Custom designs - do you use them? Do you make them?

[VelveteenCat]

I have stayed away from custom designs for the longest time, but it's come to a point that I must admit that using them could probably improve my island greatly. However, I know nothing about them and the "ettiquette" when it comes to using them.
Is it really the majority of players that use them?
I'm not able to make pixel art myself so I would have to use patterns that others have created. Is that considered a normal thing to do or is it frowned upon in the sense that it takes away from an island's creativity?
I'm mostly interested in pathing, but I guess the same questions would apply to clothing, too.

 

[JellyBeans]

I definitely use them! my path is the main custom design that I use (I'm guilty of having given in to The Path) but I have various ones throughout my island - the shelves of my bakery, the menu of my tiki bar, movie credits at my cinema, previously had bottles at the back of a bar. I have a few custom designs for clothing but really not that many, I haven't gone out of my way to find new designs in quite a while. I was very into designing custom clothing back in NL (I think if you actually search hard enough there's a thread of mine in the forums posting them) but I haven't actually done all that much in NH. it's definitely something I'd be interested in doing again.
I personally don't think it takes away from an island's creativity at all! people create and publish these designs with the intention of them being used and loved by others, so I don't see how admiring other people's work enough to implement it in your own way on your own island would be a problem.

 

[KittenNoir]

I do use custom designs people are just so creative I am about to start making my own though as I want a café menu with my island theme to it. I also want to make a Island flag cause I am still just using a basic one

 

[Xara]

i use them and honestly,, i think i might be a bit obsessed with them haha. since i don’t have much artistic ability, i’ve always used other people’s designs which imo isn’t a bad thing at all! you can find thousands of designs and creator codes online, things that i don’t think the creator would disclose if they weren’t comfortable with their designs being used. i don’t think it takes away from an island’s creativity, either - if anything, it adds to it as with how many designs are out there, the possibilities of what you can do with them and what you can make are endless. but don’t feel pressured to use them - whatever you’re comfortable with doing is perfectly okay!

 

[Pyoopi]

Yeah, I create all my designs myself. I'm far from a pixel artist but I have a professional background in digital art; so I like challenges even if I'll frustrate myself to no end.

 

[Sheydra]

I‘m one of the ones who are very happy they upped the amount. I love custom designs but don’t have the skill to make them myself.

 

[X10Rinne]

I use a ton of patterns, but only ones I made myself. I draw in ACNH more than play the actual game probably, though.

I love seeing villagers wear stuff I designed or costumes from other media I like! They're great for adding personal touches, like your own magazine pages or customized laundry poles outside villager houses.

Etiquette-wise, as long as you follow the rules of the person who made the design, they should be fine to use! I would definitely look for designs from the original creator on twitter/pixiv instead of through the kiosk in-game, since that doesn't have the artist's comments or anything.

Also, be really careful of art thieves who repost designs they didn't make, cause sadly there are a lot of attention-seeking ""compilation"" accounts that spam stolen screenshots without crediting/linking to the real creators.

 

[JemAC]

I use some custom designs around my island, most of which have been recent additions that I've added while redecorating parts of my island. The main one that I use is 'The Path' that I held off on using for a long time but I kept seeing it on other peoples islands and loved the natural look so I gave in and placed it on my own island, I also use custom wood type flooring on various parts of the island to match the furniture in those areas. Other then that I've used a couple of custom knit patterns to customise various furniture pieces, mostly the log type items.

All the custom designs I use, apart from a couple of solid colour designs I did for the pool beds, are made by other people who are a lot more creatively skilled then me and make some fantastic designs.

 

[BigBadButterfree]

I make lots of clothes. Mostly Pokemon-themed. I like to wear them from time to time. I don't use any paths or anything. I have a couple pictures I made using the online pattern tool, idk if that counts as me making it or not lol. I have those dotted around the island as paintings/signs.

Oh, I lied. I have two things on the ground I made, a doormat that looks like a piano, and an island welcome mat near the airport.

 

[Marshmallows]

I use mostly my own designs, but they are bad. I make them quickly and am always like, I'll fix it later, but never get around to it.

I did download a loose stone path that I really like, and a dress one of my characters always wears... also a few other things, but not much. There's a lot of creative and well done designs.

 

[Che5hire Cat]

I did use here and there some designs, as of lately paths along with simple patterns for the ground. Also sometimes clothes if I found any nice looking ones. I also did my own designs, but I'm not the greatest designer out there. Most of what I have done so far are just random tries to recreate any outfits of characters from TV shows or movies. The results are... Not that good tbh. It may works better if you could actually use the touchscreen function while design something. With only using the buttons, it's a bit tricky for me to do any proper details.

