Description:

To celebrate the first full year of Cultigraphy as a design studio, the 2023 Cultigraphy annual gift thanked our clients for supporting the business. As a climate activist design practice founded to increase the impact of environmental and social justice initiatives in Aotearoa (and Australia), the growth of Cultigraphy is owed to the passion and community spirit of our collaborators working towards a shared vision for Aotearoa. We have discovered that the studio and client acting as changemakers in their own rights, and together, result in an exceptionally supportive relationship and acceleration of positive impact for both parties.

In thinking of how to celebrate the mutual ethos of client and studio, and create a luxury gift to delight the clients in the festive season, we landed upon the thematic idea of “Growing Garden”. The studio, as new soil; the clients, as the pollinating bees, working as a team to nurture a flourishing garden. The structural, textural, and illustration design sought to build a meaningful and mystical experience for the client to unfold, layer by layer.

This “Growing Garden” was conceived as quietly luxurious packaging, simple in execution (it is, in plain words, a real nice box), yet considered in every detail. The packaging was composed of slipcase boxes; top internal layer with thank-you cards and donation cards, for regenerative food non-profit For The Love of Bees; and bottom internal layer housing two ethical gifts.

The creative direction reflected the Cultigraphy brand, with matte black card stock, subtle metallic printing, and minimalist structural design. Native flora and fauna are referenced in the illustration, with native bees flying through fountain-pen pohutukawa leaves. Inspired by antique books and tarot cards, details such as the keyhole sun and wax-sealed door-like envelope harken to a secret garden.