As I write, National Stationery Week has just ended. The stationery industry is big business, and there has been much discussion by retailers, consumer media and suppliers about the latest trends.
The average stationery consumer wants to keep in touch with friends and family, celebrate special occasions, and express their individuality with stylish and quirky stationery. Journals, diaries and greetings cards all sell well to mostly female consumers.
Many products are linked to the themes of thoughtfulness, gaining a healthy work/life balance, organisation and the recording of spending or thoughts. Emotions such as happiness and humour feature strongly. As one expert puts it "Customers see stationery as an extension of their personal style."
Something that underpins most stationery products is writing by hand. The industry has a campaign #writing matters which aims to celebrate writing by hand. It was wonderful to see graphologist Christina Strang giving a talk at the London Stationery Show, and I hope the show uses graphology in the future to garner interest in handwriting and stationery in general.
By way of ending, I'd like to repeat two quotes related to handwriting:
"Social stationery inspires a powerful emotional response in both sender and recipient. Digital junkies, Luddites and everyone in between all love to receive a handwritten note or letter." (Julia Faiers, Editor, Stationery Matters magazine)
"It's like dining by candlelight rather than flicking on the lights." (Margaret Shepherd in her book 'The Art of the Handwritten Note')
The average stationery consumer wants to keep in touch with friends and family, celebrate special occasions, and express their individuality with stylish and quirky stationery. Journals, diaries and greetings cards all sell well to mostly female consumers.
Many products are linked to the themes of thoughtfulness, gaining a healthy work/life balance, organisation and the recording of spending or thoughts. Emotions such as happiness and humour feature strongly. As one expert puts it "Customers see stationery as an extension of their personal style."
Something that underpins most stationery products is writing by hand. The industry has a campaign #writing matters which aims to celebrate writing by hand. It was wonderful to see graphologist Christina Strang giving a talk at the London Stationery Show, and I hope the show uses graphology in the future to garner interest in handwriting and stationery in general.
By way of ending, I'd like to repeat two quotes related to handwriting:
"Social stationery inspires a powerful emotional response in both sender and recipient. Digital junkies, Luddites and everyone in between all love to receive a handwritten note or letter." (Julia Faiers, Editor, Stationery Matters magazine)
"It's like dining by candlelight rather than flicking on the lights." (Margaret Shepherd in her book 'The Art of the Handwritten Note')