Opera Graphic Design Grafisch Papier

Challenge 1 How can design support companies in developing and communicating their corporate identity, brand repositioning and corporate logo refreshment?
Opera Graphic Design
Grafisch Papier
GrafischPapierHier
Creating a new identity and design for Grafisch Papier’s annual event for lovers of
paper and printed matter around the theme ‘Paper, Carrier of Ideas’ as expressed
through ‘Artists Books’.
Client
Grafisch Papier
Andelst
The Netherlands
Client’s Business
Supplier of paper
and envelopes in
the Netherlands with
a very special character
and image.
Year of launch
2007
Target countries
The Netherlands
Who is the client, what is their position
in their industry?
Grafisch Papier is a well-known supplier
of paper and envelopes for the Dutch
graphic industry. Grafisch Papier employs
120 people and its headquarters is located
in Andelst.
What business is your client active in and
what is their strategic positioning?
Grafisch Papier is the paper merchant in
The Netherlands that stands out. They have
a very broad assortment and are the top
player in Writing, Text & Cover and other
speciality papers. Grafisch Papier focuses on
the graphic industry and graphic designers
and always tries to do things differently.
Their philosophy is that ‘design matters’.
What was the brief for your project and what
does your client hope to achieve?
Every year Grafisch Papier organizes
the ‘Papier Hier’ (Paper Here) event for
professional users of paper. Grafisch Papier
challenged OPERA to renew the content
of the 11th event to inspire lovers of paper
and printed matter. The central exhibition,
presentation of Grafisch Nederland 2008 and
the award for the Best Annual Reports 2007
were to be kept. One of the requests was
to change the location of the event from ‘Het
Maagdenhuis’ in Amsterdam to a location that
would provide a more inspiring environment.
The event should be an artistic experience for
professionals who are fascinated by paper.
How did you discover the core of the problem
and how did you find the solution?
How should one express the essence of
paper without resorting to ‘how one can
use paper?’ With the genre ‘Artists Books’
it becomes clear that paper literally is the
carrier of meaning - paper is needed to
develop and fix ideas. The artist’s idea is key
and economic considerations take a back
seat. Even for illustrative arts professionals
the Artists’ Book is a mystery. According
to Joop van Caldenborgh, one of the guest
speakers lecturing at the event about
Artists Books, it’s an experience; ‘you
smell’, ‘you feel’, ‘you see’ and ‘you read
the world through the eyes of an artist.’
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These fascinating books show how paper
and cognition are woven together. These
considerations led us to the theme ‘Paper,
Carrier of Ideas’ expressed through ‘Artists
Books’ and elaborated on in inspiring
lectures and objects of art. In this way
OPERA changed this perception of the event
from an informative day into an experience
of what paper can do to text and image.
Our research showed that the visual identity
of the event was not consistent and did not
enjoy immediate recognition. We determined
that the yearly event needed a true visual
identity and a new recognizable name that
would strengthen it’s strategic position.
OPERA suggested changing the name
from ‘Papier Hier’ into ‘GrafischPapierHier’
(GraphicPaperHere), to emphasise that
Grafisch Papier is the event’s organiser.
‘Pakhuis de Zwijger’ in Amsterdam, built
in 1933-1934 as a cold store and now a
national monument used for the creative
industry, was chosen as the new location.
Describe the key design aspects of the project
In addition to rebranding the event as
‘GrafischPapierHier’ and refreshing the visual
identity, OPERA developed a new design.
People working in the graphic industry are
confronted daily by typographies, squares,
colours and images. These facts are
expressed in the new logo and design of
‘GrafischPapierHier’ where coloured squares
are used alongside typography and images
of every day icons and fill the page. The
collection of colours and illustrations is a
recognizable icon and at the same time the
individual squares don’t share any meaning a puzzle never to be solved.
This leads us right back to the essence
of the event ‘Paper, Carrier of Ideas’.
