celebrating 15 years of small business
Fifteen years ago, a simple idea blossomed into what would become May Designs – a testament to the power of creativity, determination, and entrepreneurial spirit. As we celebrate our 15th anniversary this Small Business Saturday, we're taking a moment to reflect on our incredible journey.
the may designs story over the past 15 years
A JOURNEY of Creativity, Resilience, and Purpose
From a spark of an idea to a nationally recognized brand, May Designs has been more than just a company – we've been a movement of creativity, innovation, and purposeful design. Every notebook, every product has been an invitation to step into your best version of yourself.
Each notebook sold has been fuel for our passion, a testament to the power of believing in your vision. We aren't just selling paper and ink. We are creating an invitation – an invitation to step into your best self, to dream boldly, to document your journey. We have been your paper companions through every season, academic agendas through high school and college, planning your wedding and tracking pregnancy & newborn feedings; budget tracking to save for a house or trip to planning out your weekly meals. From health scares and hospital stays to daily musings, our notebooks provide a safe space for you to mind dump and share the mental load.
Humble Beginnings
From a Dream to a design revolution
What started in a small home office with nothing more than passion and a vision has transformed into a beloved brand that has touched the lives of entrepreneurs, creatives, and dreamers nationwide. Our founder, Mica May's, mission was simple: create beautiful, functional design tools that inspire and empower.
The Power of Inspiration and Innovation
The Power of Inspiration and Innovation
We didn't just create products; we reimagined personalization for a digital age. As pioneers in the online personalized product space, we transformed how people think about custom design.
Nine appearances on Good Morning America, multiple national collaborations with brands, and a groundbreaking on-demand production model set us apart from traditional retailers, catapulting our success in a time when online customization was not a thing.
Our approach was simple yet revolutionary: give customers the power to create, personalize, and dream. From custom notebooks to on-demand fashion pieces, we've consistently pushed the boundaries of what personalization could mean. We turned mass production on its head, offering real-time customization that put creativity directly into our customers' hands.
The Unfiltered Truth
An Entrepreneurial Heart: More Than Just Business
Behind every beautifully designed notebook, behind every personalized creation, there's a story that rarely gets told. It's a story of late nights, of coffee-fueled dreams, of moments when the bank account looked more like a warning than a possibility. This is the real story of May Designs is not just about a brand that caught a lucky break on air, but a testament to the relentless spirit of entrepreneurship. From production woes to pandemic pivots, our story is one of triumph and the audacity to continue blazing the trail, even if we didn’t fully know our way. It's a story of our kids coming to our studio to work on homework while we finish for the day and asking for grace over and over again when the daily balance of work and family becomes out of whack.
Milestone Moments: A Timeline of Triumph
2011: our national launch
Hey, hey GMA
On December 1st, our world transformed overnight when Good Morning America featured May Designs. In a whirlwind 12 hours, we sold over 33,000 custom notebooks – a number that would overwhelm most startups. With just our founder Mica May and a handful of part-time team members frantically answering emails, we were riding a wave of opportunity that would define our brand. This wasn't just a sales moment. It was a revolution in personalized design. Millions of viewers discovered our innovative approach to customization, and what could have been a logistical nightmare became the catalyst for our growth. Every frantic email, every rushed order was a testament to our commitment to bringing personalized design to life. The incredible success allowed us to reinvest every penny, hiring our first full-time employee and developing the groundbreaking website that would become our signature – a platform where customers could see their personalization choices in real-time, transforming how people interact with custom design. One appearance, millions of viewers, and a vision that would change everything.
2013: Expanding our Design universe
patterned products
In 2012, we began expanding our design universe to be able to put our patterns on more products! From tumblers to stationery, phone cases and folios, our aim was to able to offer a full design suite of personalized products you could pick up and carry with you. With an emphasis on innovation in the new print on demand space, we doubled down all of our effort into building proprietary technology and product design. We showcased our versatility and commitment to personalized design with adding hundreds of patterns to our website that could be personalized on a variety of products.
