Designer Nerida Hansen has created a new app that helps surface pattern designers to connect with companies looking to license artwork.
Photos courtesy of Nerida Hansen
Like many designers, Nerida Hansen had an annual ritual. She would count her money, pack her bags, and travel to the major design trade fairs like HeimTextil in Frankfurt Germany. It was a far trip from Australia where Hansen lives. But as the creative director of Nerida Hansen Fabrics, it was a necessity.
“The beauty of those trips is that you meet buyers from all of the big retailers and small companies. And you’ve established great relationships. They know that they can come to you as a source design,” she said.
But the trips are expensive. Booths alone run thousands of dollars. Plus more and more, transactions are moving online. So Hansen looked around for an app that allowed designers and buyers to connect. When she didn’t find one, she created it.
Hansen has just launched the PatternField app. The app is available for iOS through the Apple Store. An Android version is slated for March or April.
Hansen believes it’s the first of its kind.
“I really felt there was a huge need for a platform where designers could showcase their work. And buyers could go onto that platform, knowing that if they saw something they loved, they could have it then,” she said.
Here’s how it works. Designers who have an iPhone or iPad subscribe for $39 AUD or $28 USD a month and create a profile.
Hansen gives several tips for designers interested in using the app. Instead of loading all examples at once, she says designers should emphasize quality over quantity.
“Start with a small selection of your best designs and add to them as you feel ready. This is a continuous journey, and buyers will be encouraged to visit your socials, website or contact you out of the app,” she advises on the app’s website. Designers should also have keywords to tag their visuals and know what kind of licensing option they’re seeking. The choices on the app include licensing, buyout, or both. Finally, she suggests designers have a rate card, as well as a boiler-plate contract ready when buyers contact them.
Hansen recruited buyers from contacts she has gathered throughout her multifaceted career.
“I’ve been an agent for six or seven years. I still license and offer creative services to the big retailers around the world,” she said.
“After working with so many fabulous artists, I just had the desire to print my own fabric, because a lot of the retailers out in the world, I felt were just super commercial. And I wanted to offer something really different.”
Once designers and buyers connect via the app, negotiations are handled between the principals.
“So when a buyer likes a design, there’s a direct button for them to connect to the artist,“ Hansen said. “An email comes through to the artist and all the transactions occur outside of the app.”
Hansen stressed the Patternfield app isn’t meant to replace the big industry shows. But she sees it as a compliment, especially as the world goes more and more online.
“So (Patternfield App) is not a full end-to-end solution for the surface patent and textile design industry,” she said. “But it’s one of those fantastic little add-on tools to your marketing or your sourcing strategy.”
Afi Scruggs
Staff Writer
Afi Scruggs is our starff writer. She is a freelancer based in Cleveland, Ohio.
So… I’m honestly shocked that the CIA would publish a press release for this app before it’s even functional. You can see that even by looking at the Patternfield account Instagram posts. Paying users complaining analytics that were supposed to be live right now are not, like initially the subscribers were told the buyers would be onboarded Jan 4 (and the analytics would go live then), but there are IG posts talking about the analytics feature as if it’s live now. A recent email that was sent to the subscribers says maybe by the end of February the analytics will be available (but again, there is a post from Dec 31 talking as if the analytics are live now — https://www.instagram.com/p/CYLTeNDAK3u/, and people are asking where they are but there is no response from Nerida or her team). There are no signs on when the Android app will be available, as per her most recent email to the subscribers, it’s saying “we are unable to start Android until all the features are set in stone and we have analysed the industry in more detail about the % of buyers who are Android designers” (and then it goes on to refer people to the TOS of their subscription regarding the Android app version). So this article is saying “March or April”, that email directly from Patternfield has no timeline (and remember, this is to the paying users) and is written in a way to make it clear there is no real timeline for making a decision, the phrasing is purposely vague. In the same email many companies are referred to as having been put in a database and they’re going to be worked with over the next few weeks to get onto the app, the designers had submitted a wishlist of clients they’d like to work with. But upon closer reading it’s clear none of those clients are on the app, nor is there any indication they even know of the app or want to be part of it. The lack of real information and misleading writing to make people think those big names are going to be part of it, is shocking and really really sad to see, thus why I’m very very sad to see the CIA promoting this app. It’s about the same cost as the full Adobe CC suite subscription (which has dozens of fully functional softwares for that price), and the beta pricing for Patternfield wasn’t inexpensive either. I’ve had several people reach out to me telling me they have been booted out of the app and refunded because they were asking questions (which is the entire point of a beta test, is to find the problems and fix it before it goes live). There is even one subscriber that was booted out of the app with no communication from Nerida (and no refund), and another that’s been removed from the email list because she was asking questions (again, no refund, but now she can’t stay on top of what’s upcoming). This is all so shocking, and the point of my comment is NOT to throw Nerida or anyone else under the bus. I believe strongly in helping people, and the way this app rollout has happened has been truly shocking to me (especially as people are paying a lot of money for the beta, and most seem to be newer artists who are desperate to have their work be seen and get sold). I don’t know if the chaos is intentional or not, but the CIA should absolutely be not promoting this, not when there isn’t even any proof that any buyers are even using the app (or who they are, no names have been given of buyers actually live on the app). It’s really really sad, this could have been a great idea, but the lack of transparency is visible to all, and the straight up purposely “vague” communications.
