Piling up the first sketches.
Art director: Nope, that’s not it. Let’s play with our logo. How about we turn it into a percent sign?
Art director: Needs to be more sophisticated. It’s gotta look cool.
Designer: Like this?
Art director: Cool, but that’s not exactly about us.
Trying different approaches and solutions.
Art director: Now it’s about us and Arbat Prestige (a Russian perfume retail network).
Showing fresh sketches.
Art director: Now you’re talking. Numbers 1, 6 and 7 can see further development.
Art director: Print it out and hang it on the wall—let it ripen for a while.
Art director: We’ll go with the first. But our logo has to be on the front.
Art director: Also, the back needs some work. We have some unused percent signs somewhere, don’t we?
Designing the back without the percent signs. The back has to contain a bar code with a five-digit card number. A traditional EAN-13 is too large for that. Finding a more compact Code 128.
Typesetting and sending to a print shop.
First samples come from the shop.
It’s all very bad. Not a single parallel line, no correct blotting-outs. Changing the print shop and making our requirements more clear.
The concept has changed. The word “discounts” on the front has to be replaced with the word “magic” translated into different languages. First, we use Google Translate.
Typesetter: Should I ask someone for a proper translation, or are we short on time?
Art director: Everything must be correct.
Asking everyone at the studio to submit the translation of the word “magic” in every language they know.
That was fruitful. Exploring the difference between magic and wizardry in all these languages (because we need magic—good and pure), typesetting the card over again and sending to print.
