International recognition for Buroform is on the rise, as our printing company increasingly catches the attention of designers and businesses from abroad. One such enterprise is Switzerland’s Common Modern, with whom we’ve had a close collaboration since last year. The production agency specializes in luxurious office items, from planners to notepads and notebooks, distinguished by their natural prints in challenging color combinations. We spoke with founder Claire Evrard about her unique sense for quality printing and how she extends it into her so-called ‘Nature Pop-style’.

Hi Claire, starting at the beginning: why did you start Common Modern?

“I worked as a graphic designer for over 20 years for a variety of clients, from small boutiques to large international corporations. My career took me around the world, to places like Melbourne, London, New York, and Singapore. Having contributed to so many brands and seen them flourish, there came a point where I wanted to start my own brand. In Switzerland, it’s hard to find office supplies with a distinctive graphic style, so my decision was quickly made. Moreover, I’ve always loved printing. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with many printers and was fascinated to see how the printing process unfolds. Four years ago, I officially launched Common Modern, which focuses on everyday office products with a playful yet sophisticated design.”

How would you describe the collections of Common Modern?

“Nature is my major source of inspiration. Graphic patterns and motifs always start from natural forms and silhouettes. Moreover, color is key: I love bold and unexpected color combinations. This way, I’ve developed my own style, which I call ‘Nature Pop’: nature-inspired designs that simply pop. For instance, the first collection is named ‘Ginkgo Pop’. This line was created based on the leaves of a young Ginkgo Biloba tree at my home. Other collections are inspired by, for example local Swiss fruits, shells from Australia, or the forests around the region where I live.”

‘

‘

Besides the ‘standard’ office supplies, you also develop custom products. What can clients expect?

“The premise of Common Modern is to design everyday office items with that little bit of extra finesse. Notebooks, calendars, cards, planners – we always try to add something special. This way, we create something that inspires people and isn’t just thrown away after use. Our products are fun to give, enjoy, and keep. Increasingly, we also design custom stationery collections for museums that connect with our Nature Pop style.”

Nature is more than just an inspiration for you. You consciously choose eco-friendly materials and production processes. How important is sustainability to common Modern?

“I’m concerned about our planet. About the future of our children. With Common Modern, the goal isn’t just to put more stuff into the world. The products need to be useful and recyclable. Materials, production processes, and partners – everything and everyone we work with most support this vision. Sustainability is thus embedded in our entire business philosophy.”

How did you come into contact with Buroform?

“A while ago, I was looking for a new technique for a special planner I had designed. At some point, I got in touch with a Belgian bookbinder, also a partner of Buroform. They recommended I visite you and introduced me to Jesse. After a fruitful discussion and a tour of the printing company, things started rolling.”

‘

‘

Why choose a Belgian company?

“For me, it’s important to create products that are truly high quality. At the same time, I want to keep the production process as close to home as possible. I was looking for a partner within the EU. Since my husband is Belgian, I quickly ended up in your country. I have a lot of family here and visit regularly, also for my work. Additionally, from the first contact, I had a very good feeling. Jesse showed me around the printing company and a range of completed projects. I was thoroughly impressed. Detailing is incredibly important to me, and you can tell that Buroform is just as committed. I love the feel of paper, the sensation of writing on it, the richness and depth of colors, the perfection of binding, special printing techniques, and so on… That Jesse and his team immediately understood where I wanted to go with my story completely won me over.”

Common Modern is booming. What plans do you have for the future?

“Soon, we’ll be launching a new design service for museums, botanical gardens, and cultural centers. The idea is to release collections that tap into the story and unique location of those organizations. If this becomes successful, I’d like to extend the service to other companies and sectors. Translating strong brand stories into Nature Pop is the big goal for the future.”

Thank you for your time and enthusiasm, Claire. And wishing you lots of success!

He does still have them all lined up. Although his head sometimes dares to run wild at the sight of handsome printed matter. We know of others like that, and so Simon Desmet is a dream “client in the spotlight. In 2020, he founded MENTALL, a full service communications agency where you can go for your company’s branding and all the marketing support that goes with it. In addition to the digital component, there is also a strong emphasis on print: “A stylish catalog is not only a handy work tool, but also a powerful marketing tool.”

Actually, as a child, he wanted to do something with woodworking. Being creative with his hands, Simon Desmet saw something in that. But he also loved drawing, and so he chose to study graphic arts at VISO. At the creative school in Mariakerke, Desmet was first introduced to printing before delving further into multimedia techniques. Afterwards, the West Fleming moved to Hasselt to study fine arts, graphic design and interactive design, and then settled there permanently. A move that not only gives him a wonderfully mixed tongue today, but also laid the foundation for the operation of MENTALL, the communications agency he started just under three years ago.

360° communication strategies

“During my training in Hasselt, there was an important emphasis on research,” Desmet says. “We take that approach today at MENTALL as well. We support companies with everything related to branding, digital transformation and marketing, but always try to do that from a strategic angle. We work very pragmatically with clients, by thinking about their business and giving them targeted advice. With us, you always start with a workshop. A strategic preliminary process follows, based on a thorough analysis of the needs and opportunities. Only then do we start the real design process and everything that goes with it: the logo and visual identity, a website, leaflets, brochures, newsletters, advertising campaigns, social media, and so on. From a 360° approach, we create and optimize the brand. Actually, our agency functions as the internal marketing department of companies. We are only physically in a different location.”

