Before any piece of stationery appears in my shop, it’s been used. Not staged, not handled carefully just for photos — actually used, lived with, and sometimes a little worn around the edges.
That testing stage matters to me because stationery only really makes sense when it works in real life, not just in theory.
I start by using it myself
The first test is always simple: I use it as intended.
If it’s a planner sheet, I put it in my own planner. If it’s a memo pad, I leave it on my desk and reach for it throughout the day. If it’s a notebook, I write in it properly — not neatly, not carefully, but honestly.
This shows very quickly whether something feels enjoyable or frustrating. If I find myself avoiding it, there’s usually a reason.
Pens are part of the test
Paper behaves very differently depending on what you write with, so I don’t test with just one pen.
I try a mix of felt-tip pens, gel pens, ballpoints, and fountain pens. I look at how the ink sits, whether it feathers, whether there’s ghosting, and how the paper feels under different amounts of pressure.
Stationery should be flexible. It shouldn’t punish you for preferring one pen over another.
Testing happens over time, not in one sitting
Some issues don’t show up straight away.
Pages might curl slightly after a few days. Ink might take longer to dry than expected. A layout that looks fine at first can feel awkward after repeated use.
This is also why I don’t have a huge array of inserts or endless variations. My process takes time, and I’m comfortable with that. I take a different approach to testing and releasing products, and that naturally limits how quickly new things appear.
That doesn’t make one way better than another — it’s just how I work.
I pay attention to how it feels, not just how it looks
A design can look lovely and still be wrong.
If something feels too stiff, too flimsy, or just uncomfortable to use, it doesn’t pass the test. Writing should feel supportive, not like you’re fighting the page.
This comes back to the sensory side of stationery. If using something doesn’t feel good, you’re far less likely to keep using it — no matter how nice it looks.
Practicality matters as much as aesthetics
I also think about how stationery will be used by other people.
Will it fit easily into a planner or folder?
Does it work for quick notes as well as longer writing?
Is it something you can use without overthinking it?
And sometimes I have to check myself here. Just because I find something useful doesn’t mean everyone else will — that might be my autistic brain loving structure a bit too much. So I try to step back and ask whether something genuinely supports everyday use, or whether it’s only solving a problem I personally have.
That’s why I actually love it when people email asking, “Can you design an insert for X?” It tells me that the need exists outside my own brain too. If one person needs it, there’s a good chance someone else does as well.
It’s also why I don’t usually charge for custom insert designs. If something solves a real problem for one person, it often ends up helping others too. Those suggestions shape what I make next far more than trends ever could.
If you ever have an idea for an insert or a stationery product you wish existed, you can always suggest it via my contact form — even if it’s just a rough idea. I read every message.
Not everything makes it through
Some designs don’t make it to the shop at all.
Sometimes the idea is good, but the execution isn’t right yet. Sometimes I realise I like the concept more than the finished result. And sometimes something just doesn’t work in the way I hoped it would.
Scrapping or reworking designs is part of the process, not a failure. I’d rather take longer and release something I feel confident in than rush something out because it looks good on screen.
Testing is part of care
Testing stationery isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about care.
It’s about making sure that when something reaches you, it’s already been thought through. That it’s been used, adjusted, and chosen intentionally.
Because stationery should make everyday life feel a little easier — not give you something else to work around.