Meet Jessica Phoenix. While this may be your first formal introduction, you’ve likely seen her work through our Positively Green greeting cards. Since 2007, Jessica’s iconic silhouettes and beautiful illustrations have graced the front of these popular cards. And now, she’s reached an incredible milestone—her 700th design!
Positively Green began with a simple mission in mind: to offer inspiring cards, produced with the least environmental impact. Printed in the US on FSC®-certified, 100% post-consumer recycled paper, each card pairs Jessica’s vibrant designs with uplifting quotes to mark important occasions and everyday moments. We asked Jessica to share about her experience developing Positively Green into the beloved line it is today.
You have been involved in Positively Green since the very beginning. How has the design style evolved over the years?
The first ideas for the line were to keep it simple and colorful, but to also have a block print element to it. That’s why all the cards have a white border. There used to be a lot more artificial texture added to the cards, but over the years, I have slowly phased them out.
We also used to put far more limitations on what colors we used. For the original 48 cards, we chose 12 background colors and tried to only use those colors in all of the imagery. That didn’t last past the first release, as I was too eager to play with color! Over the years, the design has shifted more toward color and composition and less toward the iconic “white silhouette.” While I do generally still use the white silhouette, there are some cards where it’s completely absent—yet it still looks like a Positively Green card!
Tell us about the process for coming up with a design concept to pair with a quote.
Our process has changed over the years, but it has always involved collaboration. I could never come up with all of the images on my own, and I am thankful to have so many brilliant minds helping me! Right now, I start with sending some general image ideas to the editor for Positively Green, who keeps that imagery in mind when selecting quotes. When all of the quotes are chosen, we'll both sit down and brainstorm imagery for as many cards as we can. Then, we bring everything to our product development team where we figure out the rest of the cards and finalize the images.
Is there a particular type of card you enjoy designing or an occasion that has been the source of some creative inspiration?
I usually get to create the most fun and unique imagery for our Birthday and Thank You cards. A lot of my favorite cards tend to be food or flower related!
You have designed a number of award-winning cards. Do you have a personal favorite?
I love so many cards for different reasons! For a card that I love both the sentiment and the imagery, I would have to go with the Thank You bird murmuration card. It’s such a striking image and an amazing phenomenon in nature to witness in real life. And for a card where love the imagery and had a lot of fun making it, I would have to choose the Birthday cheese plate card we released a few years ago!
What do you hope people will experience when they pick up a Positively Green card?
I first hope that people are drawn to the overwhelming color and vibrancy of our cards—our Positively Green rack looks like a delightful rainbow! Then, I hope they find imagery that delights and resonates with them. And once they read the quote and inside sentiment, I hope everything just clicks into a meaningful and heartfelt experience. There are just so many good options for every occasion.
See all of Jessica’s designs and find the perfect Positively Green card for your next occasion here.
Share