When Creative Studio is a feel-good surface design and illustration studio based in Vancouver, BC.

The name When is a shout-out to life’s simplest of pleasantries. For example; when you grate the perfect amount of parmesan onto your bolognese, when you peel an orange in a single, clean sweep, or when you tie your laces so perfectly that you can’t even tell you’re wearing shoes. Satisfying!

I get that satisfying feeling every time I make a killer design, so if you’re looking for an enthusiastic designer with a keen eye and a jolly disposition I might just be your gal.

Studio services

  • A kids snow-bib printed with a fun, green monster eyeball pattern

    Surface pattern design

    I design and license confident, feel-good visuals with a sense of balance, simplicity and structure.

    If you have products that need a fresh look I’d love to hear from you!

    • Choose existing patterns from my portfolio
    or
    • Work with me to create something new

    Browse licensing portfolio
  • A colourful wedding table with an illustration of Newcastle Upon Tyne's Tyne Bridge in the center

    Commercial illustration & design

    Storytelling and visual communication are both passions of mine. I specialize in light hearted, happy projects that involve:

    • Illustration
    • Illustrative lettering
    • Icon set design
    • Custom font design

    View work
  • A witty Christmas card with the words "Ho Ho Ugh" written in a chunky and rounded, yet grungy font.

    Product & wholesale

    Looking for some fun, friendly and witty products for your store? I gotchoo!

    Take a look at my shop, or reach out if you would like to stock anything in your own.

    Let's talk wholesale

Who am I?

I’m Cat, the party of one behind When Creative Studio.

I’m a punk rock listening, broadway loving, desk dancing illustrator and designer with a sense of humour and a boat load of ideas.

  • My creative background ranges from graphic and communication design to user interface design, illustration and surface design. I find myself mixing together techniques and theories from each of these practises to produce my punchy, balanced aesthetic.

    I’ve worked closely with many brands and businesses to bring their creative dreams to life, both in an agency setting and in my freelance career.

    If you’re a happy brand or human and think we’d make a good team I’d love to hear from you!

  • 2020 NYX Marcom Awards

    Gold award for UI design and illustration on Winner Winner Live Arcade mobile game

    2020 Muse Creative Awards
    Platinum award for UI design and illustration on Winner Winner Live Arcade mobile game

    2019 Niantic: Beyond Reality Contest
    2nd place for UI design on Wild Sanctuary mobile game

    Featured in Today’s Bride magazine (Spring/Summer 2020)
    Illustrative table name cards inspired by the happy couple’s favorite places

Cat assisting local artist Priscilla Yu with a large mural in Gastown

Follow along

@when.creativestudio

A calm plop to get you through Monday 💧 #thepatternchallengebymel is finishing off with a splash today! I opted for more of a plop than a splash because I need my Mondays to be as calm as possible for optimal survival. Thank you @melanie.johnsson f
🧈 Do you like butter? The buttercups will decide… 🌼 Hold a buttercup under your chin 🤩If your chin glows yellow - hooray! You like butter! It likes you too. 😐 If your chin stays the same - that’s cool too. You just don’t like
Hands up if you’ve ever eaten shit trying to walk over a slimy rock to get to a rock pool 🙋🏼‍♀️ An abstract take on today’s prompt for #thepatternchallengebymel - pool. #rockpoolpattern #slimythings #vancouverillustrator #surfacep

Think we’d work well together?

How lovely! Fill out the contact form, or if you’re more of an email person hit me up at cat@whencreativestudio.com with some details about you, your project and anything else that might be relevant. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!