How I Illustrated This Product Launch
When Little Cake Co. asked me to create a custom illustration for their product launch, I knew it would be a dream project with colourful cakes and a whimsical brief.
Mariella, the founder, wanted to move away from stock imagery and create packaging that truly reflected her brand. Her cakes are luxurious yet playful, and she wanted artwork that felt just the same: magical, sophisticated, and very much her own.
Brand packaging with custom illustrations by The Most Curious Kat for Little Cake Co.
What the client wanted
This wasn’t a rebrand but a fresh chance to elevate Little Cake Co.’s packaging and give it a signature look for future launches.
Mariella’s goal was to make her packaging feel like a gift in itself, something customers would want to keep or photograph. She wanted a design that captured the delight of opening one of her boxes, blending elegance with imagination.
She chose custom illustrations for her product launch because she wanted something no one else had - something that would feel hand-crafted and distinctive. Stock images couldn’t capture the magic behind her brand, so a bespoke illustration felt like the perfect fit.
Whisk shaped balloon and cake basket - custom illustration for Little Cake Co. product launch
Adding flavour to the ideas
Mariella and I started by chatting through her vision, sharing mood boards and inspiration. She even sent me a box of her delicious cakes to enjoy while I sketched, purely for research, of course!
She loved one of my earlier designs, Dreams and Wishes, which became the spark for her bespoke artwork. I began doodling ideas around that same sense of playful wonder with cakes floating through the clouds, bunting, ribbons, a dash of storybook charm.
Once we’d settled on the concept, I refined the sketches and sent them for feedback. This early collaboration is one of my favourite stages when we see how an idea evolves into something both magical and on-brand.
With the layout approved, I built up soft layers of watercolour, mixing pastel tones with richer hues to balance lightness and luxury. Then came the delicate inking adding depth, linework and those tiny details that make a custom illustration truly sing.
Initial sketch for Little Cake Co. custom illustration
The finished project
The final piece is centred around a whimsical hot-air balloon or rather, a ‘whisk’-shaped balloon drifting gently through the sky.
The basket is a sponge cake, warm and golden, surrounded by ribbons and vintage bunting. Tiny icing droplets swirl through the air like confetti, adding joyful movement.
The colour palette is dreamy and elegant, with soft vintage shades that reflect the brand’s luxury feel. The result is both enchanting and refined, a visual expression of the Little Cake Co. itself: sophisticated with a sprinkle of magic.
The finished illustration - blue and yellow whisk shaped balloon with cake
How the client uses the custom illustration
The custom illustration became the hero of the packaging sleeve for Mariella’s bespoke cake selection and now features across her website and social media. It’s also helped her visual identity become instantly recognisable encapsulating the sophistication and the whimsy.
Customers noticed straight away. One reviewer wrote, “Beautifully crafted and packaged - highly recommended.” Another mentioned, “The packaging is amazing.” Comments like these show how thoughtful design enhances not only how a product looks but how it feels to receive.
I loved every part of this project from sampling cakes to sketching bunting. It was the perfect blend of freedom and collaboration, and a reminder of how custom illustrations for a product launch can completely transform a small business launch.
For Little Cake Co, the artwork didn’t just decorate the packaging, it became part of the whole story.
If you’re planning a product launch and want to add something truly personal, I’d love to create a custom illustration for your product launch.
