The making of Russian Post mailboxes

Searching for various mailboxes.

Studying boxes currently in use in Russia.

Referring to Artemy Lebedev’s collection of mailboxes from all over the world.

Making the first attempt.

Developing several approaches and making more detailed sketches.

Creating rapid models and visualizations of principal directions.

Drawing some more.

Putting together various designs for a presentation.

The client chooses one of the options. Making changes according to the comments.

Developing the idea.

Creating mock-ups.

Choosing three designs and drawing them in full detail.

Making full-size mock-ups. The client chooses one.

Considering the layout.

The prototype.

Receiving the first production sample and deciding to move the coat of arms and the text on the front.

Changing the scale and position of the coat of arms and the text while checking possible arrangements on a real mock-up.

The art director chooses one of the alternatives. Trying to lower the composition even further.

OK. Visualizing.

We need to make two more variants based on the first production sample: 1) with the dimensions of the coat of arms and the text unchanged; 2) with the text scaled and the coat of arms unchanged.

Simultaneously typesetting stickers for the side of the box. Analyzing current stickers, retypesetting them and offering a new universal design.

Adding a version with a template similar to that used for writing destination postal codes on envelopes. This will standardize the digits and they will look exactly the same on all mailboxes.

Designing a version with a white background and trying the stickers on the boxes.

The art director asks to round the corners. Rounding the corners and showing to the client.

The client likes the postal code idea, finalizing it. Simultaneously visualizing red and yellow boxes.

Placing additional text on the front of the boxes.

In the phrase “For 1-st Class mail” the client asks to replace “1-st” by the digit 1 in a circle.

The art director maintains that a filled circle with a transparent digit will look better.