 

[LoserMom]

I use them a lot! I don’t create them though because I have no artistic ability whatsoever lol

 

[Moritz]

I have used up nearly every design slot.
I have only made the wires going from my microphones. The rest are downloaded

 

[piske]

I use them! They help to add some unique character to your island. I especially like them for pathing since the shapes you can make with the built-in pathing is limited. I try to make my own on occasion but I am not a good artist, so attempting to make realistic-looking designs usually doesn't pan out that well, lol.

 

[Pintuition]

I love custom designs- both for decor and clothing. Initially I was intimidated by creating pixel art designs but after trying a few times I've actually found that I prefer making my own designs. I love doing traditional art so for me creating pixel art was a smooth transition. I can make exactly what I want, I don't have to rely on in game patterns or other people to make the decor just right for my island. This is really advantageous if you're looking to make your island and clothing unique.

I love to download designs made by other people as well. There are lots of creative folks out there that are much more skilled at designing than me. I constantly search online for new elements I can add to my island or wardrobe. To me, using custom designs is a chief part of the way I like to play the game- my island would be so different without them!

 

[Halloqueen]

I don't use custom designs for making paths or anything like that on my island. Heck, I don't even have any paths in general. At least as things stand currently, my island's residential area isn't set up in a way where I could make a decent looking neighborhood with paths, so I simply don't bother.

The only path stuff in my island currently are some of the in-game paths, but neither is used as a path. I use the dark dirt path for the pumpkin patch and the terra cotta tiles for a restaurant I built, both for the flooring of the interior as well as the dining area where the tables and chairs are placed.

I primarily fill up my custom design slots with clothes designs that people make. I made something of my own once for a Christmas event here on the forums back in December and it turned out better than expected, but generally I'm not talented with art so I just leave it to the professionals. I collected clothes designs in New Leaf too, some things people make are just amazing.

 

[moo_nieu]

ive use a couple and made a few. to be honest, most of my slots are empty though. the very first pattern i made was a mole for my face, so my character would look more like me lol

i created a simple pale yellow and light orange gingham pattern which i use for a couple things like my flag, phone case, changing room, and hammock patterns. i also had a little picnic set up with it once, but that ended up getting replaced with a bench. its cozy and farmy looking, and i used to wear a lot of the gingham pattern shirts in my gamecube days, so theres a bit of nostalgia as well.

i also created a little sand heart with my boyfriends initial in it. its something i would do in real life and it makes me happy :3 i made some firworks patterns similar to this for the summer shows, but they just sit in my pattern inventory for the rest of the year.

i created a sign that says keep our oceans clean with little fish on it. i put that sign next to the trashcan on the beach corner. i hate seeing trash on the beach irl, but idk why i felt compelled to do this in game xD i think i just put up a trashcan for easy disposal of items but ended up adding a sign since to make it look less like 1 lonely trashcan shoved in a corner

i created a sign that says cafe and has a small cup of hot coffee c: it marks of the place i would put my cafe... if i had one! (i always think of the fairly odd parents dinkleberg meme whenever i pass my cafe sign and the small cliff platform that blocks off the area i would use ;-;

oh i also made some reindeer hoof prints for my face paint in the winter tbt dress up event for grandma got run over by a reindeer. i still have them since they make me laugh and i have plenty of space for pattern storage

i also use codes by other people for my patches of dirt, a little patch of white wildflowers, and two signs: one is like a warning/wanted sign about redd which i placed on the path to the secret beach (its also visible from the viewing platform a few cliffs above) and the other is a little billboard with different notices and colorful flyers on it (theres also a small redd icon on one of the papers lol we are really raising awareness of this guy) which i have on a sign in the small, campsite adjacent rest area i created with vending machines and benches

 

[VelveteenCat]

Thank you all for participating in the poll and sharing your views! Apparently the majority indeed uses custom designs and it makes me feel a lot better to see that not everyone is making them themselves.
So far I have only stuck to in-game pathing and due to the fact that I like to make circle paths, I end up with a lot of awkward green space that would look so much better with cute textures. I was just never sure if it isn't weird to use other creators' designs But as some of you said, the people who share their work probably want it used.
I think that I will give custom designs a shot and hope that my island will benefit from it

 

[maria110]

I enjoy using some custom designs but I have no idea how to make them or how to make really good ones. I'm terrible at graphic design anyway.

 

[sleepydreepy]

I use a lot of custom designs but I don't make them myself since I don't know how to do pixel/digital art. I really love using them though and I think they can really make an island extra special