An Interview with Neil Elliot of Patternbank
Patternbank ia a revolutionary global market place for textile design, bringing together businesses and the world’s leading creatives. We had a chance to ask Neil Elliot of Patternbank some of our burning questions, and we can’t wait to share with you what we learned!
Patternbank was founded by a group of passionate industry insiders to empower designers and make pattern purchasing easier than ever.
When was it started?
Since 2012 we’ve been connecting the globe’s most talented designers with customers from the worlds of fashion, homeware, stationery, and giftware.
What was the vision behind Patternbank?
Patternbank is a unique B2B marketplace offering a streamlined service where customers can discover curated designs, obtain trend inspiration to guide buying decisions, and instantly purchase and directly download digital files.
What is the history of the founders (experience in design, how they got started in the field, anything of notable mention, etc.)?
We have a senior-level team from the textiles & fashion industry with 30 years of industry experience.
How has the vision for the company changed or grown over the years?
At Patternbank we’ve combined years of experience with our extensive knowledge of the textile, trend-forecasting, and technology industries to become the go-to virtual textile studio platform. Patternbank is revolutionizing how textile design and surface patterns are bought and sold – and how customers can access them. Browse, buy and sell 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – wherever you are in the world.
What makes something a “trend?”
A trend or something trending happens when you look at a higher macro level and begins to see similarities in a particular theme. Our trends team looks to a plethora of sources to discover emerging trends. Everything from new brands, catwalks, film & TV, architecture, underground youth culture, current trends, future technologies, the art world, and new exhibitions are all researched. From this information gathered the Patternbank trends team takes a step back and traces any common threads or themes to help build our trends.
How did Patternbank become a leader in trend forecasting?
Our knowledge of the design industry and previous roles at trend forecast agencies like WGSN have helped us understand what trend information is key to our customers.
How does Patternbank select the designers you work with (criteria, essential things you look for in a design/designer, etc.)?
We are looking for Designers with the creative wow factor. One of our team reviews each seller's request. The application team is looking for creativity, commercial awareness & design quality!
How often do you approve new designers to sell through Patternbank?
We are getting applications every day so are now only accepting the strongest and most experienced designers. Our philosophy is to supply high-quality designs, so only the best will make it onto the site. We will be firm but fair when approving designs.
How can a designer distinguish themself using mockups in their design portfolio?
We ask designers to show a selection of work when applying to highlight creativity, commercial awareness, and professionalism. Having their designs mocked up on relevant products can really visualize the commercial value and show the designer has thought about the market for the design.
When selling with Patternbank as a designer, once a design is uploaded, can the designer remove the pattern, or does it stay a part of Patternbank’s catalog indefinitely?
Designers can edit and delete a design once live on the site.
If a seller uploads a pattern on Patternbank, can they use that same design on POD sites?
Unfortunately, not, we ask that all the designs on Patternbank are exclusive to Patternbank, but that does not stop you from selling other designs elsewhere.
If someone purchases a design under the exclusive license, does their purchase give them the copyright to the design or just the right to use it exclusively?
Only Premium Exclusive designs offer total exclusivity of a design. Once a Premium license design is purchased it’s removed from the site and cannot be purchased again. The buyer then owns the copyright license of that design can use as they choose.
Our collection of Non-Exclusive license designs is not Exclusive and remain on the site after purchase, so can be purchased many times by buyers. We advise buyers to read our License support information before making a purchase.
In which ways has Patternbank influenced the fashion industry?
Patternbank – a revolutionary global market place for textile design, bringing together businesses and the world’s leading creatives. At the forefront of this ever-evolving industry, Patternbank is revolutionizing how textile design and surface patterns are bought and sold – and how customers can access them. Browse, buy and sell 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – wherever you are in the world.
What can we expect to see more of from Patternbank?
We are currently refreshing the site to help buyers find the perfect design for their products. We are looking to offer a wider range of product mockups to help the buyer visualize their designs before purchases.
What is the vision Patternbank has for the next year or the near future?
To stay at the forefront of this ever-evolving industry and remain the go-to virtual textile studio platform for businesses and the world’s leading creatives.