2012: you get a may book! you get a may book!
Oprah's seal of approval
In 2012, we designed custom "Life 101" notebooks for Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Acacemy for girls in Africa. This demonstrated our commitment to education and empowerment beyond borders. This was a true dream come true - to see our notebooks in Oprah's hands for the first time! Then, in 2014, May Designs was selected as one of Oprah's Favorite Things for her famous "Holiday O List Gift Guide" which was another "pinch me" moment for our whole team.
2018: MAY DESIGNS IN TARGET STORES
TARGET: A DREAM COLLAB
May Designs' signature style found a home in Target stores nationwide through a remarkable seven-year partnership that brought beauty and organization to millions of homes. Featured in prominent end cap displays, the collaboration launched with two major product collections, showcasing both yearly and academic agenda lines that captured Target shoppers' attention. This strategic partnership marked a significant milestone for May Designs, transforming the brand from a beloved online presence into a household name accessible in Target stores across America. The collection's success demonstrated how May Designs' distinctive aesthetic and practical planning solutions resonated with Target's design-conscious audience, making beautiful organization available to customers nationwide.
2016: clothing capsule collection launch
FASHION FORWARD
We boldly stepped beyond paper and into fashion, proving that our design philosophy could transform more than just notebooks. Our innovative capsule collection turned the traditional fashion model on its head - introducing truly on-demand, personalized clothing. We weren't just creating dresses; we were reimagining how fashion could be made. Each piece - from girl's twirl dresses to elegant shift dresses - was cut and sewn only after a customer's unique order. No excess inventory, no waste. Just pure, personalized design that celebrated individual style. Our cut-and-sew approach meant that a single customer's imagination could become a perfectly tailored reality. We took our signature approach of personalization and applied it to silhouettes, proving that custom design could exist beyond stationery - and could be more sustainable in the process. This wasn't just a clothing line. It was a statement about the future of fashion: personal, on-demand, and designed with intention.
2020: rapid response to global crisis
our pandemic pivot
When the global pandemic struck, May Designs swiftly transformed its on-demand production model into a force for good. Leveraging existing manufacturing partnerships, our company emerged as one of the first U.S. businesses to address the urgent need for fabric face coverings. Within just 30 days of shelter-in-place orders, May Designs produced. sold and distributed over 10,000 face masks, while also developing essential oil-infused hand sanitizers. The company's agile response not only supported public health efforts but also demonstrated how an established on-demand business model could rapidly adapt to serve critical community needs. By providing functional yet pleasant solutions during an unprecedented crisis, May Designs exemplified how businesses could pivot their existing strengths to meet urgent societal challenges.
2024: a return to excellence
Our flagship notebook, reimagined
May Designs is thrilled to announce the return of our beloved sewn-bound notebooks, marking an exciting new chapter in our story. After navigating post-pandemic production challenges, we've partnered with an exceptional manufacturer who shares our unwavering commitment to quality and craftsmanship. This strategic partnership allows us to restore the distinctive sewn binding that made our notebooks a cherished everyday essential. Moving forward, we're focusing our creative energy on what we do best: expanding our collection of captivating patterns, enhancing personalization options, and developing innovative new page layouts. By returning to our roots while embracing fresh possibilities, we're recommitting to the premium quality and thoughtful design that May Designs customers know and love.
15 years of innovation and impact
creativity meets purpose
In its remarkable 15-year journey, May Designs has emerged as a testament to the power of innovative, woman-owned business leadership. The company has touched the lives of over 600,000 customers, empowering them to create more than 1 million unique custom designs through its groundbreaking technology platform. As the company looks ahead, it remains steadfast in its commitment to sustainable design practices, creative problem-solving, and designing beautiful products that can accompany you on your daily journey. May Designs continues to fulfill its mission of creating products that inspire and empower, proving that thoughtful design can transform both everyday organization and moments of magic and delight.