Get the inside scoop on Dribbble's new shop collection!

by Ryan Arruda in Interviews
Nov 13, 2019

Who knew that bringing good vibes could look so dang good? Get excited friends, because brand new items have just hit the Dribbble Shop, and we’re stoked to tell you all about this new collection!

We had the pleasure of working with Dribbble’s very own Aron Leah of Fried Cactus Studio to come up with an all-over-print design that emanates the essence of your creativity. We’re calling the line of new products the Good Vibes Capsule Collection.

You’ll find Aron’s custom pattern on everything from hoodies, T-shirts, and mugs, all the way to stickers, prints, laptop sleeves, and even a fanny pack! All coming at you hot in a variety of different colors. Check out a few snapshots of the designs in action:

Today, we go behind the scenes with Aron to learn more about his design process and inspiration while creating the exclusive pattern. From concept brainstorming, initial sketches, to the final products, there’s lots of goodies and insights Aron has to share that will make you want to rock this merch with pride and spread your love for the wonderful design community you’re a part of.

Aron leah Fried Cactus is a collaborative creative studio armed with a unique style of simple, bold illustration and typography that is used to create custom design which holds passion, intent and charm. This has led to exciting collaborations with brands and businesses big and small, all over the globe. The aim is to to uncover all sorts of interesting insights into what makes you and your business unique and that allows me to create illustrations that will bring your brand to life.

What was your approach to the task of creating an all-over apparel pattern that was expressive, stylish, and brought good vibes?

Well straight out the gate, the overall vibe for the pattern was clear. Both myself and the good people at Dribbble wanted this to be special so I definitely felt the pressure. I really didn’t want to overcomplicate the design so I did some brainstorming and thought about what I might like to wear. I also wanted the design assets to work well on their own for other products.

The Dribbble community is vast and eclectic, so trying to please everyone wasn’t going to happen.

I spent some time on Dribbble looking at other creatives’ work and read some interviews; I was left with the thought that most creatives talk about—or create—personal work referencing good vibes, positivity or how knowing yourself is the first step in creating a life or environment conducive to creativity.

The Dribbble community is vast and eclectic, so trying to please everyone wasn’t going to happen. Part of the brief was to keep it related to creativity, so I thought about my own process a little and then just tried to keep it simple and have fun with it.

How was the work created? Tell us about the process.

After brainstorming a few ideas and figuring out a direction I was happy with, I started sketching on the iPad. I usually start with really rough thumbnails where I can just quickly get ideas out, then I go back and refine the good ideas when I start sketching ideas that aren’t right.

I use the grid as I like to give my illustration a level of structure even if it’s just to get the initial look, and then I can explore more later. I finish the illustrations up in Adobe Illustrator and adjust where needed.

What did your initial sketches look like?

Well, they usually start with intent—sometimes I know exactly what I want to see and it just comes out. I used to draw heaps of random stuff and go down these weird roads of ideas, but over time I started to learn how to self edit and take bigger leaps from initial idea to final concept. I still like to take risks, but I find working in this way enables me to save time and keep to the brief.

Did your experience with any particular previous projects guide your insights into tackling this work?

Well anyone that knows my work, knows I like to draw characters and it just made sense to play to this. I’ve recently wrapped up a project with NEW ERA, which gave me a little taste of working with a sports brand—which I love! I wanted to make it more obvious in the illustration that the characters were a team, but I thought it might get complicated so just gave them all socks and sneakers!

What challenges did you face as you worked?

I wrestled with a bit of self-doubt because of the huge audience of talented creatives that Dribbble has. But once I figured out the overall message I wanted to portray, the ideas started coming as I kept drawing.

Any tricks or tips for designers looking to creating a seamless pattern?

I always try to keep to a minimum of 3-4 main elements. Let the elements breath and watch out for repeating elements causing a weird repeat within the repeat. That’s what works for me.

#radicalideas

This project has inspired me to get some merch made so keep an eye out for that soon! It also sparked me to draw again after working on a lot of typography and badge design work mostly in Illustrator. It made me think about my own creative process, and that I might enjoy working on some spot illustration projects.

A huge thanks to everyone at Dribbble and the Dribbble community. I hope you enjoy wearing this as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Head on over to the Dribbble Shop to get your hands on the Good Vibes Capsule Collection before it’s gone! Find Aron on Dribbble and check out our exclusive interview with him to learn more about his work and freelance life.

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