GE Imagination Notebook in Materials, Process, Print
Author Daniel Mason has selected our GE Imagination Notebook for inclusion in his great new book, “Materials Process Print: Creative Solutions for Graphic Design.” The book offers an in-depth analysis of specific materials and key print and manufacturing processes combined with a series of case studies showcasing many of these materials in use by contemporary designers. We were thrilled to have our work featured in such a useful and timely project. Pick up a copy here.
Daniel’s full write-up of our project after the jump.
Giampietro+Smith is a New York-based design studio. Founded by Rob Giampietro and Kevin Smith, its work focuses on cultural, editorial, and non-profit projects for clients such as Princeton Architectural Press, Knoll, The New York Times, and the United Nations. They created the Imagination Notebook for contract publisher Melcher Media, which had been comissioned by General Electric (GE) to produce a promotional piece to be used as a holiday gift.
To mirror the book’s theme of imatination, the cover is formed from white board (manufactured by GE), allowing the user to draw their own cover as many times as they wish. A covered corrugated outer box was printed with Thomas Edison’s original sketch for the light bulb—this box houses the book, along with a branded dry-erase marker and a felt bookmark which can also be used as a cloth to wipe the cover. The book itself includes handwritten thoughts on innovation from GE’s engineers and notable inventors, as well as sketches from famous notebooks including those of Frank Ghery and Piet Mondrian.
The materials used are highly varied, as are the processes, which all conspire to create a considered and complete project with an outer packaging that becomes as vital as its contents. The book tape, which holds the text together on the bound edge, has been foil blocked, and the whiteboards and the bookmark are screen printed.
The designerss had a very specific sense of which materials and processes would be appropriate—the biggest challenge was to find a white-board material that would not dent or chip at the corners. The book was originally to have square corners, but these were found to be uncomfortable to handle. As well as being easier for the reader, it was felt that the radius corners made the item seem more like the notebook it was intended to be.
It would have been easier to produce a more traditional leather-bound book, stamped with gold foil, echoing GE’s engineering notebooks, but a forward-thinking solution was considered more appropriate for the brand. The more inventive approach paid off—when the Imaginatino Notebook was presented to end-users it was voted a resounding success. —Daniel Mason