3 things you don’t know about our stationery product development for kids
Make Your Mark! Every child is an individual with unlimited potential, so creating stationery for them is an incredibly exciting process. What will help them stand out from the crowd? How can we give them the confidence to stay ahead of the game? Can we provide stationery that is both fun and functional at the same time?
The answer is most definitely yes! Take a look at how we avoid producing the usual fluffy kid’s prints and deliver something that’s really special.
We involve children and parents in product development and design
If you’re creating kids’ stationery, it only makes sense to actually involve them in the process, at least we think so!
Take our school backpack range. We always knew we wanted to produce high-quality products that were spacious enough to take books, kid’s stationery and all the tech that is so important to kids nowadays. But the real question was – what were the killer features that kids and parents wanted to see?
A backpack that looks good all the time
The first big issue was shape. How often have you seen a backpack online, thought it looked great, and then were really disappointed when it turned up in the post all squished and squashed? Both kids and parents said they wanted a backpack to look as good in real life as it does online. This meant that, even if nothing was inside, the backpack needed to keep its shape.
So, we hired a product developer to do clever things with folds so that our backpacks always look great, no matter how full or empty.
School backpacks that wouldn’t fall apart at the seams
The second big concern was about quality. Let’s face it, whether it’s being thrown around a classroom or being dropped in a puddle, backpacks get a regular battering, so need to be built to last.
Creating them from high quality 100% nylon polyester fabric, which could be easily cleaned was just the start. The backpacks are all silk printed, which means the designs won’t fade over time, or even worse, come off when you wash off all the grime. In addition, all zips are waterproof, so no water can get in and ruin all the kid’s precious stationery and books.
But there was another deal-breaker, especially for the parents – the backpacks had to be affordable! We think every kid deserves to have great stationery, so we listened and delivered just that. Don’t believe us? Then take a look at our great range of high-quality, affordable backpacks!
Artwork where the kids want it
But the most valuable help we got was input from the kids about where they wanted the design work to be added to the backpack. Did they want it all over, just on the sides, only on the back and front? I think you’ll agree that they made the right choice! Just look at this Mini Monsters backpack. Who wouldn’t want to take that to school!
Stationery Product Development for Kids – You may also be interested in:
Must-have back to school kids stationery
Our Top Picks From The Smudge Range For Kids Pencil Cases
New Year New Stationery for 2020
We use talented illustrators from around the world
Fun, quirky, draw outside the lines – the main things we look for in our illustrators, which is why we have scoured the four corners of the world to find ones that fit with the Smudge way!
Our Geek on Fleek and Live Loudly range of kid’s stationery items is from a wonderful illustrator based in South Africa who draws inspiration from the natural world, geometry and language to create quirky, cool designs that just scream ‘make your mark’! Who wouldn’t want to live loudly with this cool graffiti pencil case?!
Then there’s a talented designer from Canada, who is all about funk, style and monsters! Taking inspiration from old school New York graffiti and Japanese comics, you’ve got to admit joining the Mini Monsters gang would be pretty cool!
And we’ve come a bit closer to home for the Over the Rainbow range with a designer based in Spain. Soft colours and simple designs make these kid’s stationery items perfect for the dreamers out there who want to fly and make their unique mark on the world
We celebrate uniqueness
The more unique you are, the more ‘Smudge’ you are! At Smudge we love that every kid is an individual which is why our ranges of school stationery are all so different. After all, one design definitely doesn’t suit all, so we aim to ensure nobody feels left out.
Our Live Loudly range is great for anyone who dares to draw outside the lines in the name of fun and self-expression. We just love how the original bright colours come to life and look so striking on this A4 Sketchpad.
If you prefer something a bit more cutesy, then you’ll love our Over the Rainbow design with a cute Unicorn just waiting to be your new best friend. The gorgeous pastel colours and simple colours just scream style and sophistication!
And we haven’t forgotten all the geeks out there. Our Geek on Fleek range embraces the fact that being studious, ever so slightly geeky and caring about the environment is actually pretty cool. So why not wear it proudly for the world to see with our Geek on Fleek Explorer Bundle set – geekiness with a bit of pizzazz and flair.
And finally, if you know any little boys, you’ll know what little monsters they can be, which is why we created our Mini Monsters kid’s stationery range. Take a look and see which monster fits your personality and character.
But, wait, it doesn’t stop there! Using our knowledge of trends, feedback from kids and of course input from our talented illustrators, we are delighted to have some great new ranges coming out this December. It doesn’t mean we’re getting rid of the old designs, just making sure there will be even more to choose from so every kid finds something they love.
And, if you have seen something you fancy made from our stationery product development for kids process, why not take advantage of our special 10% discount off your first order.
