Meet February's Featured Designer: Nancy So Miller

Feb 16 min read

Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be an illustrator and surface designer.

I started illustrating when I was a child. I was born in South Korea and immigrated to the U.S. before I started kindergarten. I didn't speak English, so I entertained myself with drawing and storytelling. Once I became an adult, my career path evolved from being an in-house graphic designer for a magazine, an art teacher K-12, a children's book author/illustrator, and a surface designer.

My interest in surface design developed during my MFA in illustration. I loved picture books and noticed how some illustrators incorporated surface patterns into their artwork to enhance their visual storytelling. I took a course from Sara Rabinowitz, a fibers professor who taught me how to make digital repeat collections. During her office hours, she shared her experience running her creative business. Those chats inspired me.

During my breaks from writing and illustrating picture books. I kept making patterns and taking online classes. I took Elizabeth's Silver's Surface Pattern Business course. Her class helped me understand how to approach marketing and get my surface work art into the market.

Who or what influences your art?

I've made some wonderful friendships during my art studies. I met a classmate during my graduate studies in Professor Sara's digital surface design course. Her name is Kelly Kiviranna. Kelly is such a fantastic rug designer, photographer, and textile artist. She shared her professional expertise as a rug designer for one of the leading companies that manufactures and designs for hotels, casinos, and event spaces. She shared the beauty and thought process behind creating football-length surface designs for rugs. I learned how she solves problems and works with her clients to produce timeless designs. She made me aware of how textures and simplicity in the work can create a feeling that compliments the environment.

Since I live along the coast of Georgia, I started looking around the natural environment. The walks along the beach and downtown Savannah provide endless inspiration! I'll take photos or do some plein air watercolor painting during my time outdoors. These images become inspiration for motifs and color palettes. I love watching how light falls and changes. Also, my Korean ethnicity inspires some of the stylistic choices I make. I love looking at Korean fiber arts by Lee Chunghie and Han Sangsoo.

For my children's book writing and illustration, those stories have been inspired by living my own life and questions I'm interested in finding answers to.

What mediums do you use to create your art?

For my surface design art, I started with pencils and sketching. Then, I like to sandbox and play with my paints, pen and ink, printmaking, and whatever I have on hand to create textures. To some extent, I think about my sketches for my motifs because I want to capture the feeling that goes with them. I also find the material or technique that best suits the motifs and the feeling I want. I try to avoid being overtly tight because I want to create some “happy” accidents this way. Then, I have many variations and options from which I can work. My studio becomes a disaster area. But this is my favorite part of the process because it's like being a kid again, and I get to play and make a mess. I scan everything, clean it up in Adobe Photoshop, and vectorize it in Adobe Illustrator. I'll work in a limited color palette and create the repeat or surface design in that program. Sometimes, the design would be great for a particular line, but the client will feel it suits another application. Having the flexibility to scale things up and down in Illustrator is helpful.

For my children's book illustrations, the art is mixed media, and I photograph the final illustration for a digital file the client can reproduce. It's similar in process with the surface designs. Loads of sketches, thinking, and experimentation.

Do you approach companies/publishers on your own or do you have an agent? You've authored and illustrated a book coming out in 2026. Can you tell us a bit about the book and how you were able to secure a publisher?

Yes, I do approach companies independently for both publishing and surface design. I like speculative work, and I know that the things I make won't always sell. For my writing/illustrating, I've written countless stories that never went anywhere because I was learning my craft as an author/illustrator. One story came back to me over 15 years later from sketches I'd made for a rough book dummy. It was a story from Korean folklore I'd rewritten. The main characters are three brave sisters. I was drawn to it because I'm the eldest of three sisters. I've enjoyed creating the illustrations and adding bits of patterns and loads of textures into the illustrations. It's been a blast!

I was un-agented when I sold my debut picture book as an author/illustrator with Holiday House Books for Young Readers. There are a few publishers that accept unagented submissions. I took a leap of faith and sent it in on my own. The acquiring editor found it in the digital slush pile, and I got my second agent, Kaitlyn Sanchez of Bradford Literary Agency, shortly after. Kaitlyn has been excellent to work with!

You also license your artwork with companies. What products/companies showcase your artwork?

I've been fortunate to work with Home Comfort Rugs, doing art for their Jellybean and Cozy Living Rug lines. I've enjoyed working with them, and seeing the finished samples has been so much fun!

I've also sold some of my surface designs on cards and notebooks, which I wholesale locally to small boutique shops in Savannah. I've enjoyed meeting local business owners and hearing what sells in the area.

Would you like to share any advice you have for designers who are considering working in surface pattern design or illustration?

I found the best advice from Elizabeth Silver for surface design. She mentions this on her YouTube channel talks and interviews. There are many different markets/products, and her advice to focus on one area was helpful. Learning about a particular market takes a lot of research and time. My time is limited because I'm a parent, wife, and art teacher. I decided on home decor and children's book writing/illustrating. The more I focused, the better the results were for me. Also, I don't take it personally when I don't hear anything back. It takes repeated points of contact. Even if you aren't hearing anything back, keep improving your craft. As you improve your craft, it will rise to the surface, and the buyers will notice. Be patient.

I started interviewing other creatives on my podcast to learn more and feel connected to a creative community. Building a community helps. Most creatives know how challenging and isolating this career can be. I started the podcast My Creative Life and interviewed over 200 creatives. Some of my guests are seasoned surface designers and children's book creators who inspire me to keep going. Hang in there because you aren't alone!

What's next for you in your artistic endeavors? Are there any other companies or publishers you would like to collaborate with?

I am adding more work to my portfolio of surface designs and patterns for the home decor market. I'd love to attend Atlanta's Gift Market show next summer and connect with more companies that create for that home decor market: pillows, blankets, and wallpaper.

Also, I'm writing and illustrating a middle-grade novel about being part of the Korean American diaspora. I feel the need to tell that story. Even if this middle-grade novel is never published, it will help me improve my writing/illustration craft for future stories. I have other picture books and novel manuscript ideas percolating. I'm excited about what the future will hold in my creative endeavors. Thank you so much for having me!