Field Notes: A National Geographic Collection
Objectives
Create a consumer‑product system that transforms National Geographic’s vast visual archive into tactile, narrative‑driven objects — notebooks, journals, calendars, and gift books — designed to spark curiosity, celebrate global cultures, and invite everyday exploration. The goal: translate National Geographic’s storytelling legacy into physical formats people live with, write in, and return to.
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Product Concepting & Visual Systems
Notebooks and journals built around thematic photography, cultural motifs, and guided writing prompts.
Calendars and planners featuring editorial storytelling, conservation themes, and immersive imagery.
Gift books, sketchbooks, and specialty formats inspired by world exploration, scientific discovery, and craft traditions.
Design Framework
Authentic National Geographic brand language: typography, color, framing, and narrative tone.
Object‑first design: materials, textures, and cultural references drive the visual system.
Sustainability and functional usability integrated into every format.
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A cohesive suite of consumer‑product concepts that feel premium, educational, and globally inspired — each one grounded in National Geographic’s mission to illuminate the world. Deliverables included:
Concept sketches and visual directions
Product mockups and packaging studies
Production‑ready layouts and system guidelines
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Creative direction, product concept development, visual system design, editorial framing, and production‑ready asset creation across all book and stationery formats.
A leather‑bound Africa journal integrating beadwork and cowrie shells, reflecting the material heritage of East and West African craft traditions. Featuring imagery drawn from the National Geographic photographic archive, the piece functions as a tactile companion for documenting travel and field observations.
A field‑ready astronomy journal paired with observational tools, designed for night‑sky study and celestial documentation. Using cosmic imagery sourced from the National Geographic photographic archive, the notebook provides structured space for recording star positions, atmospheric conditions, and field notes.
A ceremonial box inspired by traditional Chinese codex construction, featuring embossed gold panels, symbolic geometric motifs, and an interior booklet printed in vertical script. Incorporating imagery drawn from the National Geographic photographic archive, the piece reinterprets historic binding practices and cultural ornamentation as a contemporary National Geographic artifact.
A printed tin box featuring monochrome wildlife portraits framed in ornamental patternwork, evoking early photographic archives and natural history collections. Using archival wildlife imagery sourced from the National Geographic photographic archive, the piece highlights iconic species through a restrained, documentary‑style visual language.
A printed tin box and coordinated card set featuring botanical imagery drawn from the National Geographic photographic archive. The collection highlights natural forms and specimen‑like compositions, with each card and envelope functioning as a small‑format study rooted in the traditions of field documentation and scientific observation.
A series of hand‑crafted leather covers featuring embossed tropical fauna and abstracted jungle forms, including toucans, parrots, and regional botanical motifs. The designs reinterpret imagery drawn from the National Geographic photographic archive through layered leatherwork, creating contemporary artifacts that merge ecological study with artisanal craft traditions.
A full flat‑lay presentation of the leather‑embossed tropical series, revealing how toucans, parrots, and abstracted jungle forms wrap seamlessly across front and back covers. The artwork, derived from imagery sourced from the National Geographic photographic archive and reinterpreted through digital illustration, highlights the integration of ecological motifs with contemporary leathercraft techniques.
A travel‑format notebook wrapped in a cover inspired by East Indian textile traditions, featuring embroidered motifs, mirrored accents, and seashell‑based ornamentation. The interior includes a coordinated set of art note cards, each drawing from imagery sourced from the National Geographic photographic archive and reinterpreted through a whimsical, craft‑focused lens. The piece celebrates regional decorative practices while functioning as a portable companion for recording journeys and cultural observations.
A coastal‑inspired travel book wrapped in a cover that draws from island textile traditions, incorporating embroidered patterns, mirrored accents, and seashell‑based motifs. The interior includes a coordinated set of art note cards, featuring imagery sourced from the National Geographic photographic archive and reinterpreted through a light, whimsical lens. The piece celebrates regional craft practices found across tropical island cultures, blending decorative heritage with contemporary travel‑journal functionality.
A keepsake‑style box designed to open like a bound volume, containing a series of art note cards and envelopes featuring rainforest insects and amphibians. Each pattern is created through a kaleidoscopic reinterpretation of imagery sourced from the National Geographic photographic archive, transforming wings, legs, and surface markings into symmetrical compositions. The piece blends scientific observation with contemporary pattern design, celebrating the biodiversity of rainforest ecosystems.
A field‑style notebook featuring three kaleidoscopic pattern studies derived from rainforest insects and amphibians, each created by refracting wings, legs, and surface markings into symmetrical compositions. An inset panel pairs the original archival photograph from the National Geographic photographic archive with a single action word—such as “Hop” or “Fly”—highlighting the defining behavior of each creature. The piece blends specimen documentation with contemporary pattern design, forming a portable study of rainforest biodiversity.
A pair of boxed note card sets featuring kaleidoscopic patterns derived from rainforest insects and amphibians, created using imagery sourced from the National Geographic photographic archive. One version opens along the spine like a bound volume, while the other employs a hinged‑lid construction with envelopes stored in an interior pocket. Both formats highlight the adaptability of the pattern studies, presenting the rainforest series as versatile, highly producible artifacts that merge scientific observation with contemporary design.
A zippered binder designed for young explorers, featuring dinosaur illustrations sourced from the National Geographic photographic and illustration archives. The cover presents a vibrant, child‑friendly composition that blends scientific reference with playful visual storytelling. Built for durability and daily use, the binder functions as an introductory field tool, encouraging curiosity about prehistoric life and natural history.
A pair of hand‑stitched leather travel kits featuring deeply embossed and hand‑painted wildlife portraits, produced in collaboration with a Los Angeles leather workshop. One version presents a tiger rendered in warm, natural tones, while the second features a fuchsia‑dyed leather case with a black‑and‑white panda, both derived from imagery sourced from the National Geographic photographic archive. Each case opens to reveal a complete watercolor set—including paints, brush, and pad—secured with a wraparound leather strap. The pieces merge expedition‑era field tools with contemporary artisanal leathercraft.
An open view of the hand‑stitched leather watercolor travel kit, shown in a glamping‑style field setting. The case reveals its full interior—watercolor paints, brush, and pad—evoking the tradition of expedition sketching and on‑site naturalist documentation. Presented within an outdoor camp environment, the piece highlights its functional role as a portable field tool, merging artisanal leathercraft with National Geographic’s legacy of wilderness observation.
A series of canvas‑wrapped notebooks constructed from recycled board and natural fiber papers, bound with hand‑punched string stitching. The cover features a printed strip design accented by an embossed National Geographic yellow frame, referencing the brand’s iconic visual mark. The materials and construction evoke field journals and expedition notebooks, emphasizing sustainability, simplicity, and the tactile qualities of natural production.
A canvas‑wrapped notebook constructed from recycled board and natural fiber papers, bound with hand‑punched string stitching. The cover features flat‑printed international flags—including British, French, and other national emblems—applied in a simple, graphic style. The piece maintains the sustainable, utilitarian character of field journals while introducing a global motif that reflects National Geographic’s legacy of international exploration and cultural documentation.
A canvas‑wrapped notebook constructed from recycled board and natural fiber papers, bound with hand‑punched string stitching. The cover features a flat‑printed French tricolor rendered in a simple, graphic style, maintaining the utilitarian character of field journals while highlighting National Geographic’s legacy of international travel and cultural documentation.