It is 4 months out from Christmas and now is a great time to think about developing the world’s greatest Christmas card design. In recent times it feels like the world has lost it’s taste for a decent card and many Decembers are awash with well intended charity cards and lousy ho-hum e-cards.

In a recent clean up this card by Gallaher + Associates appeared. Over the years we have got much pleasure from this goofy card and it prompted us to question the Christmas card thing, the low communication values put in this process and out of it we have developed a project to roll out of a Christmas card range for order clients and lovers of our work to order in 2009.

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Detail of image by J Geoffry Badner, design by Gallaher + Associates

Detail of image by J Geoffry Badner, design by Gallaher + Associates

G+A Xmas 2004, image by J Geoffry Badner, design by Gallaher + Associates

This Christmas card produced by Gallaher + Associates is one of our all time favourite cards sent to our office which has survived many new year culls.

Produced in 2004, this poor little dog in sheep’s clothing by photographer J Geoffrey Badner, summed up the idea of the silly season. It reminded one of what I loved and learned working with Alan and Andrew at Gallaher + Associates back in 1994 – a belief in the process and strength in producing creative works that are centered around the delivery of a single, evocative, sometimes inspired or provocative image.

Visit Gallaher + Associate here.

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Peace Dove by Studio Pip and Co, 2008

Studio Pip and Co’s greeting cards

Sign up for our Christmas card project

The studio produces a card every year and we are committed to making an impact in very clichéd space. In 2008 the studio produced peace dove, which happened to be one of the most inventive, impactful and inexpensive options that has rolled out of the studio, and we are charged to do it again. We have devised a studio Christmas card project for clients looking for an effective design and production solution. We invite you to join us and make a Christmas card that will blow away the raft of boring cards forever.

For details call 03 9525 9844, production cut off is 15 November 2009.

For some years now Andrew Gunn has been hassling the studio to produce a publication of Andrew’s photographic work.

We were in the middle of producing a printing guide when Andrew said – Printing guide sminting guide, I want tell the story of our love of print with something like this (he was thumbing through and old copy of Funnel, a Nelmes Smith Ashton stab at publishing).

That was eight days ago. An all night session that Thursday night, a pdf, a yes on Friday morning, aweekend of photo prep, artwork was ready Monday, pre-press was approved Thursday, press check 6am Sunday, binding on Monday. Launch on Wednesday (tomorrow) at AGIdeas for the Marina Willer presentation.

Get your copy at the conference! Thanks again to Gunn & Taylor, an amazing effort.

The studio has been madly working with Fringe developing the 2008 festival campaign. There is mostly a new team running the festival, in a new work space — an exciting process of review, scoping all the options and then implementation is in the air.

The campaign this year has been developed around the idea of it being a project, or an event in its own right and we have extensively collaborated with David, Emily, Eloise and Beau to work out what‘s right, right‘s what and wrong rights. It is not your typical designer and client relationship — rather than setting briefs and doing work on computers, it is working out the opportunities and executing how to exploit them. A very nice way to do work.

There is much to show and that will come later. In the meantime enjoy the excellent motion piece developed by Studio XYZ in response to the theme we put in place for Fringe 2007.

The studio is launching a print piece at this year‘s festival, watch this space, as they say, for details.

The studio has been working on new promotional material for a paper called Stephen. The grade has enjoyed some recent changes including — FSC Certification, recycled content upping from 25 to 50%, a new cover weight 330gsm across the range and sexy suite of new white shades — Spicy, Scrambled and Chilled.

So we are madly making images, writing, collaborating and inventing content, like Derek Myna here. Derek, along with other imaginary concoctions, will soon be singing a happy song of the new and always improving ways of Stephen. The new stock is ready to specify now, and promotion materials will be swooping on your studio soon.

Read all about Stephen here

Saxton has been a brand that has been under the care of the studio for some time now. 2008 sees in many new changes for this premium Australian paper grade.Saxton is now exclusively distributed by Spicers Paper. Spicers has committed to evolve Saxton as the needs of specifiers change. To start things off Spicers has added to the 2008 range new weights of 115gm2 and 340gm2 for Brilliant White Smooth and Vellum.Saxton has also gained FSC — Forest Stewardship Council accreditation — an international not-for-profit membership-based organization that brings people together to find solutions to the problems created by bad forestry practices and to reward good forest management.

Saxton is one of a few premium papers made in Australia making it a sustainable choice for Australian designers looking to reduce the carbon footprint of their work.

The studio has a new campaign in production in the spirit of getting back to basics and embracing the good life. We have collaborated with Earl Carter, Shara Henderson, Tin and Ed, Edwina White to produce, print and design tools, posters, postcard and notebooks.

Look out for this tree and not far will be some of the studio‘s work.

Visit Spicers, FSC, Earl Carter, Shara Henderson, Tin & Ed, and Edwina White here.