interview :: oscar francis - confessions of a design geek

This article was published 12 years

I discovered new surface pattern design brand Oscar Francis at Home London during the London Design Festival and was immediately captivated by both her colour palette and her architectural inspirations – her products even come in a cardboard tube just like architectural drawings do. I chatted with founder Sarah to find out more…

When you were five years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An artist. My mother is an artist and my father was an architect and growing up I was surrounded by creative people so I was obsessed with drawing, painting and making.

And now?

Well now I am a trained architect with my own surface pattern design business so somehow I have merged the two!

How did you first get in to what you do now?

I often used to sketch and draw in my spare time and whilst on maternity leave I started to design and make blankets and clothes for my children. I wanted to find fabric prints that were graphic and fun, but I really struggled. I started to produce designs myself and decided to have them printed onto small runs of fabric to make things out of them. I had always wanted my own business, and so I felt that if I was ever to try this was the perfect time. Once the decision was made, I started to work seriously on the designs and the website plus sourcing and testing UK manufactures for the products. After about a year of hard work and planning the website went live.

What inspires your designs?

Architecture. The debut collection Pattern Architecture is inspired almost entirely by the familiar housing types you find in UK towns and cities. These popular and practical housing styles are repeated again and again like a pattern often becoming the means by which we identify certain cities. My work celebrates this and in particular those housing types that are often derided and unappreciated like council housing or 1960s concrete tower blocks. I want someone to hang my Beautiful Estate Hackney print on their wall and say, “Now that is beautiful!”

How do you overcome creative block?

If I have been working away at a design for too long and it’s not going my way, I either start another design or go and do something completely unrelated like delivering orders or some overdue admin. Boring, I know, but it works for me.

Describe your design and making process from initial idea to final product

I have to start with a concept for a design or collection. I source material for the designs. I find images and take photographs. I start to sketch out ideas and once I feel confident in a design I begin drawing this up in CAD, which allows me to test repeat designs and create pattern blocks. I can also test scale, which is important – the scale may need to be different for each product. I use different programs to add and test colour. Once the design is finalised I have to get textile samples made up to see how it works on the fabric. It’s a lengthy process but I love it and for me it feels relatively speedy compared to taking a building from a concept to the final built result.

What are you most proud of?

It’s a toss up between my business and my children. To change careers and get a business off the ground from a standing start is hard. To do this with two children under three is a miracle. I am incredibly proud of how they are both doing and it is only going to get better.

What advice would you give to a new designer?

If you are setting up a new business, take your time. Plan ahead and think about every aspect of the business as well as the designs and the products. How you will market your designs and the budget that you have to set everything up is very important too. I know a lot of designers that also work part time while running their own business, which is a good way to start.

And finally, what is your favourite colour?

It’s a colour combination and its grey and orange. It’s the perfect marriage of modern and retro!