I recall the very first time I ever came across Ben Schlitter’s work. I found a link somewhere to his set of icons for the Mac. I immediately became a fan, and have followed his work ever since. There’s something just “right” about his designs. They are typically vibrant, playful, simple and yet they always leave a lasting impression. I discovered that he worked with Vonster, (who wrote a great article here) and long story short, Ben gave some insight into his latest project. Here’s Ben:

Geo + Info Postcard Project
The Geography + Information: Distribution Project happened quite organically. I created the original design and concept for a geography themed poster contest. My entry consisted of a poster made up of individual postcards for viewers to remove, complete and mail to friends. I envisioned posters disappearing piece by piece as people sent their geographic details and stories. Unfortunately, after finishing the design, I visited the contest’s website only to discover that submissions were already closed. I was surprised as the contest clearly accepted entries until midnight. It was only 5:15PM. I soon learned that the contest was based in the UK so 5:15PM my time meant Big Ben had already ventured past midnight. I was bummed and the irony of the geography theme didn’t help matters.

Although a bit disheartened, I still liked the project’s concept and shifted my focus to the individual postcards. I refined the designs and created simple packaging; a clear sleeve with an additional folded postcard. This card functions as a label and provides instructions. Assembling a set is straightforward: fold the instruction card, place the cards in the fold and then slide it all into the clear sleeve. I assemble the sets in small batches in my studio.

The individual postcard designs emphasize creativity over heavy-duty research and provide a format by which to share often overlooked geographic details. For example, the Industry card asks you to scribble out the items most affected by pollution in your area. Other cards ask for a sketch of a typical day or to indicate your population density. Each package includes the following cards:

-Climate
-Land, Water + Animals
-Population + Lifestyles
-Industry + Resources

After completing the cards I created a website to promote and explain the project. I set up a basic shopping cart using ANYR&D’s Flash plugin. The site is simple and follows many of the design cues set by the postcards.

This project was never intended as self promotion. Perhaps that was in the back of my mind but I really just wanted to expand on the original poster design. It received a tremendous response resulting in many new projects and opportunities. What began as a personal project quickly became self promotion. I’ve learned that one of the best ways to promote yourself is to do something you love and eventually people will notice. I enjoy design that challenges and teaches so I created a project along those lines. I hope people using the cards learn more about their environment and have a bit of fun at the same time.

Postcard printing

www.4by6.com/
Excellent printer. The first batch of postcards used their glossy finish. For the next batch I will use a green printer such as www.greenerprinter.com . Using recycled stock and earth friendly printing methods fits the project and is just a good idea in general.

Clear envelopes:

www.clearenvelopes.com/
This is the best place for clear envelopes. Tons of sizes and quick shipping. I use their sleeves to package all of my art prints as well.

Flash shopping cart plugin

anyrd.anyorganization.com/home.html

This is an easy to use shopping cart plugin for Flash that allows you to integrate a Paypal shopping cart right into your design.