Getting your kids to enjoy the daily ritual of toothbrushing can be a real challenge. But introducing them to the colourful Curaprox Kids Graffiti Edition of toothbrushes might just do the trick. Meet the designer behind them, Gila von Meissner, and learn more about her creative rituals and the inspirations behind this special edition of toothbrushes for kids.
What was your path to becoming a designer?
After years as a marketing manager, I needed a break from corporate life. I switched to freelance design more than 10 years ago, and for the last 5 years I have been focusing mainly on illustration and children’s books.
What do you enjoy the most?
My client list is a wild mix. I currently concentrate on illustrating (and often writing) picture books, but I also design pet-related packaging, greeting cards and kids’ products. Children’s books are certainly the most challenging and fulfilling, as the target group is so demanding.
What inspires you?
Nature and animals are my jam. Taking my pets out for a walk, visiting the endangered farm animal zoo next door, sitting by the lake and watching the kingfishers… inspiration is everywhere.
“Children’s books are certainly the most challenging and fulfilling, as the target group is so demanding.”
What are your daily rituals that you can’t imagine your day without?
I kick off the day with a coffee and a dog walk in the forest – usually the cat will come along too. And I end the day with jasmine tea and some reading. Everything in between is wide open, but there is no day where I don’t draw.
How did the collaboration with Curaprox start?
We met during a packaging project a couple of years ago, so I was excited when they asked me to come up with some characters and stories for a picture book series. Now we are working on bringing those characters to life. Combining education with fun stories is true magic.
So you knew Curaprox before the collaboration.
I always knew Curaprox as a premium, science-based leader in its field. The true pleasure was working with the team. Cooperation with such amazing people hardly ever feels like work.
What’s the idea behind your special edition of toothbrushes? What did you want to express?
Ash is one of the book’s main characters – turning him into a cool graffiti-loving design was a natural extension of that, alongside, as always, the rest of the cool gang of bacteria characters!
How did you choose the colours?
Some are related to the brand and the book, of course. To go with the graffiti theme, I chose higher contrast and bright colours. I even went out and took a photo of a neighbour’s wall to bring in true authenticity.
What was the biggest challenge of this design?
Working within the packaging format took a lot of sketching, so that every character and motive was still visible, made sense as a whole, and didn’t lose details.
“To go with the graffiti theme, I chose higher contrast and bright colours. I even went out and took a photo of a neighbour’s wall to bring in true authenticity.”
How would you like people to think about your toothbrushes?
I hope people will smile every time they see the little monster faces hidden in the brush. The packaging might be discarded, but the toothbrushes themselves are keepers.
Is there any dream product that you would like to work on?
I would love to have a book included in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library one day, which gifts books to children from birth until they start school.
Gila von Meissner is a freelance designer and illustrator from North Germany. She specialises in illustrated branding, packaging, and children’s books.
Her art is fun and approachable, with lovable characters, and painterly foliage and accents.
You can find more of Gila’s work on her Instagram and website, or follow her on Twitter.
