Meet the Maker: Niccy Iseman

As a way of improving the diversity of our greetings cards collection, we have been reaching out to artists and creatives whose work celebrates different religious and cultural events.

With representation and inclusion at the forefront of her creative process, Niccy’s cards that celebrate Judaism were the perfect fit for our growing collection. We chatted to her about how she got into paper goods and the changes she hopes to see in the industry.

Hi Niccy, can you tell us about yourself and your work?

Hello. My name is Niccy Iseman. I started Type and Story in 2016 after having my son Albie. I was having an identity crisis after his birth as I really didn’t know how I was going to get back into work and meet the demands and hours of previous jobs.

Whilst I pondered how I would find the right job for me, I started using my evenings and spare moments whilst my baby slept to develop an alphabet that would eventually become my first collection ‘SignPainting’, launched in June 2017. I had previously worked in creative teams within retail for big flagships (such as Selfridges and Ted Baker), so had lots of experience with product and trends. I suppose the brand organically formed with no real intention, just to do something exploratory and creative while I figured out what to do with my life! 

What inspired you to set up your shop? How has it grown since launch and where can we find your products?

The gateway idea behind the shop was simple. I wanted to design good products with an emotive tone and sensibility which spoke to people like me – people who were creative, expressive and emotive. At the time I started the brand, there were a lot of comedy cards on the market and cards which arguably showcased and celebrated, I believe, the worst of our culture. I have a real problem with misrepresentation, and I noticed lots of stereotypes  of the ‘gin-drinking mum’ or the ‘comedy-goofy dad’, neither of which resonated with me or profiled my parents in the way I saw them. I don’t think these dumbed-down versions of people on cards represent real people and their relationships. I wanted to talk directly to the soul of the customer without feeding into cultural norms.  

Since 2017 and my first launch, the brand has evolved to showcase six main collections which can be found in galleries, museums and interesting spaces globally. You can find my products in Oliver Bonas, Anthropologie, Papier and gorgeous indie shops worldwide.  

How did you get into greeting cards?

I applied to Not On The High Street when I had my first set of samples of cards and notebooks. They soon after became my first stockist, so I had a platform to sell from. I shortly after applied to the Stationery Show LaunchPad competition, where I was one of the lucky winners and won a stand at the show. This was brilliant because it gave me a direct route to trade and exposure to buyers. The show accelerated my desire to do well in the industry and I quickly identified better suppliers and booked my first trade show at Progressive Greetings Live (UK’s only trade exhibition dedicated to greeting cards). This is when I got my first big retailer, Paperchase. 

Can you tell us a bit more about the greeting cards designs The Postal Museum has collected and what they mean to you?

The Postal Museum picked a gorgeous and varied selection of cultural and festival cards which celebrate Judaism. Representation is really important for me, and I felt that the Jewish cards on the market were not particularly tasteful and their design was often separated from mainstream card styles. My aim was to make an inclusive range of beautiful cards, that I felt aligned with the rest of my collections.    

What would you like someone to feel when they see your greeting cards on shelves?

I want them to feel seen wholeheartedly. I want them to feel valued and loved, included and represented, not sidelined and not missed. 

What change were you seeking to inspire in the industry? What more do you think needs to be done to improve representation?

My desire for inspiring change in the industry definitely stems from not wanting to feel boxed in or feed into accepted cultural norms. I didn’t want to reproduce another card with a banana on it that said ‘Go bananas, it’s your birthday’. Often people are going through hard times despite it being a birthday. They don’t want to go bananas particularly, they just want to feel seen and loved by those closest to them on their birthday. A banana card somehow misses the point of connection because it misses that person entirely. 

My desire for a more accurate representation of people remains the same, but we have a long way to go culturally if we keep avoiding authentic language and sensibility in favour of dumbed-down humour. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a place for humour but we need a variety of starting points. 

Have you received any feedback from a stranger who bought your greetings cards that really stood out? What difference did your cards make to them?

The feedback I get time and time again is “wow, this is so beautiful, my friend/mum will love this” and I smile inside as I know they probably will! 

What role do you think greeting cards play in celebrating religious and cultural events? 

I believe cards are a starting point to open up conversations and stay curious to ways of being. They are a physical marker to show gratitude and acknowledge people’s backgrounds and traditions in a beautiful way. 

What do you see as the future of greetings card design?

I think printed greeting cards are becoming more of an art form and I imagine printed ones will be more textured, shaped and pop up as time goes on. The rest will be digital as the opportunities to personalise are growing.  

What would you like someone in the future who discovers these cards in the museum’s collection to know about them?

These cards are designed with real intent for authentic connection. I want to represent real relationships that reflect real people, not ones that have become socially accepted or ‘the norm’ within our culture. They strive to touch people’s hearts. They are inclusive and mirror design trends and taste levels in a celebratory way. 

 You can purchase Niccy’s cards in the Holiday Cards collection on our online shop.