GFSmith – Naturalis Works

Vision

Perceived as being too exclusively high-end, British paper manufacturer GFSmith were looking to make the handmade paper Naturalis more accessible. The solution would require the paper’s luxury status be rebranded as being incredibly well made, the emphasis being placed much more on its crafted and material qualities than its perceived market.

What we did

We conducted interviews with three craftspeople, all of whom support GFSmith's belief that selecting the perfect materials is a critical part of the creative process. We arranged photoshoots with each subject in their respective workspace. We then designed a series of 3 booklets, all printed onto Naturalis in a range of different weights, drawing parallels between the knowledge and the experience that informs the artist's work, the importance of materials to their craft, and the manufacture of Naturalis.

Results

With the third book yet to be sent to the GFSmith mailing list, we’ll post a full report on the success of the project soon.

• Photography: Steven Fisher