The Making of...
Last fall, I remember sitting down at my desk with my stomach twisted up in a combination of relief and anticipation. Three of our team members were on their way to a crucial meeting with all the evidence and swatches of a dream that we were building. Weeks of hard work—exploration, experimentation, and prototyping—had produced the seeds of an aspirational collection that we hoped to see in full bloom one day. Now, over half a year later, we are proud to share part of that dream with you: the first limited-edition collaboration between Appointed and Anthropologie, an artful selection of elevated, everyday tools to bring joy and organization into your hands, onto your desk, and alongside your regular habits. I’ve been honored to work beside our team and our collaborators as this collection took shape, and hope that this peek into our process gives you a sense of how deeply delighted we are to share the fruition of these ideas.
The opportunity to design for the Anthropologie customer was both an exciting privilege and a natural fit for our us. As we built the collection, the crossover between the Appointed customer base and that of Anthropologie was clear—people who value high-quality, functional, and beautiful tools for everyday use. The keen eye for detail that characterizes both of our companies made this collection an instinctive extension of our existing products but also gave us a unique opportunity to explore elements that are new to our long-time customers. Designing for a bold and elevated buyer introduced bright colors, artful shapes, and thoughtful accents. Fans of Appointed will recognize facets of our tried and true organizational tools—some of our best-selling planner formats and staple materials—but given a touch of flair and complexity that we trust will grab the eye of the discerning Anthropologie shopper, as well.
As we sourced materials for the collection, our goal was to bring together some the best American-made components and processes. With the familiar bookcloth texture as the material foundation, we carefully considered the continuity of the colors we had selected as they were applied across a range of mediums, working to pick just the right shade of pink—the right amount of vibrancy to act as a harmonious accent to the grounded hues it’s paired with—and tweaking a staple shade of blue to bring a touch more brightness to the palette. We then examined how to incorporate the full array of colors throughout the details of each product, knowing that the right contrast can give something a whole new richness and appeal. Some of this was accomplished through the fresh implementation of familiar features. Pockets and thread in an unexpected hue make a piece feel like a functional work of art, distinguishing these products as an adventurous enhancement of the daily practices of life.
Our design team worked closely with our head of production, all headquartered in our Washington, D.C. office, as we developed a completely new iteration of the beloved Appointed Task Planner family—the Modern Task Planner. This product in particular feels representative of the collection as a whole—the melding of all the greatest hits of an Appointed format with the striking addition of bright details that is a hallmark of Anthropologie. Our in-house manufacturing processes allowed for quick prototyping activities to confirm the utility of our design. We tested each element to ensure its functionality. The size of the coil, the length and application of the elastic, and the proportions of the pocket all went through analysis and were refined to create the product that we are now thrilled to see in its final form.
Having witnessed the genesis and evolution of these products in our offices, I am looking forward to seeing how they bring a new, bold elegance to the Appointed lineup and introduce our timeless design to the Anthropologie shopper. As you crack them open in coffee shops, situate them in your office workspace, or add a whimsical touch to the corners of your home, we hope that the same joy we experienced in sowing the seeds of this dream will bloom in your quiet moments of productivity, wherever they take place.
Kindly,
Sarah May, Assistant Manager, Product Planning
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