COUPLE D’IDÉES: Paper vision
Just when you thought the whole world went digital ...
December 8, 2019
Diane Parenteau is Designer and Co-founder of COUPLE D’IDÉES in Montreal
Diane studied graphic design in Montreal before working in various fields, including book publishing, for more than 20 years. Passionate about everything paper, and an avid writer and sketcher for as long as she can remember, Diane started making notebooks for herself. Then, she turned her lifelong devotion to these daily journals into a business, co-founding COUPLE D’IDÉES in 2010 in Montreal, with her business partner Arto Dokouzian. Diane is now a full-time graphic and product designer, whose locally-produced stationery and innovative, artisanal, small-batch bags sell in select boutiques and museum shops in Canada, the US, Europe and Japan. COUPLE D’IDÉES also participates in exhibitions and gives workshops around the world.
More and more in our industry, it's becoming a thing for a side gig to become THE GIG, but for Diane, venturing into the world of stationery - at a time when book publishing work was starting to dry up - was an extremely bold move. Not only did she choose to snub the diminishing role of paper in our lives, she started something that required a vast investment before ever selling a single thing. Between gazillions of hand-made prototypes and lots of knocks on quite unknown doors, only a true artist's passion for something could withstand that kind of commitment. Luckily for Diane, launching with the notebooks hit on a universal truth: give a "kid" (of any age) a piece of paper and a writing utensil and they will start drawing or doodling. 'Hit' being the optimal word ... leading the way for their next - and far more complex - venture into a line of paper-hybrid, feather-light, vitually-indestructable, vegan cases, totes and backpacks. Playful branding, packaging and marketing has made these deceptively simple products resonate with boutique customers the world over.
Check out the samples Diane - recent AA student judge - sent over to share with our readers.
Think outside the lines
Our IN THE MARGIN notebook series accentuates large white spaces to engage parallel thinking: Unleash your creativity and think outside the lines. Covers are reminiscent of a blank slate blackboard. "The margin holds a very precious place on my page. I use this space to collect all the thoughts and ideas that fly around in my head and that I want to develop at a later time."
Creative Worksite
Explore life with your FIELD notebook in your pocket. Extract the best of your “precious mess” and start planning your next great project in your WORKSHOP journal. Despite the neutral colours, this series is as green as it gets.
Journal and tablet non-padded case
A practical, extremely light and water resistant non-padded case for your journal, your tablet and more. We chose TYVEK®. Its exceptional properties makes it the ideal material for a reliable case.
