When I started fashion school, I thought I wasn’t creative enough to be a designer. It took time to realise that creativity isn’t only about artistic expression — it’s also about connecting ideas with purpose. Here’s how I discovered the value of commercial awareness and what it truly means to design with intention.

Before you bring your next idea to life, pause and ask: what value does this truly offer to the people I want to serve? In this article, I explore the concept of value proposition — what it is, why it matters, and how to craft a clear, customer-centric statement using the Value Proposition Canvas. If you want your creative work to resonate and drive real impact, this is where you start.

Many emerging designers start by creating what they like — but if your goal is to sell, your designs must serve your customers. Defining a clear target group will help you align style, function, and values with real customer needs. In this article, I explain why identifying your target group matters, how to research them, and share an example from my Dear Body collection.

Target group descriptions are a great start, but words alone often feel limiting. To truly understand and empathise with your customer, you need to bring them to life. In this article, I show you how to transform customer insights into inspiring tools: image boards and user personas. With these, you’ll not only see your target group more clearly but also design with empathy and confidence.