Paris Notebook – Visual Branding & Illustration

Creating playful, bold, and memorable stationery branding that resonated with both kids and adults.

Problem

Paris Notebook, a stationery brand targeting school kids and young teenagers, needed a distinctive visual identity that felt fun, modern, and appealing. The challenge was to design branding and products that stood out in a crowded stationery market, balancing playfulness with high-quality presentation.

Role & Responsibilities

Lead Designer: responsible for creating the visual branding, illustrations, character design, custom typography, font development, and final product design.

Responsibilities included:

• Designing playful animal character illustrations (e.g., zebra, giraffe, etc.)

• Developing custom typography and font design

• Creating a cohesive visual branding system

• Designing notebooks, binders, and product packaging

• Ensuring print-ready files with consistent quality

Process

• Research & Inspiration:

  • Studied trends in children’s and teen stationery products

  • Explored illustration styles that balanced boldness with approachability

  • Analyzed color palettes and character-driven branding in related markets

  Illustration & Branding:

  • Created expressive animal characters to establish brand personality

  • Designed a custom font and typography system for product covers

  • Explored multiple color palettes before finalizing a bold, playful scheme

  Product Development:

  • Applied illustrations and branding across notebooks, binders, and packaging

  • Designed layouts to showcase characters prominently while keeping products functional

  • Delivered production-ready artwork for final product runs

Challenges & Solutions

• Appealing to multiple age groups: Initially designed for kids and teens, but broadened the style to ensure it also appealed to adults.

• Balancing fun with quality: Used bold illustration while maintaining clean layouts and high-quality typography to avoid looking childish.

• Print consistency: Worked closely on production details to ensure illustrations and colors translated well from digital to print.

Outcomes

• A cohesive and memorable brand identity for Paris Notebook

• Products successfully targeted kids and teenagers, while unexpectedly resonating with adults

• Delivered a full line of notebooks and binders with strong shelf presence

• Established a flexible branding system that could scale to future product lines

Lessons Learned

• Playful illustration can cross generational boundaries when balanced with quality design

• Custom typography reinforces brand identity across products

• Attention to production details ensures designs translate effectively from concept to final product