product design
2020 - PresentSoft Surprise is my art practice pseudo business where I design and produce soft and hard lifestyle goods, all while world-building within a whimsical brand that’s a special reflection and expression of me as a maker. Here are select products I’ve made by hand or with the assistance of contemporary crafting tools, demonstrating my breadth and depth of knowledge in handicraft and various equipment.
Soft Surprise - Scenic Toilet Rug (2024)
Title: America the Beautiful
handmade rugproject info:Principal: Joanna Lin
DANELLA TOOL
PHOTOSHOP
CINEMA 4D
OCTANE
c4d fur simulation mock up
Image map to drive the fur mappingThis design started out as a digital image made with fur simulation tools in Cinema4D where I painted an image in photoshop and then used that as an image map that drove the fur map coloration. As someone that grew up in Colorado Springs and a lover of the Rocky Mountains and Pikes Peak, I personally long to look at mountains as frequently as possible and that’s where this artwork came from. A few years after the digital mockup I handmade the rug with a hand crank tufing tool called the Danella tool. The Danella tool is much more fine and controlled than the typical electrical tufting guns that have become immensely popular in recent years. I used my stash of lace weight and fingering weight yarns to feed through the Danella tool for this final result.
TOOLSCREATIVE teamWhy buy this scarf when you could just wear toilet paper around your neck?
Soft Surprise - Toilet Paper Scarf (2023)
extra soft
thick
durable
100% fashionbrand
do not flushproject info:One of my favorite products I’ve ever made this is a personal tirumph for me in terms of material translation. I designed a repeat pattern, then with a laser cutter I etched the pattern onto rubber, typically used for stamp making, creating an unmounted rubber embossing plate. After my felt fabric is cut, measured, and the delineations are sewn in, I then use a heat press and a spray bottle to transfer the pattern permanently onto the felt. My first prototypes were done with wool felt, but the upon testing, the imprint disappears when exposed to water and I ultimately used standard polyester felt for the final product.
CREATIVE teamTOOLSPrincipal : Joanna Lin
PROCREATE
ILLUSTRATOR
PHOTOSHOP
LASER CUTTER
HEAT PRESS
SEWING MACHINE
Soft Surprise - Night Lights (2025)
project info:I began designing a collection of several nightlights, with at least a week of prototyping and iterating per design, I arrived at these forms. I used Fusion 360 to make the connection piece between the nightlight base and the toppers. The top portion of the night lights are modeled with a combination of Cinema 4D and ZBrush
Principal: Joanna Lin
CINEMA 4D
ZBRUSH
FUSION 360
BAMBU X1C
PHOTOSHOP
FIGMA
GarliC
POTATO
SAUSAGE
Green onionTOOLSCREATIVE teamSoft Surprise - Garlic Lamp (2025)
9in garlic table lamp
project info:Designed this table lamp, compatible with IKEA hardware. Besides the outershell, there are 2 bases that sandwich a wooden ring that helps place the center of the light where I wanted it in relationship to the form as well as encompasses the lighting socket. The bottommost base is modeled in Fusion 360 while the shade is modeled with a combination of Cinema 4D and ZBrush
CREATIVE teamTOOLSPrincipal : Joanna Lin
CINEMA 4D
ZBRUSH
FUSION 360
BAMBU X1C
PHOTOSHOP
FIGMA
Soft Surprise - Sock Clip On Tie (2023)
project info:Concept accesory with knit-in gusset knit on the Brother 970 standard gauge machine
Principal: Joanna Lin
BROTHER 970 STANDARD GAUGE KNITTING MACHINE
HAGUE LINKER
TOOLSCREATIVE teamSoft Surprise - Big Sock Tote (2024)
project info:Concept tote bag with knit-in gusset knit on the Brother 260 bulky gauge machine
CREATIVE teamTOOLSPrincipal: Joanna Lin
BROTHER 260 BULKY GAUGE KNITTING MACHINE
Soft Surprise - Calculator 80085 Vest (2024)
Manufactured Double Bed Jacquard knit
hand made fairisle prototypeproject info:This vest started out as a fairisle knit prototype that I made with the Brother 970 standard gauge machine, utilising the tool’s digital needle selection capabilities. I designed the artwork in Photoshop and prepped it for knit patterning in DesignAKnit. I hand-embroidered the 80085 number afterward. The company “Fashion Brand Company” reached out to license my design, and we made 3 runs of the vest. The first manufacturing quantity was 100 pieces, the second batch was 150 pieces, and then the final run was 300 pieces, the sweater was offered in sizes XS through 4XL.
CREATIVE teamTOOLSPrincipal: Joanna Lin
BROTHER 970 STANDARD GAUGE KNITTING MACHINE
HAGUE LINKER
PHOTOSHOP
DESIGNAKINT
Soft Surprise - Safety Vest (2024)
project info:Intarsia vest made on the Brother 260 bulky gauge machine. 3M reflective yarn within the grey stripes of the sweater
Principal: Joanna Lin
BROTHER 260 BULKY GAUGE KNITTING MACHINE
HAGUE LINKER
TOOLSCREATIVE teamSoft Surprise - Hairy Tubes (2021)
project info:One of my most successful products that I continually remake over the years. Initially conceived for the Sweet Tooth Hotel gift shop when I was one of their artist’s in residence.
Principal: Joanna Lin
CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE
TOOLSCREATIVE teamSoft Surprise - Skinny Scarf (2021)
project info:A silly little skinny scarf I knit on the Brother 970 standard gauge knitting machine. I used DesignAKnit to draw the little faces for fairisle patterning, I knit little arms that I hand sewed onto the body, and I hand looped the fringe that is the hairs.
Principal: Joanna Lin
BROTHER 970 STANDARD GAUGE KNITTING MACHINE
DESIGNAKINT
TOOLSCREATIVE teamSoft Surprise - Toilet Seat Cover (2020)
project info:Lace toilet seat cover knit on the Brother 970 standard gauge knitting machine with lace carriage. Pattern designed in Photoshop and DesignAKint.
Principal: Joanna Lin
BROTHER 970 STANDARD GAUGE KNITTING MACHINE
DESIGNAKINT
PHOTOSHOP
TOOLSCREATIVE team