All paper used for ‘GrafischPapierHier’
communications had two very different
sides. The front was a glossy and shiny
white, which gave the coloured squares
a rich feeling; in contrast the back was
a dusted white, and was used for all
information needed, including details of
the paper used. A digital newsletter and a
website were used to inform the graphic
industry about the event and activities,
The new logo, coloured squares filled with typograpy and icons.
like the announcement of the Best Annual
Reports 2007. These Annual Reports
were hung from the ceiling in one of the
auditoriums so you could walk through
them, touch them, smell them and read
them. Special tables, made from corrugated
board, were used to show print samples, the
newest kinds of paper and their possibilities.
To empower the essence of paper, OPERA
and Grafisch Papier in cooperation with the
Culture Foundation, invited inspiring guest
speakers like Loek Grootjans and James
Victore to give lectures on different aspects
of Artists Books. Specifically for the event
OPERA published, in cooperation with
Loek Grootjans, ‘Board of Control, selected
google version’ – a small red picture filled
book containing gems of wisdom found on
the world wide web – and ‘Urban Spam’,
a book showing how our mailbox and our
environment is blemished by us humans.
To add to the experience, paper editions
from the Caldic Collection were exhibited
with white-gloved hands turning the pages
of these precious books. These books were
also shown in the movie that was created
for the event. Vers (Fresh), a paper bag
holding full coloured images from promising
young designers for presentation to potential
clients, emphasizes the importance of the
future - to make sure that the knowledge, the
art, will be preserved and not forgotten.
What is the single most important thing
needed from the designer and from the client
to make a design project successful?
The will to look beyond obvious answers
through real cooperation between client and
designer. The two parties need to develop a
shared understanding of both the problem
and the approach towards a design solution.
Good communication between client and
designer is a seemingly simple, but quite
decisive element in the working process.
By researching the brief and existing
identity, and by understanding the client’s
language, designers can create a platform for
cooperation. Interaction creates trust, and
trust can form the basis for venturing into
new territories together, finding new answers
to old and new questions.
Using the new design in marketing materials and the entry permit.
The digital newsletter informing the graphic industry about GrafischPapierHier.
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Challenge 1 How can design support companies in developing and communicating their corporate identity, brand repositioning and corporate logo refreshment?
Agency profile
Opera Graphic Design
Leistraat 1
4818 NA Breda
The Netherlands
T 0031 (0) 76 514 75 96
F 0031 (0) 76 514 82 78
E trafic@opera-ontwerpers.nl
www.operagraphicdesign.com
Management Ton Homburg & Marty Schoutsen
Contact Claudia van de Velde
Staff 10
Founded 1981
Agency profile and expertise
Opera Graphic Design was founded in 1981 and is active in graphic and multimedia
design. OPERA distinguishes itself in our multidisciplinary way of working which leads
to more value in design. The basis is careful research for the assignment.
We deliver a total concept, resulting from the design process in cooperation with the
client, the programme and the preconditions. Our projects can vary from advising to
developing and managing complicated exhibitions and corporate identity projects.
Clients
* The National Museum of Ethnology, Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, NL
* Urban Museum, Stedelijk Museum ‘s Hertogenbosch, Amsterdam, NL
* Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, Amsterdam, NL
* Grafisch Papier, Andelst, NL
* Control Pay, Breda, NL
* Caldic Collection, Rotterdam, NL
* Lensvelt, Breda, NL
* HEMA, Amsteram, NL
* Pfizer, Capelle aan den IJssel, NL
* Siemens, Den Haag, NL
* Philips High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Eindhoven, NL
* Arcam, Architect Institute Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL
* Dura Vermeer Groep, Zoetermeer, NL
* Heijmans, Rosmalen, NL
* Deltalings, Rotterdam, NL
Awards
www.operagraphicdesign.nl.
Experiencing Artists Books and the signing of the books
‘Board of Control’ and ‘Urban Spam’ by Loek Grootjans.
Publications
www.operagraphicdesign.nl.
Different examples of how to use the new design was used in an invitation, the signposts and the information guide.
Different activities at the event like the lecture of Joop van Caldenborgh, the presentation of paper,
the exposition of Artists Books and the Annual Reports.
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European Business Design 1
White-gloved hands turning the pages of the Caldic Collection.
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