Bio: In 2004, owner/designer Grace Woo founded New Year Designs with a small line of monkey cards that has grown to include 11 different animal characters and over 50 designs. Grace’s professional training is as a graphic designer, but it is the influence of her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology that has led cultural symbols and motifs to find their way into her card designs. Though unlike a good objective anthropologist, she freely ascribes human traits to animals, insects and plants.

The New Year Designs studio is located in a sunny spot in foggy ol’ San Francisco, California.


Whether it’s because you were born in the year of the monkey or because monkeys make you laugh, everyone identifies with an animal. In all cultures animals represent different human traits and some are also believed to bring good luck. By choosing from these animals for our cards, New Year Designs combine a touch of cultural charm with a hint of a message to create a truly thoughtful card.