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Spotlight Series: Chloe Allum

Q&A With Chloe Allum

22 Sept 2020

In-House Designer: Chloe Allum

Tell us a bit about yourself….

I live in the South East which is perfect for the London commute - when that was still a thing! Growing up I tried every crafting venture going. Jewellery, knitting, photography, card making.. You name it, my parents have got a wardrobe full of it. Luckily one of those ventures paid off and I now get to design cards as a job! I’ve just bought a project house which is taking up all my spare time and I can’t wait to get stuck into picking paint colours once all the renovations are done!

How did you get into the creative/greeting card industry?

I studied Graphic Design at University and was convinced that I would go into Branding. However a couple of more illustrative projects gave me the freedom that I loved. It was this varied portfolio that meant I got to go to ‘New Designers’ Graduate show in London where I was contacted by Moonpig for a placement.

What have been your biggest challenges within the industry?

I think it’s always a challenge to design for the same seasonal events but continue to stay innovative. I do a lot of work with trends which I find really inspiring and always helps to spark off ideas!

What has been the proudest moment of your career?

That would have to be working with the Samaritans to create a range of cards for Mental Health awareness week. This coincided with implementing an empathy range at Moonpig. It’s a subject matter I feel really passionate about and I was proud of the outcome!

At what point in your life did you realise illustration was the path for you?

I would say I realised this whilst working my Placement at Moonpig! I still had such a varied portfolio but trying out the job really made me realise that designing and illustrating cards was what I wanted to be doing!

Do you have anyone or anything in mind when you're designing your cards?

I often like to think, would I send this to my friends or family. This helps me think about tone of voice and what I’m illustrating. However this doesn’t always apply - especially with some of the ruder humour!

What is the best card you’ve ever been given?

Earlier in the year we worked on a collaborative range with KFC. When my Birthday came around I got sent one of the cards I designed (A face in the hole Photo Upload of the KFC Colonel) with my face pasted in. This had been round the whole office and I looked ridiculous but had to laugh!

Which is your favourite card you ever designed and why?

Probably the first range that I designed for Moonpig back in 2016 which was a Unicorn range. This filled a gap at a time that the trend was exploding across the industry. I remember being so excited to see my whole range go live as it was such a novelty and really felt like I’d settled into my new role.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

From a career perspective I love to hear and see stories of small businesses and illustrators that have gone it alone and are thriving! I aspire to be able to work for myself one day and really push the boundaries of what I design.

What do you love most about your job/brand?

I love sending and receiving cards and therefore I love knowing that I am a part of that process. Hopefully what I design will help someone out or help to make their big day special.

How did you land your job at Moonpig as a card designer?

As mentioned before I was contacted by Moonpig and offered a placement after a Graduate show in London. One placement led to another and eventually a full time position which I was delighted about! It was the dream first job and I’ve loved the variety of design that I get to work on. Card Design is the day job but I’ve worked on Flower packaging, Gift design, UI illustration and much more!

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Chloe Allum

Card Designer