As a creative studio, Marx Design believes that the best work happens when staff and clients balance the intensity of work, with creativity and inspiration that often occurs during leisure time. So this was their idea: to create a daily planner with a twist, to showcase their ability and help clients balance their work and downtime, without giving precedence to one over the other.

Engaged by and working closely with Marx, we carefully considered how this would not only look beautiful but function with ease and delight the senses upon opening. So much development, so many hand-cut models... A true feast, yet challenging piece of complex cardboard engineering.

The result: a set of 12 books stacked on top of each other back to back, locked together by a central spine made from a premium-textured stock, inspired by traditional bookbinding tape. The spine zigzags between the books, locking them together in a brick-like stack. The outer card housing is cleverly crafted as a single die-cut unit with a perforated tear tab used twice to join each side of the 12 book stack. Upon opening, the connected books unravel like concertina paper people, with half the titles upside down.

Louise James from the Binding Studio handcrafted and custom made the two display boxes, purposely leaving an 8mm gap for the Marx Design brand and 2017 to be read from the tear-strips of the outer wrap. One box houses an aluminium designer pen for ‘Labour’ and the other a quality pencil for ‘Leisure’. Not held by traditional ribbons or bands though, we developed a device allow the implements to be pushed in one end and easily come out the other. The box is finished in tactile bookbinding cloth with matte foil text – each side is identical, so there is no right or wrong opening sequence.

Brand, ideation, artwork and final imagery thanks to and copyright © Marx Design

Best Design Awards Winner 2017 - Gold (self promotion)