The Artist in Your Inbox: meet Yooree Ko

If you’ve ordered from MOO recently, you might already know Yooree Ko’s work. She’s the artist behind the new hand-draw illustrations popping up in our order emails, from the moment your order lands with us to the moment it lands with you.

Yooree is a graphic designer at MOO, working across everything from Sticker designs to campaign visuals. The illustrations she works on in her spare time are full of fairy tales, quirky characters and everyday scenes where something unexpected might be waiting just around the corner.

So, naturally, we wanted to know what goes on inside her head. Welcome to The Artist in Your inbox, our series introducing the creatives behind the artwork landing in your MOO emails.

A little strange is a good thing

Ask Yooree to describe her creative universe and things get wonderfully weird, quickly.

She imagines everyday life as a place where you might turn a corner, open a door and suddenly find an imaginary creature waiting on the other side. It’s a way of looking at the world that finds room for fantasy in otherwise familiar places.

That fascination started early. Yooree has loved drawing since childhood, eventually working as a graphic designer in Korea before moving to the UK and studying for a Master’s degree in illustration. For her, design and illustration aren’t separate. They’re part of the same ongoing process of translating ideas into something visual. And some influences have stuck around.

“There are always lots of fairy-tale books” on her desk, she says. Folktales, old stories and children’s books continue to feed into her work. The appeal is simple: add just a little imagination and an ordinary day can become something else entirely.

Finding ideas everywhere

Living in London helps too. Yooree has lived in the city for ten years, but says she sees it through the eyes of an outsider. People, houses, streets, language, tastes and smells can all feel unfamiliar enough for her to see something other people might miss.

When inspiration runs dry, she rarely stays at her desk trying to force it. Museums and galleries are a favorite reset, although sometimes just walking down a London street is enough. As Yooree puts it, the city is “overflowing with inspiration.” Other sources are considerably more everyday. Right now, she’s inspired by changing seasons and the different fruit appearing in supermarkets.

Taking illustration off the page

For Yooree, illustration gets even more interesting when it leaves the screen. “A drawing remains in a 2D world, but when it becomes a print or a book, it gets closer to becoming a physical, 3D object.” That physicality makes the story feel more vivid and alive.

That love of physical storytelling can be seen in Collectors Street, a picture book created with Owl & Dog Playbooks. The collaboration began after the publisher discovered Yooree’s work on Instagram and realized they were both based in London.

Yooree has a particular soft spot for Lily, the owner of the toy store. Lily makes toys for children, but also seems to live inside the fairy-tale world she’s created for herself. Yooree sees a bit of herself in her. 

Bringing a little surprise to your inbox

Which brings us back to your inbox. 

The checkout might be over, but the experience isn’t. So when Yooree began working on the illustrations for MOO’s order emails, she wanted to keep some of that excitement going.

“I wanted the email to be something that could still give customers a sense of excitement even after they had actually made a purchase.”

Rather than simply illustrating the information on screen, she pushed things a little further: exaggerated scenes, quirky details and, importantly, a sense of human connection. 

It’s a useful reminder that design doesn’t only belong in the big moments. Sometimes it’s the very practical ones that have the most room for something unexpected.

Rapid fire with Yooree

Before we let Yooree get back to designing and illustrating, five quick questions.

What’s inspiring you right now?
The changing seasons and the changing fruits in supermarkets.

What’s always on your desk?
Skittles.

What’s a creative habit you can’t live without?
I always carry a Notebook and Pen, even if I don’t end up drawing anything.

What makes something worth keeping?
I like odd things. Things that aren’t ordinary, even if they might feel strange. It’s all about having fun.

And finally, your favorite MOO product?
It has to be the Twist Pen. Simple but fun. 

So next time a little illustrated world appears in your inbox, you’ll know who’s behind it.

At MOO, we care about great design. If your brand does too, fill out the form and tell us what you’re working on. We’re here to help.