Paper Has Purpose | Studio Principle
- Shannon Cyr
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 3
Discover the Mainely Cards Studio Principle that guides how we prototype, evaluate paper art greeting card designs, and thoughtfully decide what happens to every handcrafted card.
At Mainely Cards, we believe paper has purpose. As a medium for communication, creativity, and connection, it deserves thoughtful use. That belief guides how we think about every card we create.
The Purpose of a Mainely Cards Prototype
Every new design starts with a prototype. It's a test card that helps us determine whether a design belongs in the Mainely Cards collection.
Most of the prototypes we create fall into one of two categories:
Exploration or
Refinement
Exploration Prototypes
These early explorations and often help us answer specific questions. Will this construction technique hold together? Does this color work? Is the artwork too large? Their job is simply to teach us something about the design or the paper, and many never leave the studio.
Refinement Prototypes
Once a design starts taking shape, we shift into refinement. Each new prototype builds on what we've learned, helping us refine the artwork, materials, construction, and overall experience until we're ready to decide whether the design belongs in the Mainely Cards collection.
From Prototype to Decision
The Questions We Ask
Every prototype we create helps answer questions about the design, including:
Does the illustration successfully translate from screen to paper?
Do the individual paper pieces work together to create the intended effect?
Is the design the right size for the card?
Does the card feel balanced and visually interesting?
Are the paper colors, textures, and finishes best for this design?
If the card includes lettering, does the font complement the artwork?
Is the design durable, repeatable, and enjoyable to build?
Does the finished card create the experience we intended?
No prototype is ever a waste. Each one teaches us something about the design. Sometimes it confirms we're on the right path. Other times it reveals a problem we couldn't see on the screen, or that an idea we loved on the screen doesn't have the same magic in paper.
Each observation brings us one step closer to answering our primary question: does this design belong in the Mainely Cards collection?
Once we've reached our decision, we stop evaluating the design and start thinking about the card itself.
One question remains: would we be proud to give this card to someone?
If the answer is yes, the card is donated to Wicked Good Cards.
If the answer is no, we keep the card in the studio as a teaching sample or we recycle the materials.
Made for Good
A prototype may be created to answer design questions, but it's still a handcrafted, dimensional greeting card created from original artwork and careful craftsmanship. Just because a design doesn't become part of the Mainely Cards collection doesn't mean the card can't still help people connect. When a card is one we're proud to give, we donate it to Wicked Good Cards.
Paper with Purpose: See the Principle in Action
Each card shown below began as a studio prototype. After helping us evaluate a design, all cards that we were proud to give were donated to Wicked Good Cards.
From Maine,
Shannon
