Another month means it’s time to appreciate another vp designer, and this time it’s none other than NT’s very own Melk - also known as one of the most recent additions to the ranks of official designers! Today we are getting to know Melk a little better, and of course also talking about all things designing; from inspiration to process, and finished product. Hope you enjoy! (And feel free to enjoy a glass of milk while reading)

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Marie, but most people on here and some people irl call me Melk. I’m 24 years old and I’m from Norway. I’m currently studying to become an elementary school teacher at the same time as I work as a swimming instructor. I like thrifting, sewing and anything that has to do with clothing really. I also enjoy video games and cosplaying, but I don’t really do it much anymore.

Another well-known and important fact about me is that I love both milk AND milk.

/ Norwegian lesson: melk = milk

How long have you been designing for vp and what initially sparked your interest in doing so?
I started designing last summer, mostly because I really wanted a top I own irl to be in game as well. I also have some sneaky surprise items ig from 2017 that most people didn’t know that I made before I tagged them. If I tell the truth those were actually just simple items I made for a “collab” so I could get the rest of the set for free, but honestly I still love them. They’re iconic.



I also started designing because of the lack of male sets. I thought I might be able to help with that as I love clothes in general, and I think of myself as a relatively creative person – so why not give it a try, right?

Where do you get your design inspiration?
Could I get away with just saying black and gold? On a more serious note, I mostly get inspiration from photos I find on Pinterest and my irl wardrobe. Sometimes I don’t use a reference at all or get inspired by one detail from something that already exists and mix it with something else. Usually I just go for whatever idea that pops up in my head while designing.

What program do you use for designing? And do you use a mouse or a drawing tablet?
I use Medibang Paint Pro and an 8 year old Wacom Bamboo drawing tablet that I got from my girlfriend because she just had it laying around and I wanted to try using one. My first design was made with a combination of trackpad and mouse... I wonder if I could manage to do that again or if I’m too well adjusted using a drawing tablet at this point.



Approximately how long does it take you to design one set?
That really depends, so I’m honestly not quite sure. Usually, I get very into the flow while designing and don’t stop until I’m finished, or I have to go to bed. I think it’s safe to say that I usually use 2-3 days to design a full set if I’m motivated – and to be totally honest, I’m not sure If I even want to know how many hours I use during those days.

How much time do you spend designing on a weekly/monthly basis?
My designing is very inconsistent. In January I finished four male sets and two (converted) female sets, in February I made two, but I still haven’t finished anything in March yet. It really is easier to design when I get a sudden burst of inspiration, compared to designing because I have to.

As a newly badged designer, how do you feel like your approach to designing has changed from being a nonD to now designing as an official part of the team?
I haven’t really finished much after being badged, have I? I’ve uploaded a lot of the sets I “held hostage” waiting for a good opportunity to use them. I didn’t really plan to join DT this fast either, but when the applications opened up I just couldn’t help myself and went to work; two days later I was badged. It actually only took 1 hour and 20 minutes from when I sent the application until I got into DT. It’s really bad timing though, as right after getting badged I went out into work placement, and I don’t have much energy left when I get home for things like designing and other team work. I can’t wait to be done with work placement so I can use more time on designing. If you look past bad timing and such, I really do enjoy being in DT, it kind of feels like a big validation of my designs.

On the other hand, I feel like I can’t send in “skimmed milk” designs anymore. Though I know most people probably don’t care if I make a lower quality set from time to time, so I might have to work on not having too high expectations of myself. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect all the time.

How was the experience of uploading your first set, and how did it feel seeing your own designer tag in the wardrobe for the first time?
Uploading my first set was something I was both excited and nervous about as I’ve often heard that other new designers think they did a good job, but then misplaced most of the items. To my surprise it wasn’t really that hard, it’s just drag and drop, but it really is easy to misplace stuff if you aren’t extra careful.

Seeing my own designer tag for the first time was really nice, and I had a lot of fun bragging about being Melk_EN to some of my close friends on this site. It was also very nice to see all my previous sets and items labeled as well, except for a few sets that I rather just forget.

Do you have a set that means something special to you or that had a special story behind it when you created it?
I associate most of my sets with what I watched or listened to while making them, and these sets were partly made when I voice chatted with Atencia and BloomCissi this winter. It was the first time Sofie (BloomCissi) joined Solveig (Atencia) and I after we had tried to push her to do it for a long time. The discord chat we used was called “Sofie being forced to talk!!”, but I’m glad to inform you that it later changed name to “Sofie wants to talk!!”



*

Thank you so much to Melk for opening up and sharing parts of her process and experiences as a designer!

I can’t wait to see where her design journey goes from here, and I’m sure many of you feel the same, so feel free to leave her some love in the comments ♡