Conventional Confession #5: Paper Goods

I am a graphic designer. This is what I do. So it’s understandable that I love all things related to good design. However, I get frustrated at how few examples there are of really great design that’s environmentally sound.

It’s true that there are some companies I’ve written about before whose packaging or product design is as visually pleasing as it is good for the environment (Pangea, Loomstate, and Ecover, for example). So it’s been proven that it can be done. But for a design junkie like me, what’s to be done about all the great design out there that just doesn’t seem to care about saving the whales?

Try as I might, I just can’t seem to deny my love of good design, no matter how consicous it is or isn’t. My particular problem is that I especially love print design. Posters, notecards — you name it, I love it. I have a huge metal box in my office FULL of the stuff. I wish I could say it’s all recycled paper and vegetable inks… But, sadly, hardly any of it is so.

So, I thought I would air out my guilty conscience by showing all of you just why I can’t resist. After all, every girl’s got a weakness. Of course, I’ll always keep an eye out for good design that meets my ethical requirements. But until I find some more, enjoy the following examples of my favorite vice.



JACK & LULU

I have many products from Jack & Lulu, a modern stationery company that makes notes, gift papers, and other irresistible paper goods.



SMALL STAKES POSTERS

The music posters from The Small Stakes are designed by a guy named Jason Munn whose passion for music and posters eventually became the way he makes his living.



WASTE NOT PAPER

This Chicago-based paper goods company, cutely named Waste Not Paper, is the master of the pattern. They sell an array of various patterns, as well as a line of bulk cards that allows retailers to choose which color combinations and shapes they want to sell.



HATCH SHOW PRINT

Hatch Show Print is a legendary letterpress design shop in Nashville, Tennessee. Though the shop made its name designing and printing music posters for Grand Ole Opry names like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, their client list today includes modern country singers as well as large national companies.