From inspiration to product: a look behind the scenes at our design department
Before a new type of paper, cone or packaging appears in the Clayrton’s catalogue, there is an idea, inspiration, research, colours, trials… and a great deal of creativity. At Clayrton’s, the collections are devised by our design team – made up of Fanette and Flora – with a simple aim: to offer florists packaging that keeps pace with the latest trends, showcases their creations and inspires them to create.
But how do you turn a trend into an actual product ?
It all starts with observation
Creating a collection begins with looking at the world around us. Flora and Fanette keep a close eye on trends in interior design, fashion, graphic design, materials and, of course, the world of flowers. They take an interest in consumers’ changing tastes, emerging colours, appealing materials and new ways of using products.
To inform this process, Clayrton’s works in particular with Chlorosphère, a trend consultancy renowned for its expertise in the worlds of style, lifestyle and floristry. This collaboration enables our designers to combine their creativity with a thorough analysis of trends.
The aim is not simply to follow a trend.
It’s about understanding what people will want in the future.
A trend becomes a world of its own
Once the key sources of inspiration have been identified, the creative process begins. Trends are translated into visual worlds: a mood, a colour palette, materials, patterns, combinations… It is at this stage that the initial ideas begin to take shape.
A pattern can be drawn, reworked, simplified or completely reinvented. A colour may undergo several changes before the right balance is found. A combination of shades can give rise to a new direction for an entire range.
Because Clayrton’s packaging isn’t just designed to protect a bouquet or a plant. It plays a key part in its presentation and in the visual experience offered to the end customer.
From set design to the finished product
Once the graphic designs have been finalised, a crucial step follows: adapting the design to the various products. A single design can be applied to a range of items: rolls, reams, bags, cones and plant pots. And on different materials: plain paper, beetroot paper or potato starch paper, polypropylene, brown kraft paper, bleached kraft paper or water-resistant paper.
Each medium has its own characteristics and technical constraints. The role of design is therefore to strike the right balance between aesthetics, functionality and industrial feasibility.
C’est ici que la créativité rencontre le savoir-faire de fabrication.
Colour: a true precision craft
Choosing a colour on a screen or from an inspiration book is one thing.
Reproducing it faithfully on a material intended for mass production is quite another!
At Clayrton’s, colour development involves, in particular, working closely with the laboratory and the colourist. Drawing on her training in colourimetry and her previous experience in the field of dyeing, Fanette also contributes her expertise in researching and assessing shades. Colours are thus formulated and tested according to the material, opacity, gloss and characteristics of the substrate.
Although this stage is sometimes invisible to the customer, it is nonetheless essential: the colour must look just as good on the final product as it does in the designer’s vision.
Test, adjust… and start again
A collection is never the result of the first attempt.
The designs have been refined, the colours adjusted and the formats carefully considered.
A particularly attractive design on a large surface may need to be reworked when applied to small packaging. A colour combination may work well on paper but require some adjustments when used on a different medium.
It is this dialogue between the various disciplines that makes it possible to turn an idea into a product.
Two collections a year… and a host of designs
At Clayrton’s, the design department works on two major collections each year.
Each collection encompasses several themes and around thirty designs, which are then adapted for use on various products. In total, this means that nearly 200 new items can be added to the catalogue each year. The team also works on bespoke requests from customers.
Clayrton’s design: a blend of creativity and craftsmanship
Behind every collection lies constant monitoring, inspiration, trends, collaboration, experimentation and industrial expertise developed over more than 50 years at its Roubaix site, which brings together design, manufacturing and distribution.
It is this close link between design and manufacturing that enables an idea to become a product.
And tomorrow, a new collection might well begin simply with a colour, a fabric, an image… or an idea.
Welcome behind the scenes at Clayrton’s!