Love Lettering

My name is Doris Wai, and I started my company 5 years ago as a hand lettering artist for events, businesses, bespoke home décor, and gifts. As an illustration graduate, I found that I loved drawing letters most. My vision for my company is to bring the beauty of hand lettering to everyday life, as well as to special moments. Because lettering has the potential to be communicative AND beautiful, I wanted to show the world what was possible if I were to combine lettering and everyday objects. This led me to become an author of my book Extraordinary Hand Lettering, which is about the art of lettering beyond paper. Besides being a service, I started designing products with my lettering to create a brand and also selling the tools/pens I use to letter on everyday objects.

I don’t have any specific influences, as I create things that I feel are missing from the market and solve situations that I am dealing with. For example, I created my “Shhh….Baby Sleeping Sign” because when my daughter was born, my mini schnauzer went crazy when people came to the door and it would wake my napping daughter! Another example is my Wifi Network/Password chalkboard. I was tired of guests asking me that question, so I created something pretty to look at that served a purpose too. I figured that if I needed one, others may too!

I think it’s really important to be authentic, to do what you love, and be who you are. You really cannot go wrong if you follow these rules. Trends may come and go, but you will still be you through and through so stick with that!

I think my business has a sense of sustainability to it, as I actually letter on things that can be reused again and again; mirrors, chalkboards, glass, etc. For the hand lettering service, I rarely letter on paper, so it creates a zero-waste zone for sure! On the product side of things, packaging is definitely key for brand representation, so the challenge is always to be mindful of how to create less waste.

I chose noissue because their customization and quality looked amazing, and the MOQ was reasonable for a small business! I actually wanted to create this “Thank You” tissue paper as a potential design to resell to other small businesses who wanted a simple message with their packages. So if anyone needs a cute “Thank You” PDF, you know where to find me! It's wonderful to know that when a customer opens your order, there will be something pretty waiting for them! Custom packaging is an unexpected surprise that makes a big difference.