For aeons, good stationery design has been synonymous with a functioning society. From letterheads, business cards, envelopes, accessories, and diaries, creating a unique identity through appropriate imagery is essential to stand out in a competitive market. Stationery design is thus the process of capturing this imagery to facilitate branding that accurately delivers the intended information of a business. The process of stationery design can be a professional company-based approach or an independent individualistic approach with more freedom. With the evolution of technology, the dawn of social media, and better living conditions, stationery design has shifted into the digital world with an even greater emphasis on imagery. However, a traditionally simple gesture of giving a printed business card to someone or selling accessories always leaves a positive impression emphasising the importance of good design.
A brief history of stationery design.
The basic concepts of stationery design have existed for centuries, dating back to the 11th Century Byzantine Empire with its symbolic flags and logos. Many empires and dynasties throughout the centuries had symbols with unique colour schemes and layouts. These symbolisms would be present in their flags, leaflets, and murals. They were some of the earliest examples that showcased the significance of good stationery design in helping emperors etch their mark on their territories. Other early examples included the works of blacksmiths and artists who would distinguish their works through intricate craftsmanship that was unique to them.
With the dawn of printing and mass production after World War 1, the demand for good stationery design increased, thus becoming necessary to stand out in a growing and competitive market. From book labels to newspapers and business cards, almost every aspect of society depends on stationery design to draw in more consumers and clients. In this digital day and age, stationery design is present in almost every field and has seamlessly become a part of everyday life.
The layered process of stationery design.
Ideating efficiently through research and trials to generate a core concept is necessary for any good design. These principles apply to stationery design as well. Mood boards are a good starting point that helps give designers direction. Mood boards also help one understand the requirements and tastes of their clients because it is essential to have clients involved in the design process to create unique and specific outcomes that are personal to them. These identities can be created through colour schemes, texts, layouts, and materiality that conveys the core concepts of a particular brand or individual. For example, yellow and warm tones denote happiness and playfulness and are seen in stationery designs involved with children or food chains. On the contrary, black is more eloquent and often seen in sophisticated brands. Thus, understanding colour schemes and how they mix is important in communicating the intention of a business or brand.
Choosing the right font style is also essential for good design communication. Playful fonts such as Sallomae and Moira are very different from sophisticated fonts such as Helvetica or Bahnschift; both styles communicate opposing intentions. Colours and fonts paired with appropriate imagery require a good layout. Minimalism in stationery design layouts is a trend that dominates most of the present market for good reasons. Minimalism is safe with clean outcomes that draw the viewer’s attention to the desired subject. Although it looks easy to attain from the outset, creating a minimalistic layout is often challenging. The maximalist approach to layouts is equally challenging as designers need to accommodate several subjects while ensuring the intention of the stationery design is still communicated to the viewer.
How good stationery designs facilitate good brands
The seriousness of a business is often shown through its branding as that brings in consumers and clients, giving them a reason to associate themselves. Good brands are facilitated by stationery design that helps elevate and propagate the services offered by the company or individual. For example, if a company were to have brochures with the same content but in different styles, people would likely not take that brand seriously due to a lack of coherency.
In a similar light, if a real estate agency were to brand itself with a vibrant layout having a playful font, there is a high possibility of losing potential clients due to inefficient design. Digitisation has consumed every aspect of life and is evolving every day, making the market of each field more competitive than ever before. Trends change and evolve frequently, with consumers and clients preferring different tastes and designs. Thus, the demand for good stationery design is more relevant and necessary than ever.
The future of stationery design
The demand for stationery design has only grown over the past few decades and continues to do so rapidly. With the increase of digitisation and better living conditions comes the increased demand for more amenities making for very competitive markets across several disciplines. Tools and skill sets necessary to become a successful designer are now more accessible and readily available on many platforms. One can have a design background to dive into stationery design. A thorough understanding of the intent that needs to be propagated, satisfying client requirements, and keeping with emerging trends is the basis for effective stationery design. The work of stationery designers often needs to be more appreciated. Hours of trial and error and extensive research into creating a single letterhead immortalise the designer as people view and use the letterhead. The internet is now a counterpart for businesses and humans in general. As long as people depend on technology, the demand for stationery design is ever-growing.
References.
Igor (2023) 60 professional examples of stationery design, Inspirationfeed. Available at: https://inspirationfeed.com/60-professional-examples-of-stationery-design/ (Accessed: 06 July 2023).
Kosik, A.H. (2022) Letter perfect: How to be a stationery designer, Skillshare Blog. Available at: https://www.skillshare.com/en/blog/letter-perfect-how-to-be-a-stationery-designer/ (Accessed: 06 July 2023).
Wiley, N. (2023) Stationery Design 101: The best stationery design ideas, Printivity Insights. Available at: https://www.printivity.com/insights/2022/08/10/best-stationery-design/ (Accessed: 06 July 2023).
