Good morning, Swansea!
Working out of a small office in a Swansea home is something you don't see much anymore - a local artist making a living from hand-drawn designs.
No One Designs, founded by Chloe, has racked up thousands of sales since 2020. From beautiful and intricate Victorian-inspired bookmarks, pins, art prints, tote bags, and more - every piece is designed and inspired by the books she can't put down.
What started as a single Instagram post has grown into a full-time creative business -proof that there's still a place for human-made art in an increasingly AI-saturated world.
We sat down with Chloe to find out more about No One Designs, working with ADHD, and why she hand-wrote every single package label in those early days (she's since upgraded to a label printer).
Catch you on Sunday!
Andrew.
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On Origins & Taking the Leap
Image: No One Designs
Chloe's business began with a single enamel pin design inspired by The Starless Sea, a 2019 romance novel by Erin Morgenstern. What started as an Instagram experiment turned into hundreds of orders within months - the fulfilment of a childhood dream to be a full-time artist was quickly becoming a reality.
"I ended up creating an [enamel pin] design for it [The Starless Sea] and I was like I'm gonna post on Instagram and see what happens and it ended up getting really popular so I decided to make the pin for real... I think I sold around two to 300 enamel pins in my fifth month."
"I loved it. I thought this was amazing. I get to draw all the time and packaging orders was always really fun and send my designs out into the world."
Customers demanded more designs and items, so Chloe set to work - initially writing every package label, but soon upgrading to a label printer to keep up with demand. Today, her partner also helps with logistics.
On Creative Process & Style
Image: No One Designs
Chloe’s bookmarks have been praised as "not like any others on the market" for their intricate detail. Her style is constantly evolving, but it's rooted in a love of ornate Victorian book bindings and Art Nouveau complexity.
"I'm always very influenced by the Victorian era and Victorian style books and book bindings and nouveau art, and I love the complexity and maximalism of it - and you can really make it your own and modernise it for the current time."
Swansea's £15 Bookmark Controversy
In January 1988, Emma's Community Bookshop in Brynmill sold over 60 bookmarks at £15 each—not for the bookmarks themselves, but as a loophole to give away free copies of the banned Spycatcher book. The wafer-thin floral strips were "selling like hot cakes" as customers snapped them up to get their hands on former MI5 officer and director, Peter Wright's outlawed memoir, which had been banned by the Government following lengthy legal battles.
On the Reality of ADHD & Creative Work
Image: No One Designs
Chloe is open about her ADHD diagnosis, and explains that running a creative business with the condition means a wildly inconsistent work schedule - sometimes 12 hour days, hyper-fixated until 4am; other times weeks without working due to overwhelm and burnout.
"I do love my ADHD sometimes, especially when I have a fixed day and I get two weeks worth of work done in 24 hours. And just generally being creative and seeing things differently from others."
On Community & Connection
Image: No One Designs
Despite rarely seeing her work in the wild outside of comic-cons where she trades, Chloe lights up when customers walk past her stall carrying bags featuring her designs.
"It's always surreal seeing my designs in public... I always get so excited seeing it and I'm honoured my art does not only resonate with them, but that person wanted to buy it there and then."
On Dreams & the Future
Image: No One Designs
For Chloe, the ultimate goal isn't massive scale - it's seeing her artwork on a book cover in Waterstones.
"I'm hoping to get a book cover of mine published into the big world. It's a dream of mine to walk into Waterstones one day and see my cover on a book. That would be just so unreal."
On Advice
Image: No One Designs
When asked what advice she'd give aspiring local artists, Chloe's answer is simple: start now, before AI does it for you.
"I would say absolutely go for it, because if you don't, then someone who turns out horrible AI nonsense is going to take your place. And we need more artists to come forward and raise their voices and show the world that art needs to be made by people."
More About No One Designs
Interested in learning more about No One Designs or shopping Chloe’s range of products? Visit the No One Designs online store or check out No One Designs on Instagram.
Big thanks to Chloe for sharing her story!
I’’ll catch you on Sunday!
Andrew.
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