The Strawberry Thief

ripleygosling11
Mar 8
4 min read

Updated: Mar 9

This project started as a response to a live brief for the D&AD New Blood Awards. The Original Morris Co. brief challenged us to develop a social media and out-of-home (OOH) campaign that would highlight the company's rich history and tradition of handmade craftsmanship while also driving engagement towards their new e-commerce platform.

I chose this brief because I resonate with William Morris’s philosophy and ethos. My work is highly analog, and I value the craftsmanship of handmade, small-batch products. To develop my campaign, I researched Morris, his designs, and the company’s history to uncover a compelling narrative. One of the most iconic patterns in his collection, The Strawberry Thief, was inspired by a real-life moment—Morris watching thrushes steal strawberries from his garden. When I came across this story, I could instantly visualize the scene. It’s a timeless and relatable tale that connects with people of all ages.

Roughs and Macquettes:

I began developing rough sketches for my narrative, initially considering a comic format. Keeping Instagram’s square post format in mind, I created square illustrations for each scene. I then refined these roughs using watercolor graphite to explore key areas of shading. To bring the concept together, I assembled a dummy book. See roughs and maquette below.

Watercolour painted narrative:

Once satisfied with my rough concepts, I painted the final pieces using watercolor. I experimented with different palettes before choosing a monochromatic indigo—echoing the exact shade used in the original Strawberry Thief pattern. I wanted the reader to feel immersed in the story, so I designed the scenes from Morris’s perspective. I envisioned moving through the images like a silent film with panels of text appearing between scenes. This could then be adapted nicely to create a moving image for social media. The ornamental borders framing the text were inspired by Morris’s manuscript decorations.

calligraphy

Morris was very inspired by medieval manuscripts and even created some manuscripts of his own. After studying them, I found that Caroline Minuscule closely resembled his handwriting, so I used it to write my text.

Pattern Design:

To create my version of the Strawberry Thief pattern I recreated the technique used by morris. He designed a rectangle (half the dimensions of a square). This could then be flipped and repeated seamlessly to create the pattern using photoshop. I then used Procreate to edit different elements and create various colourways.

Colourways:

The Book:

I wanted a physical printed version of my narrative to complement the online moving image version. Using InDesign, I compiled my illustrations into a book format.

Online Flipbook Below

Fabric Book

I envisioned the project as more of an artist’s book, so I chose to print the story on fabric. After testing samples, I printed the full narrative on a glossy, silk-like polyester. To further honor Morris’s original pattern-making techniques, I planned to create a woodblock-style laser-engraved box to house the book. Below are some fabric sample prints, a double sided version and a single sided version.

Wallpaper Sample book

After some tutorials, I explored the idea of creating a wallpaper sample book. To inform my design, I purchased samples from Original Morris Co. along with a paint palette. I also sourced a sample book from eBay to study its layout and structure. Using these as inspiration, I developed a series of mock-ups.

I experimented with my pattern design, creating various colorways and printing them on bread-and-butter paper as well as two types of lining paper. One of the lining papers produced particularly rich colors. My goal was to blend my own pattern variations with Original Morris Co. samples to create an artist’s book-style wallpaper collection. I had planned to film a flip-through of the book at Kelmscott Manor, where authentic Morris artwork is displayed. Unfortunately, the manor remains closed until mid-spring—after the project deadline.

Mock ups:

I aimed to create homeware and interior design mockups inspired by Morris Co.'s current collections while also expanding into smaller accessory items such as phone cases and bags.

wallpaper Sample Book Spreads:

For my wallpaper sample book, I adapted my narrative to flow between the sample pages. I created mock-ups to showcase how the pattern would work in interior spaces and selected a complementary paint color palette from the Original Morris Co. website.

Animation:

First test clips to see how my illustrations flow together

After I created my illustrations Instagram updated and changed the dimensions. My square designs would no longer fit on the grid. To overcome this I added some borders around the edge.

Spot Colour:

After some tutorials, I realized my monochrome story needed a touch of spot color to emphasize the strawberry. I incorporated red into select scenes and text, which brought the narrative to life and naturally drew the eye toward the strawberry.

Out of Home Activation:

Part of the breif required an OOH. Typically this could be a billboard but wanted to think a bit out the box. I created designs for different transport.

After some deliberation, I realized that the fabric book and wallpaper sample book were overcomplicating the concept. My watercolor narrative already told the strongest story, though it still needed refinement to become a compelling campaign. During a tutorial, it was suggested that I introduce the book myself, as Instagram favors content where the creator is present in the scene. I initially considered setting up a backdrop with the wallpaper but ultimately decided to take my book to Ashton Court for a more natural setting. There, I recorded my introduction, later editing the clips together and creating a soundscape to accompany the animation.

Social Media Post:

Initially I tested making a paper backdrop. I concluded that in order to create a big enough space for my introduction I'd need a lot of paper which would unfortunately be very expensive.