Designer Profiles Trade Show News Trends

{Sponsored} The world of stationery is hardly stationary, with evolving trends inspiring us to try out a new color or design type. In the same token, digital apps for keeping consumers organized rise and fall in popularity — with new ones popping up regularly, all with different features, bells and whistles.

With the confusion digital organization can cause, and with a lack of connection between all of them, the trend is that many consumers are returning to paper planners, to-do lists and other organizing paper products. AmericasMart’s organizational line-up is vast. Some must-see lines during Fall Design Week include Taylor Elliott Designs, Compendium and Designworks Ink. Each has a special way of pulling design back into the world of stationery.

Taylor Elliott Designs

Taylor Elliott’s goal is to inspire and make weekly and daily planning easier for consumers. Her designs include notebooks, weekly lists, planners and meal planning pads — and then some. One of her favorites for meal planning is the Taylor Elliott Designs “What’s for Dinner?” meal planning pad.

With perforation down the center, the pad works perfectly for consumers; they can plan a meal and make a grocery list at the same time. The grocery list tears right off the pad, making planning and execution a simple, cohesive set of steps.

All of the Taylor Elliott Designs products are covered in brilliant colors and cheerful messages. “Bright colors and motivational sayings can make a blah day into a bright day. I am always thinking about how I can include an extra detail or splash of color. I love playing with Pantone swatch color books while brainstorming,” Elliott said.

Find Taylor Elliott Designs within the Darrah & Company showroom in Building 2, space 1818 during Fall Design Week.

Designworks Ink

Designworks Ink is on the plant-based bandwagon, showcasing vegan leather and vegan suede materials on their journals and planners as well as hard cover

and cloth. The coordination among the designs — from perpetual planners to journals and standard planners — is evident. Clean designs are in muted shades such as navy, dusty pink, dusty blue, pistachio, burgundy and amethyst.

The designs pop in gold foil across those floral-inspired colors. And with foil designs showcasing geometry and animals that look to be sketched in ink, plus marbled covers and sparkle, Designworks Ink has something for everyone. You can find the line within the Just Got 2 Have It! showroom in Building 2, space 1721.

Compendium

Compendium, an annual favorite in the industry, is bringing inspiration and function to Fall Design Week’s stationery offerings. Annie Boushee, associate sales manager for Compendium, shared her favorites in the line. From sparks of motivation to function, Compendium’s planners “are tools to help you build a life you truly love,” Boushee said.

In Compendium’s collection, buyers can find 17-month planners, a favorite of Boushee’s. “Each weekly calendar spread includes both a ‘Hopes & Dreams’ and ‘Goals & Plans’ section to capture today’s thoughts and tomorrow’s aspirations,” Boushee said. She knows customers will love that they are undated, preventing stock from potentially going unsold. Boushee’s personal weekly planner is the “Life is better when you’re laughing” design, the weekly version of which fits right in her purse.

Compendium’s full line of products can be found in the Tango showroom in Building 2, space 1000B.

Trends for Fall Design Week

Foil continues to be hot, with inspirational sayings and bold designs calling attention to organizational products. And stickers accompanying planners allow consumers to bring an aspect of playfulness into their routine. Along with pens in bright colors and list pads, these are trends that Boushee hopes will help consumers create the “inspiring space” every desk deserves to be.

Trends Elliott is seeing across the industry are confetti, motivational quotes, bright colors and undated planners. She encourages buyers to check out the stationery offerings at AmericasMart due to the large variety in the category. “A lot of my favorite brands, that I use personally, exhibit at AmericasMart — and, of course, Taylor Elliott Designs. This is where you can see all the brands you know and discover new ones at the same time,” Elliott said.

With the renewed push for paper planners, the breadth of stationery offerings buyers can find is ever-increasing. “The tactile feel of writing everything down

helps me remember my action items and goals better, much like taking notes in college,” Boushee said. “And as a new mom, a planner also helps me keep track of upcoming dates when I’ll need to find a babysitter.”

Plus, with the special textures and materials designers are relying on to add a spark to their designs, buyers need to have the opportunity to feel the products first-hand, which Boushee notes can’t be done online.

All in all, these products are going to be the next big thing for stationery buyers. Come see these designers and more at Fall Design Week Featuring Gift & Home, coming to AmericasMart on Monday, Sept. 23 through Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Learn more at AmericasMart.com/September.

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