ProjectBuffalo Design & Printing Stationery Line
Multi-year product design, visual identity, and print production for an in-house stationery line.
Buffalo Design & Printing developed an in-house stationery line for wholesale buyers, spanning multiple product formats, catalogs, and sales channels. As the line expanded, it required a cohesive visual identity, adaptable product designs, consistent production standards, and scalable organization. Beyond selling the products themselves, the line and its supporting materials also demonstrated the company’s manufacturing capabilities to potential stationery brand clients.
Role & Responsibilities
Direction to Production
Product direction and initial creative concepts were established by company ownership. My role began with translating that direction into product designs and production-ready files, then expanded through the rebrand into greater creative ownership of the line’s visual identity, individual product development, and supporting sales materials.
- Developed and adapted designs across multiple stationery formats and product categories.
- Established and maintained a cohesive visual system across existing and new products.
- Organized content, developed catalog layouts, and maintained consistency across multiple editions.
- Prepared production-ready artwork and maintained SKU structures, file organization, and production standards across product formats.
- Styled, photographed, and edited product imagery for catalogs and sales materials.
- Designed trade-show booth graphics, signage, and supporting wholesale materials.
Managed online product listings and MIS-integrated web-to-print ordering, with supporting social and email content.
Process
Visual Identity & Catalog Design
Redesigning the Stationery Line
Individual product categories used a mix of hand-drawn illustrations, watercolor artwork, and word art, resulting in a lack of visual cohesion across the stationery line. Working from a print-inspired theme established by company ownership, I developed a unified visual approach using flat vector illustrations, consistent typography, and a shared color palette. Legacy designs were adapted to the new system, with illustrated products adopting the vector style and typography-based designs retaining their original format while incorporating the updated fonts.
A Catalog Built to Evolve
As the stationery line expanded, the catalog was reorganized from product-based categories to occasions and use cases, making it easier for wholesale buyers to navigate. A consistent grid and typographic hierarchy supported clear product presentation and allowed new products to be incorporated across editions without redesigning the catalog.
One Line With Many Formats
Each new stationery format introduced different design, construction, and production requirements and included:
- Scratch-off cards
- Seed paper cards
- Pop-out coaster cards
- Notecards
- Playing cards
- Wrapping paper rolls
- Wall decal sets
- Height charts
- Journals
- Calendars
- Magnets
- Luggage tags
- Paper airplane cards
- Mousepads
- Various notepad formats
As the line expanded, SKU structures, file naming conventions, and production-ready artwork were maintained to support new products within existing workflows.
Product Styling & Photography
Product photography was developed to support both visual merchandising and clear product presentation across catalogs and online sales channels. I handled styling, setup, lighting, photography, and editing, using occasion-specific props and a selection of four solid-colored backgrounds to create consistent imagery that reflected each product’s theme.
Complementary product-only photographs provided a clear, unobstructed view of individual items for e-commerce listings.
Sales & Marketing
Trade Shows & Wholesale Materials
Trade show materials supported the presentation of the stationery line to wholesale buyers while showcasing Buffalo Design & Printing’s manufacturing capabilities.
Supporting materials included:
- Booth wall graphics and large-format displays
- Show signage and supporting collateral
- Line cards and pricing sheets for wholesale buyers
E-commerce & Digital Marketing
I created and maintained product listings across Etsy, Faire, and an MIS-integrated web-to-print ordering system. A centralized product tracking system maintained consistency as new products were introduced, listings were updated, and retired designs were removed.
I also created social media graphics, email marketing materials, and motion content to promote the stationery line.
Key Decisions
Designed for Scale & Consistency
As the stationery line expanded, individual design decisions needed to support the collection as a whole without sacrificing the character of each product. The challenge was balancing visual consistency, product variety, and production requirements across an evolving line.- Adapted existing artwork into a unified visual style while preserving the distinction between illustrated products and typography-based designs.
- Reworked artwork for different product formats, adjusting scale, cropping, and composition to accommodate each product’s proportions and functional requirements.
- Reorganized the catalog by occasion and use case rather than product type, prioritizing how wholesale buyers browse the collection.
- Established a repeatable catalog grid and typographic hierarchy, allowing new products to be incorporated across editions while maintaining a consistent layout.
- Used both styled and product-only photography to balance engaging product presentation with the clarity needed for online shopping.
Outcome
Designing for Long-Term Flexibility
Over multiple years, the stationery line evolved from a collection of individual designs into an established product offering supported by shared design and production standards. These systems accommodated a diverse range of stationery formats and supported presentation across wholesale catalogs, trade shows, and online sales channels.
Client: Buffalo Design & Printing
Role: Production Design | Product Development | Layout Design
Date: October 2019 – September 2024