…”about the % of buyers who are Android users”, not designers, typo mistake when I was quoting the email.
yes true, after all I have asked about it and also had questions and never got answers I sadly agree.
Thank you so much, Dee! I’m reading this in December 2023 and there’s still no iOS app in the App Store and it sounds like a train wreck. Yikes!
I am an early bird subscriber and an emerging artist on Nerida Hansen’s app. I’ve been following both the positive and the negative comments about the app. It’s true that there are problems that haven’t yet been solved. It’s also my opinion that we were told at the time of sign-up that this was a work in progress, a beta version.
Building an app is no easy task. While I was a professor, I watched many computing students spend months working with their clients on one one or two aspects of a single app. It doesn’t surprise me at all that it’s taking longer than expected to work out all the kinks of Nerida’s app. This is the first app of its kind in the surface pattern design industry. It’s being built because Nerida saw the challenges faced by new designers trying to get their designs noticed. She made it clear that there were no promises for views or sales.
Yes, some of the dates have been pushed back. We early adopters were given a substantial discount to be a beta tester in acknowledgement that things might go wrong. I still have full faith that the app will be completed, and I don’t feel used in the least by Nerida.
I’m starting out slowly and have fewer than ten designs on the app so far. I have one view on four designs, and one heart on one of those designs. In the large picture, that means the app is capable of working as Nerida has hoped.
There are always unforseen challenges when building brand new technology. It takes courage, leadership, and a willingness to take a risk. I consider this a good risk. In the meantime, I’ll continue to promote my designs on Instagram, my website, Redbubble, Society6, and The Art of Where. This app is one more piece of my marketing program.
I can understand the frustration of the designers closely watching the progress of this app. I see it as a sign of how badly the app is needed and how hopeful we are that buyers will sign up and use it. We designers have worked hard on our designs, and we’re eager to share them with the world. I encourage potential buyers to contact Nerida and get involved.
I have been a creative director for Chicago area ad agencies for many years leading groups of designers and coders on roll-out e-commerce applications for small to very large corporate clients. I know the stages of development, coding, debugging and getting successful applications to successful apps and websites working with extensive market analysis and engineering. Now as I work only with my own illustration and surface pattern design, I was interested in Nerida’s description of this new app and promises of what the app will do. Sadly and as an early bird subscriber, when I first started asking questions of what was going on with the beta launch with issues I was seeing, my questions were ignored or answered in what felt like dishonest spin and simply asking the industry type questions I was asking brought out a lot of artists defending Nerida and her practices. I get that with the promises made to these artists, many new and inexperienced, they would want to hear nothing but the good things that were being promised and not want to see the industry and development issues I was red-flagging, and decided that defending all they may not be able to see happening was the best way to go. As time goes on, these artists have been instructed to review the terms of service in their contracts more often as issues continue, all while the original promises are still the advertising message. Now, after I was specifically asked by Nerida to no longer be a subscriber because of the “ruckus” I was creating within the early bird group and being sent my subscription refund, I should no longer have skin in the game. I do, however, still care about a group of artists that are paying for promises that still have not been delivered, or at least rescheduled, and market messaging/posting spin that is not clearly answering functionality questions that are still ongoing and seemingly becoming almost more alarming. In this business many artists dream of success, with a few of us really making a living at it. And that’s ok, it’s a tough business as all of the arts are. I do have issues with a marketing spin making promises to people while taking money from them that may be difficult for these people to come up with and not being totally honest and transparent while using this money for their business development. I do hope it all works out. I wonder if the type of buyers that are big in the business will agree with Nerida that this is the platform of the future and get onboard and that a lack of buyers may be some of what’s holding things up. Transparent communication from Nerida could alleviate these questions for all. We will see if the Android application actually gets developed, this is one key sign to watch for to see if there will or won’t be success going forward. Not enough quality buyers, difficult to be successful.
As an industry insider I appreciate your evaluation of the app. I too am an early bird subscriber and signed on as an emerging artist. I have had nothing but problems. Most recently I have been unable to access my portfolio on the app, for over a week now. After reaching out I received a cheery generic reply that did not even address the issue. I have tried to be patient and made allowances for breaking in new tech, but now I’m pretty disappointed. I had placed a lot of hope in the app, naively I know, of getting my work in front of buyers. My work isn’t terrible, and sure it might not be to someone’s taste, but the work I did post received 0 views and 0 likes. There is no way to check if my work shows up in searches on the buyer’s app because we don’t have access to it. I feel like I’ve been put in a room with no windows.
