‘Blast from the past’ is a retrospective time-machine, taking us back for a loving look at some ancient but never to be forgotten design classics.


1st in the ‘Blast from the past’ series is Paper D’Art, a publishing company specialising in innovative greetings cards and artisan stationery.

In this ‘blast’, we boldly go where not many design agencies can possibly go, seeking out design classics… all the way back to 1993, with a couple of warp speed jaunts into the noughties for good measure.

Here, our brand identity for Paper D’Art features a paper plane, rising majestically up through the ‘D’ to form the apostrophe in ‘D’Art’. Once this mission was complete, Right Angle was given the task of designing the packaging for six of their sub-brands, a series of writing sets and notelets, together with five of their greetings card ranges.

Paper D'Art Logo
New Age Stationery Card Packaging - for Paper D'art

NEW AGE STATIONERY – NOTELETS
Design and packaging for a bespoke range of New Age notecards and stationery.

New Age Stationery Cards - for Paper D'art
Paper D'art sub branding examples
Paper D'art sub branding examples

PAPER D’ART SUB BRAND DESIGNS


DANGLE D’ART

Dangle D’Art cards had key design elements hanging and spinning on fine strings.
D’ART NOEL
The Paper D’Art festive Christmas range.
D’ART AND SOLE
The tongue-in-cheek Paper D’Art romance cards.
D’ART NOUVEAU
Their Art Nouveau, illustrative greetings card range.
PAPER DAFT
The Paper D’Art ‘silly’ range – ‘I got you this Sham-poo, as I couldn’t find any real poo’.
NEW AGE STATIONERY
Paper D’Art hand drawn, stationery and notelet branding.

Mark my words, some of the retro design touches here, will be coming back in time again soon.

NEW AGE STATIONERY DESIGNS

Prepare the main thrusters… A quick jaunt from 1993 to 1997 leads us to this range of brightly coloured and highly illustrative stationery packs. Letter writing’s come a long way from the good old days of Basildon Bond.

Back in the 90’s, things ‘new age’ were all the rage!

Paper D'art - New Age Stationery sets
Greeting Card designs - Ages 1 & 2 for Paper D'Art
Cut Above Greetings Cards for Paper D'Art

GREETING CARD DESIGNS

A change of course and a quick blast over to 1999 shows us this selection of greeting card designs from the ‘Dangle D’Art’ and ‘Cut Above’ ranges.

The D’angle D’Art range of cards have the cut away apertures on the front covers with centrepiece’s dangling from a thin thread, when the cards are opened the centrepiece’s rotate.

The Cut Above range also have die cut apertures on the front pages, which reveal an unexpected punchline when the cards are opened.

All illustrations and designs for the greetings cards were created by the good citizens of Right Angle.

Dangle D'Art Greetings Cards for Paper D'Art
Cut Above Cricket Greetings Card for Paper D'Art
Cut Above Pigs Will Fly Greetings Cards for Paper D'Art

Me&McQ and
TOP OF THE WORLD

A smooth transition from 1997 onwards, takes us for a glimpse into 2005 to say ‘greetings’ to these unique 3D greetings cards brands.

The client in their wisdom, very much wanted the Me&McQ brand to link through to the styling of their highly successful New Age branding.

For the Top of the World branding, the letters launch ‘out of this world’ from layered top sections of the planet, linking beautifully back to the design and construction of the card range.

Me & McQ logo for Paper D'Art
3D cards brand 'Top of the World' for Paper D'Art

That brings us to the end of this episode. All of that jumping around the decades has taken its toll on the engine’s dilithium crystal and our main thrusters need a re-charge. It’s time to refuel the trusty time machine ready for our next ‘Blast from the Past’. As my good friend Captain Jean-Luc Picard would have said at the time, ‘Make it so number 1’.

Aye-aye Captain.