#leafcutter designs

Could you briefly introduce your DIY paper products? Sure. Leafcutter Designs is a creative studio (and online shop) based in Berkeley, CA run by Lea Redmond and her brother Devin. Our diverse line of goods includes everything from the World’s Smallest Post Service to Recipe Dice, Seed Money, Trade Tokens, Letters To My Future Self, and many other curious gift items and surprising services. Many of our goods could be described as retro-inspired, but with a fresh playful twist. All of our designs encourage participation in low-tech activities like cooking, gardening, letter writing, knitting, or even exploring new cocktail recipes. Our guiding principle is to simply follow the arc of Lea’s sweet and clever creativity. Her many tattered sketchbooks are full of crafty product ideas, and we plan to spend the next twenty years working our way through the list.

The World’s Smallest Post Service: DIY Activity Kit

What message would you like to convey through your product? All of our goods are designed to engage people in an activity or experience, often one that involves friends or family. For example, our Trade Tokens are wooden IOU coupons that people pass back and forth to each other. One is good for a “Lunch on the Town,” another says, “Good For One Adventure.” Trade Tokens are a physical excuse to shut down your computer, turn off your phone, and experience some small part of your world in a new or playful way. We feel that preserving these moments of social connection is a crucial part of leading a full and balanced life. It’s not hard to do and many of our goods act as gentle reminders to get together and do fun things with people whose company you enjoy.

Trade Tokens

A lot of your designs are DIY products. Why do you think it is important to get people involved in making crafts and hand-made art? You’re right. Creativity is very close to our heart here at Leafcutter Designs. It’s not just a process we use to design products. It’s a general outlook on life and a way of being in the world. Making something with your own two hands is an opportunity to experience oneself as a creative agent in society. All aspects of society are human artifacts and DIY crafting is a good way to remind ourselves that we are all “makers.” Whether it’s a hand-knit sweater, a scientific discovery, or a new piece of legislation, each one of us is capable of making positive change for ourselves and others.

Handmade Tiny Letters & Cards

The Small Times Newspaper

Your products are closely associated with letter-writing and postal service. Do you think the culture of writing letters should be better preserved in this technology-oriented society? Definitely. Most text messages are cute or pithy. Emails are usually transactional or full of tasks. A personal letter is something entirely different. You hold it in your hand. You take your time reading it. The words were carefully considered. There’s no pressure to respond immediately. Writing and receiving a real letter is a wonderfully different experience. The simple fact that you have to gather up pen and paper and a mailing address, somehow also compels people to gather their thoughts in a way that just doesn’t happen with newer technologies. Receiving a letter in the mail used to be a common everyday occurrence. Now it’s a special occasion and something you’re likely to remember for years. It’s strange when you think about it, but there’s never been a better time to write someone a personal letter and send it off in the mail. It will certainly impact their life in a meaningful way and they will thank you for it. By the way, there are many other wonderful folks also working hard to keep the art of letter writing alive. The Regional Assembly of Text has been running a letter writing club out of their successful shop in Vancouver for almost ten years. And The Letter Writers Alliance is also a great resource for all things related to paper correspondence.

The World's Smallest Post Service DIY Activity Kit

Desktop photo by Leafcutter Designs

Official website of Leafcutter Designs:

www.leafcutterdesigns.com

All Photos & Videos © Leafcutter Designs

你可以簡單介紹一下你 Leafcutter Designs 的紙製產品嗎？ 當然可以。是一間位於美國加州伯克利的創意工作室和網店。工作室是由 Lea Redmond 和她弟弟 Devin 經營的。我們的產品很多元化，包括了 World’s Smallest Post Service to Recipe Dice、Seed Money、Trade Tokens、 Letters To My Future Self 和很多其他特別和令人驚喜的禮品及產品。我們很多產品都是受復古風格啟發，並帶有一絲玩味。我們的設計都鼓勵人參與低科技活動，例如烹飪、園藝、寫作、編織、甚至研究新的雞尾酒食譜。我們的原則是跟隨 Lea 的甜美和聰敏的創造力。她有很多本破爛的畫簿，簿上充滿了手工藝產品的主意，我們打算在未來二十年內逐一實現這個清單。

The World’s Smallest Post Service: DIY Activity Kit

你們想透過產品表達什麼訊息？ 我們大多產品都是鼓勵人參與可以喝朋友和家人一起的活動和經驗。例如我們設計的 Trade Tokens 是一些木製的 IOU (‘I owe you’) 代幣，需要我們把它們不斷傳遞給與不同人, 以表揚他們做的一些好事，例如出去午餐和一次探險。Trade Tokens 能給你身體一個藉口，讓你關掉電腦和手機，出去重新和有趣地感受世界的一小部分。我們覺得要活得豐盛和平衡，保存這些人與人之間互動的時刻是非常重要的。很多印在代幣上的好事都輕輕地提醒我們要與我們喜歡的人聚集一起，做有趣的事情。

Trade Tokens

你們設計很多要自己動手做的 DIY 產品。為甚麼你們覺得鼓勵人製作手工藝和人手製藝術是那麼重要？ 你說得對。Leafcutter Designs 很講求創意，我們指的不只是設計產品的過程，而是對生命的看法和在世界上生活的態度。用你雙手製作屬於你的東西是一個好機會，讓你感受一下成為推動社會創意一份子的滋味。社會充斥着人工製品，所以動手做手工藝提醒我們，任何人都可以成為創作人。不論產品是一件手織毛衣、一項科學發現或是一條新法例，我們每一個人都可以為自己和他人帶來正面的轉變。

Handmade Tiny Letters & Cards

The Small Times Newspaper

你的產品與寫信和郵寄服務很有關聯。你覺得在現今的科技社會裡，寫信的文化應該加以保存嗎？ 當然應該。大部分短訊訊息都很可愛和簡練；電郵則多用於正規事務和交流。一封私人信件卻不同，你要用手拿著它，又要花時間閱讀它。你會仔細看信上的字，收到信後又沒有即時回覆的壓力。因此，寫信和收信都是一個截然不同的愉快經驗。寫信時，你簡單地拿起筆和紙，並把地址找出來，這時候你腦海就會出現一些我們使用新科技時不會感受到的思想。很久以前，收郵寄的信件是每天都會做的事情，現在卻變成了一件有特別因由才會做的事，一封信已足以令你印象難忘好幾年。這樣想很奇怪，但現在確是最適合寫一封信，然後郵寄給他人的時候。這封信不但能有意義地影響他們的生活，收信的人也一定會感謝你的。另外，我知道有很多人都在致力保存寫信的藝術。The Regional Assembly of Text　在這十年以內，一直有在他們位於溫哥華的店裏舉辦寫信學會。

The World's Smallest Post Service DIY Activity Kit

Leafcutter Designs 的桌面

Leafcutter Designs 官方網頁：

www.leafcutterdesigns.com

All Photos  & Videos © Leafcutter Designs