AIGA Invitation DOC_6
I created an invitation and envelope for a conceptual reception honoring AIGA medalists Charles & Ray Eames. They are architects, furniture makers, 3d modelers, filmmakers, and more. The Eames are most well known for their plywood chairs, lounge chair, and their own house! I made sure to incorporate the Eames house into the envelope itself, almost as if the envelope is inviting you into their home. But above all, I wanted to honor their engineering spirit, and their commitment to creating beautiful, but especially functional, furniture to the masses.
Which is why I decided to make the invitation into a chair! Invitations are often flat paper, but hold important info (like a date! A time! A place). It’s easy to lose or forget about. But as a chair, it’s a decorative piece that shows the information more openly. And recipients get to attach the legs of the chair themselves, like you might with many mass-market furniture (except hopefully not with IKEA-level frustration).
This chair went through a few iterations and many paper models. I felt it was important to go through a process similar to that of Charles & Ray Eames, who often constructed models for their design iterations instead of drawings or photographs. I also provided a rug for the chair - I thought it was something the Eames would appreciate.
When I was iterating through these models, I came across this picture book in the Children’s Library I work at (https://www.jamesyang.com/project/charles-and-ray-designers-at-play). I really recommend checking it out! It helped me when I felt blocked during this project.