Nerida wanted me to post her email address, if anyone would like to get in touch with her personally: nerida@neridahansen.com
Or she could address the issues and concerns publicly, which she hasn’t done from day one — there are even buyers on IG asking about the app, and people who bought the beta who can’t get in touch via email (and haven’t even been sent a download link) and she sure isn’t responding to social media comments. Again, the fact the CIA is allowing her to hide and not put anything public facing except a press release is unacceptable, did she pay you for the advertising or something? I thought the CIA was meant to support artists and give them facts?? Letting her hide behind her computer is shameful from a professional organization.
Last August in a live information video from Nerida to all of her early bird artists, we were all told she had a list of 2,000 or more buyers, and it was this number of buyers she was using as a sales pitch to us all. We heard from a fellow designer that they had been contacted as a buyer in an original buyer email marketing blast from Nerida, although they weren’t buyers but may have landed on the “buyer list” if it was an industry type email list that was not very accurate with who is actually a buyer. It was never presented as what may have been a purchased email list perhaps from tradeshow participant contact information or something of this sort, but rather that she had this many actual buyer contacts herself from her years in the business. After this video and real questions started being asked by paying early bird subscribers with no real answers, it became apparent to some that things were not as they seem or have been told/sold to us. When instructions on how to get our own established clients and buyers to sign up as Patternfield buyers, we started asking why we would do this if we paid for our subscriptions to gain new buyers and business, not share our established client base and business with the app. As of this weekend, it has been heard that she said in an email that 174 buyers had responded to the recent buyer marketing package that was sent out and 30 had actively looked around on the app over the weekend. But the information is still not clear, and real answers not forthcoming regarding buyer numbers and real app functionality on the design and the buyer side. Artists are now coming together to communicate with group questions to Nerida, hoping for real answers and emails back from her. Real functionality appears to still be far off, it seems there is not much different happening with the live launch than what was available in the beta phase and buyer questions and issues on Instagram have gone unanswered. Artist refund requests are being denied. The Android app that paying artist subscribers are waiting for simply to be able to actually use the app is pushed off again. Pie charts with no real buyer numbers are posted that simply raise more questions about getting real information and real answers to artists real concerns and questions. Honesty and clear answers to our questions would clear up a lot of these issues, and none of these negative posts would have been made here if things were handled honestly from the start.
Now the Nerida’s business is being liquidated and is under external administration you going to update this post???? She has mislead the designers, made numerous promises and followed through with nothing. She owes money to numerous businesses! Such a successful business operator NOT!
Was there a post on her site or social media announcing liquidation and external administration?
I’m seeing this: https://opengovau.com/company/641768201
She has not posted anything. She has a habit of avoid any negative information and the truth. However do a search on her business and you will find all the details. Check it out in the Australian ASIC website – the documents are all available for the public.
https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landing/panelSearch.jspx?searchText=641768201&searchType=OrgAndBusNm&_adf.ctrl-state=drqz6iqf5_15
31/05/2022 – An external Administrator was appointed
10/06/2022 – Information About Company’s Affairs And List Of Creditors was filed. This outlines all outstanding debts. She is current liquidating all stick, saying it is because of her new POD business, but there is another reason.
Despite owning large amounts of money to textile companies in Korea and China it doesn’t stop her from creating new exciting ventures, leaving debt everywhere!
Abby, yesterday Nerida announced to all of us designers in the Patternfield Mighty Networks platform, that her company, of which the Patternfield App is an asset, is in voluntary insolvency due to logistics issues. Apparently there is a new company in control of Patternfield (we don’t have info about this new company) and Nerida is serving as some type of administrator. There were a number of warning signs, but personally, I’m feeling that this was a brilliant idea gone wrong and perhaps this new company will pull through. I will wait it out on the sidelines, or until my early-bird subscription lapses.
Logistic issues, is that another term for not paying your bills?????
Hi Liza, yes, well it is, sort of. LOL. Businesses put cash up front to order stock, but the covid shutdowns in Asia have delayed that stock from being manufactured and then it’s delayed in shipping, even though it’s been purchased. You can’t sell what you don’t have in hand, and your initial investment debt doesn’t get paid.
I think covid has shaken up our complacency in globalized manufacturing. Business models took for granted that the system wouldn’t collapse, but it did and then they assumed it would recover, but it has not (and may not). Optimism won’t pay the bills.
