 2021 as a winner for the Cryptology Collection and then as honorees in 2022 for Invisible Threads and 2023 for Swallowtail Farm.  

Cryptology Collection Book

The patterns in the Cryptology Collection were some of my favorite designs I’ve created in my career. I was so inspired by the women cryptologists I read about and when I worked with Kristen Julianna Photography on the photoshoot for this collection, I knew I’d found a photographer who understood my vision. It was a labor of love putting the Cryptology Collections book together with Kristen’s photos, Kristin Crane’s words, and my designs, but I could not be more thrilled with the outcome.

Patterns in the Wild

Progress can feel slow when you work in an industry where projects often take years to come to fruition. This past year, I saw photos of some of my patterns installed in a hospital. I also stopped by a Six Point Brewery in Brooklyn to see one of my patterns on chairs in real life. It was so fun seeing these patterns someplace other than my computer screen

Thank you!

Thank you so much to everyone who has worked with Design Pool over these five years, whether as an interior designer or a printer. Also, thank you to those who have yet to work with us. We’re happy you’re following along on our journey. We can’t wait to see what this next year brings.