2012 aiga minnesota Design Show

Because the design is for our annual holiday gift, the brief reads very similarly from year to year–make it relevant, make it interactive, and make it hold a pound of chocolate. Our discussions kick off with observations of pop culture, subculture, and our own current interests. We incubate our top ideas and from those that get us excited we choose the one that we can make real and best showcases our writing, illustration and package design talent. This year’s inspiration was our country’s fascination with fairy tales and the revival of paper craft. Our clients, mostly packaged goods companies, expressed how the gift delighted them and inspired them to rethink the possibilities of package design.

Delivery of Work

We produced about 500 gift sets and distributed them in person, by courier and by mail. Since our gifts are designed entirely out of paper, this poses an especially significant challenge throughout the design process as we have to weigh every structural decision for both beauty and strength. However elegant the design, we have to ask, "Will this survive a freight flight to Mexico City?" If there's any doubt, we change the design.

The Results

We design our gift as a sincere effort to bring joy to our clients and to their families. The response this year was especially positive. The idea was a departure from the popular puzzles, send-ups and playthings we'd created in the past, so we're pleased that it was greeted with such enthusiasm. We believe the time and tailoring that went into The Fox With The Golden Fur is an expression of genuine thought and thoughtfulness, one that our clients and colleagues will recognize and remember.