Ha’penny Design

The greeting card business built on nostalgia, sustainability and love

In a world of instant messages and digital overload, Michelle Goode is championing the art of the handwritten card. Her business, Ha’penny Design, combines vintage Irish charm with eco-friendly values.

When Michelle Goode was working in the advertising department of a large multinational retailer, she felt something was missing. Despite the creative nature of her role, she craved a more personal artistic outlet. What began as spare-time digital illustrations of beloved Irish locations developed into Ha’penny Design, an award-winning business that’s bringing vintage charm and sustainable practices to greeting cards.

The journey started in 2019 when Michelle opened an Etsy store to sell art prints of her illustrations. “To my surprise, the store really took off with them selling worldwide,” she recalls. When a company contacted Michelle about buying the rights to her artwork, she declined the offer, but the approach convinced her that her passion had genuine business potential.

Michelle expanded her range to include greeting cards, wooden postcards, and calendars, and she launched her own website, hapennydesign.com. In 2023, she made the leap from part-time endeavour to full-time business, and that same year Ha’penny Design won in the Sustainability category at the Irish Enterprise Awards.

Vintage Inspiration 

Michelle’s creative process starts with photographing colourful and interesting locations around Ireland, from small villages to iconic landmarks. She uses these as the foundation for her digital illustrations. “It’s a time-intensive process but one that allows me to bring a unique perspective to each piece,” she explains.

“Stylistically, my main body of work is inspired by vintage tourism posters from the 1950s, with a modern twist. I try to capture that sense of timeless charm and nostalgia, while keeping it relevant and fresh.”  One of her long-term goals is to create illustrations representing every county in Ireland.

Environmental responsibility is woven into the fabric of the business. The packaging for the greeting cards and prints is biodegradable, and all materials are sourced from Irish suppliers. Perhaps most distinctive are Michelle’s wooden postcards. “Where a regular postcard would usually be discarded, these wooden postcards double up as a piece of art to display in the home,” she says. Printed on sustainably sourced wood, they can be posted anywhere in the world, transforming an ephemeral message into a lasting keepsake.

Personal Service

For her digital platform, Michelle uses Squarespace, and she lauds its intuitive design capabilities and functionality. The platform provides everything from an integrated online shop to analytics and mailing list tools, allowing her to manage the business efficiently as it grows.

When it comes to marketing, Michelle has found that Google Ads is her most effective marketing channel. She has experimented with social media advertising but for Ha’penny Design search-based advertising delivers more consistent results. “I post when I can on social media, but I prioritise fulfilling orders over content creation.”

Delivery isn’t just logistics for Ha’penny Design - it’s integral to the customer experience. Michelle offers a personal service where she handwrites customers’ messages on their behalf and posts cards directly to recipients. “I find An Post is the most affordable dispatch service for my business, and the delivery speed is almost always mentioned in the reviews I receive from satisfied customers,” she says.

Interestingly, Michelle’s bestsellers aren’t traditional occasion cards. “Many customers buy multipacks of more versatile cards. My Irish Towns & Villages collection is a bestseller, and these can be used for birthdays, thank-you notes, or just to say hello,” she explains. Their A6 size means they often enjoy a second life, with recipients framing them as mini art prints.

Tangible And Meaningful

The festive season brings a significant uptick in business. According to Michelle: “Christmas is by far the busiest season for my online shop. People are more inclined to reconnect with family and friends during the holidays, and sending a card in the post feels like a more meaningful gesture than a copy-and-paste text message. In a world that’s overly saturated with technology, there is a resurgence in interest for something more tangible and meaningful than a digital message,” she adds.

Michelle Goode sees the act of sending cards as inherently mindful. “I find the time spent handwriting individual messages for each person on your Christmas card list is a ritual of mindfulness in a way. Taking the time to think about the person, choosing your words carefully, and physically writing the message is a beautiful process. I would urge everyone to put down the phone and pick up a pen. Support Irish-made and send a little piece of love through the letterbox this year.”

Ha'penny Design cards are available online at www.hapennydesign.com