Technical expertise

MENTALL serves a diverse range of customers in a variety of industries. However, special attention is given to companies in technical industries. “For example, we work a lot for technical wholesalers and manufacturing companies,” Desmet says. “For those types of companies, we have built up enormous expertise. In these times, product ranges often evolve at lightning speed, but legal provisions and deontological codes also mean that you have to constantly stay on top of things. Thanks to our experience, we know what is going on and we can efficiently translate that knowledge into effective communication tools that enable companies to achieve better results faster. Print and digital go hand in hand. More and more often, for example, we develop a catalog, which is then also given an online extension, based on specially developed digital formats.”

‹

›

Catalog HEYTEC

One such customer is HEYTEC. After a few previous orders, MENTALL came to us to have the new catalog printed for the company that specializes in refrigeration and air conditioning solutions. “The previous one was, I think, five years old, so something was allowed to happen,” Desmet smiled. “We ended up working on two versions. The first is a hardcover that was sent to customers and partners. A kind of stylish coffee table book for the office, in which refrigeration and air conditioning technicians can find the entire product range, but which also looks very nice on the work desk. There is also a softcover version that can be taken on the road. We are also currently working on a climate catalog, in the same style, but with a different color palette to create a nice distinction. I love sophisticated printing immensely. As a student, I went through the entire printing process. From print preparation to finishing, prepress and handling different presses myself, it all passed by. Sometimes I worry about print media, because its share in the media mix is sometimes marginalized. But a good-looking catalog or brochure is something that remains. You can do an awful lot with it. The printing technique, the finish, the paper, the binding: it all has an influence on the appearance of the printed matter, and thus helps determine how you come across as a company. In the case of HEYTEC, that hardcover has become not only an essential work tool, but also a brilliant marketing tool.”

Our eyes twinkle because Hulchi Belluni ‘s new catalog is out. The jewelry brand is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary in our country. Not only is it distinguished by a very sophisticated design aesthetic, the label is also based on a unique vision: its collections are based on “Chi,” the positive life energy according to Eastern Feng Shui philosophy, which brings harmony to body and mind. We spoke with founder and inspirer Martine Hul. She first unleashed her vibrant creativity on the world more than 20 years ago. She has since conquered most of that world single-handedly with her sublime collections.

Hello Martine, behind Hulchi Belluni’s designs is a special symbolism, largely based on Feng Shui. Please explain?

“Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art of living that revolves around the five basic natural elements. Central to this is ‘Chi,’ a positive energy that brings peace and balance to your life. Some thirty-five years ago, I came in contact with the philosophy through a friend. Since then I have continued to study it. The idea is that when all the elements of your life are in balance, you are in harmony with yourself and your environment. In other words, when your “Chi” is right, you feel better, healthier and happier. Our jewelry radiates that positive life force. They are happiness symbols that translate personal emotions. In fact, ‘Chi’ gives direction to everything we do at Hulchi Belluni. The interior of our offices, trade show booths, the family functioning within our team, the enthusiastic collaboration with clients and partners: you can find that positive vibe in everything.”

The term “Chi” is contained in your name. Hul in turn refers to your own family name. But Belluni also refers to “Bella Luna,” the moon. How important is it?

“The light of the moon is something very special. There is a kind of mysterious romance emanating from it that can touch me very much emotionally. In am an avid Africa traveler. On my first trip to the continent, I stayed in a lodge during a safari. In the evening after one of our trips, I wanted to take a shower. As I stepped outside, I was caught by that twinkling object in the sky. That frenzied light source right above my head, in the blackness of the night with only the silence of nature around me: there was something magical about it. That moment has always stayed with me.”

Today, Hulchi Belluni’s offerings are vastly varied. How would you describe the collections themselves?

“Hulchi Belluni once started as a classic line. Today the collections consist of different styles, largely focused on the sport habillé. We have a jewel for every type of woman. Small, large, soft, wild, fine, set, you name it. Comfort is key here. The majority of our jewelry is meant to be worn every day. They are very feminine, but not flashy. A piece of jewelry should subtly contribute to your personality. It should be part of your identity and accentuate your character, without being overpowering.”

Where do you get inspiration for your designs?

“My inspiration comes from the moment. For example, the shape of a building or object can touch me. Or something I see at a restaurant, on a museum visit or while walking. A special shoe, a key on a door in an Italian alley…. Everything around me can be a trigger.”

A new catalog is coming out. The footage was shot in the desert of Morocco. Why that choice?

“As I mentioned, I am a big Africa lover. No matter which country you visit, each time you are introduced to a totally different world so far away from what you are used to at home. The animals, the nature, the smells, the silence: the purity of Africa attracts me and I also find it in the desert. That’s where I feel happy. A jewel also comes out much better in the midst of such a setting. The light there is very special. In a forest, for example, there are too many impressions. I want as pure a landscape as possible, in which the power of the jewel can be fully expressed.”

Buroform printed the catalog. How did you get in touch with our printing company?

“For the new catalog, we wanted to break new ground. It all needed to be a little more daring and different, and Buroform is the place to be. Until before this, we always had our lookbooks printed digitally. This time we chose offset, a special paper and some wonderful techniques that enhance the experience of the lookbook. For example, because we work with many spread photos, we chose OTAbind as our binding method. Thus, the book always falls open nicely. The cover incorporates the logo with blind embossing, which gives a very nice tactility. In addition, we opted for a special paper that brings out the jewelry in the best possible way. These days, matte papers with a grain are very in, but that doesn’t work if you want to highlight jewelry. It has been a quest to find the right type of paper, but you assisted us very well with that. The end result is exactly what we envisioned. The catalog perfectly conveys what we do at Hulchi Belluni and who we are. It is the work of an entire team, both people within our own company and outside talent. That’s the beauty of this story.