6 of My Favorite Design Supplies

When it comes to bringing your brand’s magic to life, my goal is always to make sure you feel seen and reflected by the design and branding process. Most of all, I want you to leave feeling confident that you have the best tools to grow into the next chapter for your business. 

But to make sure you have the best tools, I have to use the best tools. As a designer, here are 6 of my favorite design supplies that help me create brand magic.

iPad Pro

Tablets have come a long way! Who wouldn't love a portable, lightweight, and refined piece of hardware designed SPECIFICALLY with creatives in mind? 

The iPad Pro is a great option for a designer’s canvas. Sleek, powerful, and intuitive to use, you can start to create professional designs, logos, and mockups. Best of all, Apple lets you still capture that unmistakable hand-drawn quality, but with the same conveniences of digital art. (Hellloooo, erase tool and backup — no more lost doodles.)

Good Notes App

Anyone who has explored digital drawing apps knows that they can be really hit or miss. Thankfully, Good Notes App has been amazing.

The name may be a bit misleading. You CAN take handwritten notes in this app (which is pretty cool with the handwriting recognition that you can search key phrases in later), but it also lends itself nicely to sketches. The iCloud sync makes sure you never lose your work to a forgotten manual save again. 

In this app, it’s so easy to draft, refine, save, and repeat. It’s like paper, but better (less chance of coffee stains!)

Apple Pencil 

One of the more modern lifesavers for me has been the Apple pencil. Like any other stylus, this baby lets you draw directly on the screen in drawing apps on the iPad. However, Apple has designed this pencil to be as smooth and responsive as a sleek mechanical pencil. (Except, you know, less graphite marks all over your hand.) 

What more can you say? It’s a digital stylus created specifically for digital artists and designers like me to create amazingly detailed work. The lack of ink smudges is just another perk! 

Fabriano Notebook (Dotted or Grid) with .01 Micron Pen 

Still prefer traditional pen and paper? As much as I love my digital tools, there’s no true replacement for a gorgeous notebook and a pen that just glides across the paper!

I found my favorite in the Fabriano Notebook. I pair it with a .01 Micron pen, which gives you incredible control over each and every line. Plus, it’s environmentally friendly! I used to swear by this setup until I got my iPad Pro, and I still have a soft spot in my heart for it. 

Canson Tracing Paper

A new set of Canson Tracing Paper and .01 Micron pens are a perfect duo. This paper has an impeccably smooth and translucent surface that is resistant to scraping, which makes it perfect for tracing your reference images. 

If pens aren’t your style, you can use pencils, inks, and markers; whatever suits your fancy. 

12 x 18 Self-Healing Cutting Mat

When tracing, you need a solid cutting mat. My 12X18 mat is the best size for my work, as it’s compact enough for easy transport while still being hardy enough for consistent use. I love to tape my projects onto these self-healing mats, and the bias line makes cutting shapes and angles a breeze.  

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is a household name in the design world, and for good reason. This is a powerhouse of a program with tons of tools and features to play with, so you can polish your designs with ease. I sometimes use its sister program, Adobe Capture, to create production-ready color themes, patterns, vectors, 3D materials, and more. 

Want to see the magic I create with this toolkit?

These tools are a major element in creating brand magic for our clients. If you’re looking to elevate your brand with new designs or packaging, I want to help. I’ve helped dozens of creative business owners and wellness brands create designs and packaging that reflect their values, intentions, and quality. 

Book a consultation with Blades Creative Design Studio and connect with a brand designer who uses all the best tools to create a brand that showcases what makes your business unique.