That said, lots of designers, myself included, invested in subscriptions to this platform, with the hope of having a place to showcase our work without the need to travel to trade shows. I was willing to overlook all the “tech startup” issues, believing it would all shake out in the end. In the big picture, my early-bird subscription investment was a small (for me) financial risk I was willing to take, and I didn’t invest a ton of time uploading and fussing with my profile.
I would also like to add that in light of all the uproar over the changing rules of social media (I’m looking at you, Instagram), and the burden of selling on Etsy, it’s really important for all of us arts and crafts business people to remember that we shouldn’t rely on someone else’s platform to get our business done. The best investment is what we can control, like our website and an email list and good old-fashioned marketing.
Unfortunately and without my knowledge I was sent a public records court document/list of creditors from Nerida’s liquidation/bankruptcy court records? I’m not sure what these proceedings are called in Australia. I didn’t know this person prior to the message they sent me and attached this file. I say unfortunately as it lists well over a million dollars owed to various entities. I don’t know what it all means, but its all staggering to me and my opinion is all of this is to be determined, but also shows a real discrepancy from what is written above as someone’s glowing success to what shows in this document and what damage may be done to those that are owed money. I work for fabric companies and currently have many collections in production and only one was delayed for a month at the start of the pandemic, we have been full force since then. When this document was sent to me I was also told that the fabric companies in China and Korea may have stopped working with Nerida and may be a reason for the change of her manufacturing to print on demand fabric. Speculation, in my opinion but the creditor list is mind blowing. If this is the case, it would make me very nervous to be a part of any business with any of her ventures using my money, we will have to see how it all shows to be true or untrue, I just don’t know at this point. I’m glad I work my marketing on my own.
Nancy, that’s very interesting to hear. The lack of communication/transparency to the Patternfield subscribers always bothered me. As far as the production slowdowns, I’ve been operating on hearsay from others (not just Nerida) that supplies from Asia continue to be disrupted. Several of my friends work with manufacturers in Asia and they are still seeing significant slowdowns, so I assumed this was just how it was at the moment. It makes me feel better to hear that not everyone is affected.
Kelly, my fabric companies produce their quilt fabric collections in Korea, China and Taiwan. As I mentioned, one line was delayed one month when lockdowns started. The next 11 have been right on time, and normal licensing, release and ship to shop dates and schedules have all been met. I don’t personally understand why Nerida, as a similar commercial fabric company, would be provided different service with these very well known manufacturers, unless they perhaps shut her down with lack of payment as the person who contacted me and works with these companies also me told me. I hope she treats her new POD fabric vendor well and pays what is owed to them, also. I have been told they are a really nice family business and the person that sent me the creditor list works with them and may be giving them a heads up, as Nerida seems to never be transparent from what I have been able to determine. I don’t know, I just have bad feelings about all of this, myself and my own opinions are not good with these circumstances.
Hello, thank you for all these returns, I was precisely looking for a return in relation to this application, because I stayed there for three months and seeing what a mess it was, I fled. And since everything is hidden and deleted regarding the negative reviews… So nothing has changed and even got worse. It’s sad and funny, but renting out an unfinished tool is a complete disrespect. Hopefully another more professional company will be able to guide us.
Thanks all for making this clear,
I heard about Patternfield app from a podcast where Nerida herself was speaking. It sounded promising, but I admit I had a gut feeling as to the legitimacy of it , esp how many buyers are actually using Patternfield.
Patternfield’s social media accounts are very spare in content and barely any followers, so I’m afraid there are too many red flags for me .
Thank god I found this article because i definitely won’t be paying for a subscription now. Such a shame the app basically takes advantage of designers and quite honestly Patternapp seems stealing rather than help them.
the fact that the company has gone into liquidation, but the website is till up taking money from vulnerable designers, is pretty disgusting.
Abby. The fact that this train wreck of a company has gone into liquidation, and you have NOT edited the article, put up a disclaimer, or taken it down entirely (as it’s still searchable online and in the CIA site), it’s disgusting. It tells anyone reading this that your main interests are placating “industry professionals” and not advocating for your members or artists and designers as a whole. You haven’t even replied to anyone commenting asking about whether you’re going to do any edits or updates since liquidation was announced. Seriously shameful, you should really consider whether the CIA has any ethics or responsibility towards those you say you’re here to advocate for. This app had so many red flags from day one, and they’re STILL taking people’s money. If you are supposed to be an advocate for artists (and not just platforming those who you deem to be helpful to your standing in the industry), then act like it. It’s so disgraceful that you’re expecting people to do their research by reading these comments, and not from the actual content of the post. How on earth do you expect anyone to trust what you have to say, let alone pay for a CIA membership, when you literally ignored all the people commenting that this app doesn’t work, never has worked, but is sure good at taking people’s money… Do we have to start advocating against the CIA itself, as clearly the standards have slipped so so far?