Features Industry Profiles

Fig. 2 Design Studio debuted at the 2011 National Stationery Show (NSS), and life since then has been something of a whirlwind for Designer + Proprietress Claudia Smith. Her output consists of both ready-to-wear pieces like giftwrap and notecards as well as what can only be described as bridal invitation couture.

All exudes a colorful, cheerful and clean personality, often infused with tongue-in-cheek humor. One wedding suite, called Amazing Lace, is inspired by heirloom handkerchiefs; another card requesting a friend be a bridesmaid, promises, “Of course! You could totally wear it again!”

Unsurprisingly, Fig. 2 has become the darling of boutiques and blogs alike, as well as multiple bridal and print publications. To learn more about the mind behind these creations, Stationery Trends went right to the source.

Background & Inspirations
ST: Your first brush with creating stationery came in third grade when your mother made you create handmade Valentines. What did you take away from it?
CS: I wasn’t thrilled having to make all those Valentines because they were so incredibly labor intensive. I do remember that cutting out heart shapes was my favorite part though. Looking back I learned that I loved creating things with paper.

My mom has always been very creative and was always doing fun craft projects with us. One year for my sister’s birthday party we made tissue paper floral hats. I thought she was so cool for thinking of fun projects. I always knew I wanted to be in the arts but it wasn’t until my sister got married that I fell in love with wedding invitation design.

ST: You’ve said you finally “learned what design was all about” while attending graduate school in Milan. What did you mean?
CS: In Milan you are surrounded by design. I was in awe of how much it was a part of life; it was second nature to so many of my Italian friends. They were so aware of their surroundings and knew about different styles of architecture, artists, designers, fashion, everything. And most of them weren’t studying design — many studied economics! When I did my concentration in branding and identity, I couldn’t help but notice that my Italian classmates all seemed to have the design gene. They had such interesting ideas for every single project. It definitely pushed me to think outside the box.

When I went to get my master’s (in industrial design), I learned so much about different aspects of design. My presentations were well designed, but it was a big learning curve to learn to think three dimensionally and learn a CAD program. But I was up for the challenge, and it opened my eyes to so many more design fields and how design affects our everyday lives.

ST: Your output stood out from the start, so we are curious — where do you find inspiration for it?
CS: I am most inspired by color. (They) can be (from) fashion trends, lifestyle blogs or just my everyday life. This year, a line of gift-wrap (was) inspired by the color palette of one of my brides who (used) peach and mint as her colors. It was so fresh and summery.

Most people associate me with neon, and that I attribute to my generous husband. We were in London a few years ago and he spotted a bright orange bag in a store window and asked if I liked it. The day before we left he took me to the store and bought it for me. We didn’t realize it was neon until after we were outside, but I didn’t care. It was so bright and fun! After that, I decided I had to do something with neon and letterpress. I hadn’t really seen much of it around at the time, and since I was doing a lot of festive patterns I thought it was a good combo. So far it’s been well received.

Fig. 2 & Philosophy
ST: How do you balance the creative and business aspects of the studio?
CS: It’s definitely a challenge. It’s true what they say: Running a creative business is 20 percent creative and 80 percent business. Luckily, I found Megan, my amazing assistant who loves paper as much as I do and is as detail oriented as I am. She gets that I need to concentrate more on design, so she helps fill orders, do research (we love Pinterest!) and update the website. I don’t think my line for 2012 would be as strong if it wasn’t for her helping with the daily ins and outs.

ST: Can you describe a typical day?
CS: There are no typical days for me. I think that’s the best part about running your own business: It’s not a typical 9to 5. That said, I love Fridays the most. In the mornings I go for a run and then (go) back (to) working on designs. At about 12:45 the phone rings and my parents ask if I want to join them for lunch. I’m so lucky to have them close by! We go to lunch and then for a quick walk to some local shops to see what’s new. I’m back at the studio by 2 and work until my husband gets home.

ST: What advice would you give to new invitation designers?
CS: Stay true to who you are and keep things simple. It’s so easy to over think (I tend to do it myself), but if you find your voice and keep it constant throughout your line, you’ll make things easier for yourself. Branding is so important and it goes beyond your logo, business card and website. It should extend into how you present yourself in person and in today’s virtual world. Don’t worry about what others are doing, work on your own style and you’ll be most successful when you stay true to who you are. It’s much easier to sell yourself when you believe in your product.

ST: What consumer, lifestyle or industry trends do you currently find interesting or affecting your work?
CS: I’ve had a thing for ombré lately. It’s funny because when I was working at my old job (a graphic design firm), my boss was always suggesting that I use a gradation somewhere and I thought they made things look so dated. But I think I just never got to do one in pretty popsicle colors … makes all the difference!

ST: Where would you like to be in five years?
CS: I hope to be as happy and in love with my work as I am today. I don’t want to ever want to get to the point where I don’t get excited about the little things. There’s nothing more satisfying than getting your work printed and seeing it for the first time in real life.

ST: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
CS: I still pinch myself sometimes. It’s hard to put into words, but I really do love what I do. I love seeing that buyers get excited about my goods; that brides email me in all caps exclaiming they love their invitations; that at the end of the day I may not be curing cancer, but I’ve helped people mark an occasion and spread a little paper love.

Personal Favorite: The Just My Type wedding suite lives up to its cheeky name with engaging fonts presented in a bold palette.

Claudia at a Glance
Q. If you could travel through time and space and land anywhere you desire, where and when would it be?
A. I would choose to be in Bogotá (I’m Colombian) when my maternal grandmother was still alive. She died almost 20 years ago so she never had the chance to meet my husband. Her English wasn’t great and his Spanish is pretty pathetic, but I think they would have gotten along so well. He would have loved teasing her non-stop, and she would be laughing so hard. I can still see and hear her laughing in my mind.

Q. How would you define your signature style?
A. Fun and festive. I think the new gift-wrap pretty much nails it.

Q. What’s new for 2012?
A. I designed some boxed sets I’m very excited about. They combine my love for shiny things with type and color.

Q. What will be hot in 2012 and why?
A. My gut is telling me the gift-wrap … at least that’s what I’m hoping for! I think it will be well received because there’s something for everyone. I’ve always had a tough time finding guy-friendly paper, and the graphic patterns line helps fill that void. The festive patterns are so fun and colorful, and some are based on (popular) greeting cards and liners I offer.

Q. Which pieces reflect the direction of your line?
A. I’ve always loved typography and bright colors. This year, I designed six greeting cards that are type heavy with a pop of neon.

Q. Do you have a personal favorite?
A. It’s hard to say. I am completely in love with every single new wedding suite I debuted at NSS. If I had to pick one, I would pick the “Just My Type” suite. I love the fonts and color combinations.

Q. What other designers, music and movies inspire you?
A. There’s not one specific type. I’m inspired by my surroundings. One day I (could be) watching a movie and they happen to show a business card that then inspires a wedding invitation.

Q. If you couldn’t do this, what would you do instead?
A. I would travel the world. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel all over, but it’s a big world and there is still a lot to see. I’d probably be a stewardess.

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