Lessons Learned: Building a Surface Pattern Design Business Beyond Spoonflower

If you’re building your business on someone else’s platform, you don’t own a business—you’re renting one.

Over the past two years, Indy Bloom has gone through BIG, almost broke us, changes. Many of you know I built my brand on Spoonflower, selling designs to thousands in their community.

For years, it was thriving—until Spoonflower sold to Shutterfly and changed some of its business practices. Those shifts had a HUGE impact on my business. It's been a rough 2+ year navigating forward.

Instead of quitting, I learned some of the most valuable lessons of my career—ones every surface pattern designer should hear. As an educator in the Surface pattern design world, I love learning from others who are vulnerable enough to share. So I'm sharing with you today!

Lesson 1: Commission Sales Are Not a Business

As much as I loved earning passive income on Spoonflower, it was never a business I truly controlled. At my peak, I made over $120K annually just on Spoonflower alone. It was enough that my husband left his job to join me full-time. But when Spoonflower changed its pay structure and other changes, everything fell apart.

What I thought was consistent and reliable disappeared overnight. My income was cut nearly in half, and my husband had to return to his old job.

That’s when I realized: if you don’t own the platform, you don’t really own your design business.

Spoonflower is still an amazing launchpad for designers, and I’m grateful for what has done for my brand. Don't get me wrong with this post. I want to be transparent to everyone out there so you don't make the same mistakes I did, and can still continue to thrive as you build your business there.

It’s dangerous, however, to rely on one income stream that you don’t 100% control. Platforms can—and will—change. Use them as stepping stones and funnels to build your own empire.

(If you’re curious, here’s where I’m focusing a lot of my time now to build my empire: shop.indybloom.com).

Lesson 2: Visibility on Spoonflower (and like sites) Has Changed

When I started, Spoonflower required designers to order samples before selling designs. That barrier meant less competition and higher visibility. Now, anyone can upload 50 designs a week without sampling without a barrier.

The result? A flood of designs—many low-quality or AI-generated—making it harder than ever to stand out. Customers are overwhelmed, and quality designers get buried.

So how do you get noticed TODAY?

• Be consistent.

• Develop a recognizable signature style.

• Optimize every listing with SEO (titles, tags, and descriptions).

• Focus on Personal Branding and YOUR Brand story.

• Have a clear understanding of who YOUR Ideal customer is.

• Lastly you need to drive your own traffic to Spoonflower from your marketing channels.

The more you market your own designs and push traffic to your own shop, the more “hearts” and saves you’ll get on your Spoonflower designs, which boosts your ranking in Spoonflower searches.

Here’s another big change that happened: Spoonflower removed direct messaging with customers. If you want repeat buyers, you need to build your own email list. Make it easy for people to sign up through your Spoonflower bio or banner image. It’s always easier to sell to previous buyers than always trying to find new ones.

Lesson 3: Social Media Still Matters (Even If It’s Exhausting)

Algorithms are frustrating, but social media is still one of the fastest ways to get your work in front of buyers worldwide. Studies show it takes about 12 touchpoints before someone is ready to buy—so one post will never be enough.

You need a plan. Whether it’s Instagram, Pinterest, or both, consistent posting drives people to your shop. For me, these two platforms are still my biggest traffic drivers.

Final Thoughts

Spoonflower is no longer the “safe bet” it once was for my business. But it’s still a valuable tool if you treat it as a bonus income stream, not your entire business.

The real growth happens when you control your own website, your own email list, and your own customer relationships.

These lessons reshaped how I run Indy Bloom. The ship feels steady again, and I’m excited for what’s ahead. As an Educator, I love being able to share my Ups and downs with you as WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.

I’d love to know what topics you want me to cover next on my new blog—drop a comment and let me know.

xo, Mindy

Here's a peek at a new product we are testing (Giftwrap)