Background
A study in color for Gmund paper, a nearly 200 year old fine paper mill located in Bavaria Germany, producing some of the highest quality papers in Europe. The company's heritage goes back 5 generations, among them Alois Ludwig Kohler, who had the revolutionary idea to produce coloured paper over 100 years ago. This passion for paper is still very much alive today, through the heir and current owner, Florian Kohler’s commitment to innovation and sustainability with the belief that paper is the future.
Assignment
The task was to create a promotional piece for Gmund Paper, to raise interest for the paper range, making it simpler and more inspiring for designers to select and specify Gmund paper, and ultimately “to sell more paper". The piece was launched as a promotional tool for the Drupa Trade Fair, with the objective to strengthen and refresh the Gmund brand as a market leader within the paper industry.
Solution
The result was the design of a paper tool for work and play. A series of sleeves present the various paper categories and house die-cut inserts with a focus on the paper quality and colour itself. Traditionally paper samples are bound in swatch books, which can limit the ability to properly see colours next to each other. This tool helps the user to combine and compare papers freely in endless combinations with the die-cut windows. A restrained approach using simple geometric shapes allows the tactility, surface quality and colour to do the job. The series is packaged in a paper box with a die-cut window which hints at the content while reflecting the colour selector strip on the Gmund website. The tool is designed with longevity in mind, to enjoy as a keepsake, for use and reuse. Upscale poster versions using full sized print sheets, with thick layered heavy-weight paper made impact for Gmund Paper at the Drupa trade fair in Düsseldorf 2024. The project included concept, design, copywriting and and print specifications.
Result
The Drupa trade fair booth in Düsseldorf was a success for Gmund Paper, attracting a record attendance with over 1400 visitors and acquiring new customers from more than 60 countries worldwide. It continued to have impact at the Unfolded Festival in Gmund’s own mill site as well as the recent G.F. Smith conference in Glasgow.
