Bold Types has been a long time coming.
Back in 2001, I started creating internal newsletters for my employer, writing for an audience of more than 60,000 staff. As two large departments came together, I was given some in-house journalism training to help with the organisation’s own newspaper. I was never a professional journalist, but it gave me an early interest in writing, layout, illustration and creating things people actually wanted to read.
A few years later, in 2005, that interest moved into cards and invitations when I met and married my soulmate, Clare. She trusted me to design and make our wedding invitations myself. Looking back, would I still use Papyrus font? Definitely not. But it was the start of something.
As our children grew up, I found myself making more and more unique birthday cards and party invitations for them and their friends. Over the years, that became a bit of a family tradition, particularly with an annual Christmas card that some friends and relatives now genuinely seem to wait for.
This year, after a health scare, my family suggested that if I enjoy designing this stuff so much, perhaps I should finally find out whether anyone else might want to buy it.
So Bold Types was born.
The idea is simple: cards with a bit more personality, made for bold types of people. Some are funny, some rude, some inclusive, some sentimental and some are just a little different from what you might find on the high street.
This shop is really an experiment to answer one question: are there other bold types out there looking for cards that feel a little more personal?
I’m hoping the answer is yes.