FROM CONTEST TO MARKET
Embossed Notebook
<2015 Merit Award>
The designs on this notebook are expressed solely through embossing instead of printing. You can also feel the movement of the light falling on the pressed ruled lines.
Introduction video about products : https://youtu.be/NCDQdQDj994 (YouTube)
*Only available for purchase in Japan.
FROM CONTEST TO MARKET
Design model made by Mr. Kubo.
The KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2015 collected designs on the theme of “Beautiful Lifestyle”. The “Embossed Notebook”, which won the Merit Award, was rated highly not only due to the beauty of its minimalistic design that only retains the bare essentials, but also as a design that gives new value to notebooks that goes beyond convenience.
The designs on this notebook are expressed solely through embossing instead of printing. Each of the ruled lines on the model submitted for final judging was created by hand by the creator Takashi Kubo. The amount of time and effort that went into creating it even made Mr. Kubo himself remark that he “will definitely not want to go through it again”. As the opinion of the judges was that perfection was required due to the minimalistic design, a key point of turning this design into a product was whether the refined beauty of embossing could be expressed.
While regular notebooks are printed on large rolled paper, the Embossed Notebook requires ruled lines to be carefully pressed onto each page and cover page. With the large surface area of the B5-sized paper, there were doubts as to whether the pressure was adequate for the finer details, and how much of the finer details could be expressed. While the commercialization project for this design started amid much anxiety, the first prototype surprisingly exceeded all expectations. It was a new type of Campus notebook that had a completely different expression from usual commodities.
Embossing process.
Although glue was used during the binding process, the only other material used was paper. Even though it was made with commonly used paper which was by no means expensive, the natural beauty of the material can be felt directly. Just like how we are afraid of tainting a beautiful glass surface with fingerprints, there is a sense of tension and delicacy around this notebook that will make you think twice about casually picking it up.
How you use this notebook is completely up to you.
You can also feel the movement of the light falling on the pressed ruled lines. If you pick up your courage and write on it, you may be able to enjoy the feeling of embossed lines that is different from other embossed objects. We would also like regular users of Campus notebooks to take a closer look at this new Campus notebook that carries a slightly different expression.
