The Importance of Stationery in the Digital Age

Find out why it is essential to design stationery for your company or brand

The character of a brand or an artist is defined in different ways. Stationery is one of the most exciting places where this is visible, as it can have a visual and tactile impact that produces a sensorial experience. There are two types of stationery: corporate and retail, and a variety of printing and finishing solutions to choose from when designing and printing out our creations to paper.

Laura Méndez–creative director and founder of Menta (@mentabranding)–is an expert in stationery design. We talked to her about its importance and features.

What is the difference between corporate and retail stationery?

The moment the consumer or user comes in contact with a brand is crucial as it is the moment the brand communicates its vision, values, and personality. Stationery comes into play at this point.

Corporate stationery is the tool through which a company or a brand communicates its vision. It is composed of pieces in a contained style that communicates the seriousness required of official documents: precise and verified information and a low-key tone, intended for the end-user.

Retail stationery needs to transmit the personality and concept of a brand. It allows for more playful use of layers, materials, and sizes that enhance the tactile experience of the user.

Corporate stationery

An excellent example of corporate stationery is one developed by Menta for an Airbnb home in Guadalajara, México.

The stationery created for Casa Lupe is made up of various identity elements: the art déco-inspired logo echoes the iron details and general architecture of the house; the swallow symbol, representing a migratory bird that always returns home; and illustration elements of flowers traditionally found in the homes of Guadalajara.

In this stationery project, Menta created a complete experience for the guests of the house, including postcards, business cards, welcome cards, safety seals for water bottles and letter headed paper for use by the guest or to write useful information to them.

Retail stationery

An example of retail stationery is this project developed for the brand Ápice. It consists of labels printed on different papers that include the logo or copy of the brand and is also applied to other materials, such as leather. Among the various pieces are a sticky label for postage; a thank-you item to enhance the customer’s unboxing experience with the logo, copy, and a small illustration; letterhead paper; and business cards.

As we are used to daily digital encounters, stationery that provides a tactile, olfactory, and visual experience allows the brand to create a sensorial and emotional link as it communicates its story and its values to the client.

Menta’s director, Laura Méndez, teaches the Domestika course Design of a Captivating Corporate Stationery Set, in which she teaches how to create corporate and retail stationery step by step, using detail to create a unique language.

You may be interested in:

- Branding in Three Times: Brief, Concept and Visual Creation, a course by Estudio Yeyé.
- Creation of an Illustrated Personal Identity, a course by Alejandro Giraldo.
- 5 Golden Rules for Designing a Successful Logo