For our Design Cuts' 7th Birthday this year, we celebrated (in part) by launching 7 all-new exclusive products to our marketplace. For the months building up to this event, we had the pleasure of working very closely with Vera from 7th Avenue Designs, the designer who created one of our favourite exclusive products - The Ultimate Branding Collection.

To shed more light on her product and the process that went behind designing such an all-encompassing pack, Vera agreed to address a few of our questions. If you're curious about branding or how designers get around to producing exclusive products, make sure to keep reading!

Q: How long have you been designing products and how did you start?

A: I started as a digital scrapbooking designer, but I also designed some physical papers and stamps for well-known scrapbooking companies in the US. In 2011, I decided to begin designing card templates and branding for photographers. Over time, my designs evolved into catering towards a broader audience.

Q: What made you decide to create a comprehensive branding pack?

A: When Design Cuts approached me to design an exclusive product for them, they suggested a comprehensive branding pack. I thought it was a great idea. My other branding packs were (and still are - particularly Volume 3 and Volume 4 of the Essential Branding Set) selling really well, so I knew there were designers out there who would appreciate this type of product.

Q: How long did it take you to create The Ultimate Branding Collection? What was your process and where did you start?

A: Wow, I think it took me 5 months to create The Ultimate Branding Collection. It was a long and slow process. I started with researching the 5 different industries I was making the pack for: food, lifestyle, beauty, kids and IT, and then compiled all the ideas that I gathered. Once I got them down, I started designing the elements, then the logos and patterns, and lastly the design templates.

Q: How is it different from your other branding packs?

A: Well for one, this one is huge! This pack covers 5 different industries, with 50 logo samples each, not to mention all the elements that come with them. Some of the elements I've saved as layered .psds which makes it easy to customise their colors. I've also included bonus branding guidelines templates that will surely help a lot of designers streamline their design process. Not only that, the pack is versatile enough to be used for industries other than the ones covered. You can also use elements from different industries and mix them up to create something unique!

Q: What’s your favourite feature in this pack?

A: I think it will have to be the versatility of the product; the possibilities are just endless! There are tons of elements that you can mix and match, modify and use in infinite ways.

Q: What was the hardest part in its creation process? 

A: For me, it was when I was first compiling my ideas for the product. Once I got all of them written down, the process was a lot smoother.

Q: What general advice would you have for product creators?

A: Design quality over quantity. I think this is something that can be easily forgotten when trying to release many products quickly to compete with other designers. I believe when we choose to focus on the quality our products, it will pay off in the future.

Q: Now that you've wrapped this up, what type of product would you be interested in creating in the future?

A: I am currently working on an idea to put together a comprehensive pack of textures, stamps, brushes, overlays and more in my signature paper style to help other designers design their own unique papers and backgrounds.