Natural Habitats Card Collection with Lagom Design
I’m excited to share a project that I’m incredibly proud of - the Natural Habitats collection. It’s a set of 6 unique and tightly-packed designs featuring ecosystems from around the world. The art was licensed and released this summer as a card collection through Lagom Design!
Project Kick-Off: A Rough Start
It all started with an open-ended brief from a stationery client, requesting something that showcased the natural world and that incorporated a lot of elements. I was excited to take this on because I had already begun personal art similar to this. The first design I worked through was the Saguaro Desert scene. I was incredibly happy with how it came together, however the client came back with a very strong perspective and wanted revisions that I didn’t fully agree with. Since this project is licensed-based (meaning I’m not paid unless the product sells), I don’t typically make a lot of concessions. With years of experience, I know what will do well and these projects provide opportunities for me to push my art and test the limits.
After several frustrating rounds of revisions requests, I decided to walk away from the partnership. Fortunately, the art remains mine so I was able to complete the set the way I saw best fit. Once the art was finalized, I reached out to another stationery client: Lagom Design. They immediately connected with my vision and brought the collection to life as a full stationery line, expanding the main habitat scenes into greeting cards and mini cards.
Friends of the Coral Reef
Friends of the Bamboo Forest
Friends of the Arctic
Process: Research, Testing and Puzzling
From a process standpoint, each illustration felt like a puzzle. For every habitat, I spent a ton of time researching ecosystems, listing possible animals and plant life, reading scientific journal reports, learning how everything coexists, and discovering just how many animals are vulnerable, endangered, or even worse critically endangered. Then came the challenge of fitting everything together visually. This is where I began jigsawing creatures into the scene, adjusting scale, and sometimes swapping one animal for another that fit the composition more naturally. Balancing the composition as well as color and pattern was particularly challenging. Stylistically, I wanted the artwork to feel a bit more sophisticated and detailed than what I’m often asked to create, while still remaining warm, approachable, and engaging for kids and families.
Mini Card - Qinling Panda
Mini Card - Antelope Jackrabbit
Mini Card - Ringed Seal
Mini Card - Cheetah
Looking Ahead: Future Collaborations
This collection feels like an important step for me creatively. I’d love to continue making work that helps teach people about the world around them, raises awareness for wildlife and conservation, and potentially leads to future projects that give back in a more tangible way. I’m especially interested in finding meaningful collaborations in this space - whether through publishing, products, education, or causes aligned with environmental stewardship. If you have a project that fits this description, please reach out!
You can view the full Natural Habitats card collection on my gallery page, where I share a closer look at each habitat and how the stationery line came together. I’m so grateful to Lagom Design for bringing this work into the world - and I’m excited to see where it leads next!