Designing Minimalist Stationery: Creative Techniques and Ideas

A course by Marjolein Delhaas , Graphic designer

Graphic designer. Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Joined May 2022
100% positive reviews (6)
615 students
Audio: English, German, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish
English · Portuguese · French · Italian · German · Polish · Dutch · Turkish

Explore stationery design through typography, sketching, and bookbinding techniques to create personalized calendars, notebooks, or diaries

“Archiving, systemizing, and bringing order to chaos are what I love most. My designs aim to organize complex information in a way that is logical but also aesthetic.”

Marjolein Delhaas is a graphic designer who specializes in minimalist stationery. She runs her own studio in Rotterdam where, alongside working on client commissions, she creates paper goods that are sold around the world in stores like Selfridges in London and Cooper Hewitt in New York.

In this online course, Marjolein teaches you her process for structuring information and translating it into practical layouts for stationery.
Discover a “less is more” approach to creating your own journals and planners, and learn to design with efficiency in mind.

Read more ↓

What will you learn in this online course?

18 lessons & 11 downloads

The Materials
14 minutes, 55 seconds
Typography Research
7 minutes, 50 seconds
Organising the Content
4 minutes, 1 second
Binding the Pages
6 minutes, 45 seconds
How to Create a Collection
4 minutes, 23 seconds
  • 100% positive reviews (6)
  • 615 students
  • 18 lessons (2h 19m)
  • 11 additional resources (1 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English, German, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish
  • English · Portuguese · French · Italian · German · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Students will design a personalized stationery item such as a calendar, notebook, or custom diary by exploring typography, layout, and binding techniques. They'll transform their ideas into a tangible project, mastering the creative process from concept to final product.

Who is this online course for?

Aspiring graphic designers and stationery enthusiasts eager to explore creative design processes will find this course engaging. Ideal for those with basic typography and Adobe InDesign skills, it offers hands-on experience in crafting unique calendars, notebooks, or custom diaries.

Requirements and materials

No previous experience is required.

In terms of materials, you will need paper, a sketchbook, pencils, markers, a stapler, and other tools specified by the teacher in the course.


Reviews

615 Students
6 Reviews

Marjolein Delhaas

Marjolein Delhaas
A course by Marjolein Delhaas

Teacher Plus
Graphic designer

Marjolein Delhaas is a graphic designer based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. For over 17 years, she has combined commissioned design work with her own product label, which has become the core of her practice. Her work focuses on creating visual systems that bring clarity and structure to information through typography, layout, and color.

Driven by her lifelong fascination with paper, grids, and order, Marjolein began designing handmade planners and notebooks in 2008 — a collection that has since evolved into an international stationery brand sold in concept stores and museums worldwide. Her minimalist yet precise approach reflects her belief that good design transforms chaos into harmony.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Analysing, Researching, and Exploring

    • The Materials
    • Minimalism and Simplicity in Design
    • Typography Research
    • Exploring Binding Options
    • Does the Product Exist?
    • Collecting Content
  • U3

    Organising, Structuring, Sketching, and Creating

    • Organising the Content
    • Searching for Inspiration
    • Sketching Ideas by Hand
    • From the Paper to the Computer 1
    • From the Paper to the Computer 2
    • Trial and Error: Finalizing the Design 1
    • Trial and Error: Finalizing the Design 2
  • U4

    Finalizing, Producing, and Developing

    • Binding the Pages
    • How to Produce Your Product
    • How to Create a Collection
  • FP

    Final project

    • Minimalist Graphic Design for Stationery Products

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

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FAQs

Yes, this course is designed for intermediate-level graphic designers looking to deepen their skills in typography, editorial design, and creating custom paper products.

You will need basic bookbinding tools, various types of paper, adhesives, cutting tools, and access to design software like InDesign for digital layout work.

You’ll learn information organization, visual identity system design, custom bookbinding, minimal layout techniques, paper selection, and how to create and prototype functional stationery products.

Yes, the course includes step-by-step tutorials on several bookbinding techniques, including pamphlet stitch, saddle stitch, pad binding, and perfect binding.

Absolutely. The course teaches how to evaluate paperweight, grain direction, coated vs. uncoated paper, and sustainable sourcing for optimal print and binding results.

You’ll explore grid systems, typography for readability, use of negative space, and balancing visual elements to create clean, compelling magazine and editorial layouts.

Yes, you’ll learn to apply minimalism by reducing visual clutter, using negative space, and selecting functional graphic elements for clarity and impact.

Domestika courses are online classes that allow you to learn new skills and create incredible projects. All our courses include the opportunity to share your work with other students and/or teachers, creating an active learning community. We offer different formats:
Original Courses: Complete classes that combine videos, texts, and educational materials to complete a specific project from start to finish.
Basics Courses: Specialized training where you master specific software tools step by step.
Specialization Courses: Learning paths with various expert teachers on the same topic, perfect for becoming a specialist by learning from different approaches.
Guided Courses: Practical experiences ideal for directly acquiring specific skills.
Intensive Courses (Deep Dives): New creative processes based on artificial intelligence tools in an accessible format for in-depth and dynamic understanding.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Designing Minimalist Stationery: Creative Techniques and Ideas. Design course by Marjolein Delhaas

Designing Minimalist Stationery: Creative Techniques and Ideas

A course by Marjolein Delhaas
Graphic designer. Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Joined May 2022
  • 100% positive reviews (6)
  • 615 students