Tell us a little about yourself and your company?
Cut Back Cards was created by myself and Alexander Green about 8 months ago. We were recent University Graduates who didn’t really know what we were going to do. He studied Fine Art and I, Ancient History. I was writing sitcoms as a hobby and Alex came to me with the idea that he could design cards if I could come up with the humour behind them and further ideas.
Originally our aim was the show the current economic climate in a light hearted and humorous way. However, we’ve quickly expanded our range and cover a lot more topics and themes and trends.
Describe your typical working day ...
We work in quite a relaxed and easy going environment - we live close to each other and have been friends for years. Music is always on in the background and we take a lot of pool breaks. Alex prefers working at night, while I look after more of the business side so have to be contactable during the day. I guess the day revolves around designing and brainstorming new ideas and marketing the business through social media, magazines or preparing for shows.
What is the best thing about your job?
Definitely the creative side. Neither of us would be any good doing a 9-5 job. I switch off easily and Alex works best at night. The job allows us to more or less do our own hours. This job means we spend most our time thinking up quirky, funny and eccentric ideas and then seeing whether we can make a card out of it.
Do you use any specialist techniques or equipment to create your products?
Not really. Alex is a fantastic artist so can design in lots of different styles. He’s also very proficient with Photoshop but beyond that we’re pretty run of the mill with our card design.
Your products …
What is your personal favourite product in your collection?
It’s from out new ‘What are YOU like’ range. It makes me chuckle every time I see it.
What are the most popular products in your range?
Motivation male has proved to be extremely popular recently, as has Stan’s Holiday card. The ridiculousness of this card makes me smile.
What are you working on at the moment?
We’re working on a few new cards ranges at the moment. I don’t want to divulge too much as this point but they’re all humour cards and ranges, but have different themes. We’re looking at a new occasion range but with a unique and fresh twist to it.
What do you have planned for 2013?
Now this is more or less our full time jobs, we’ll throw ourselves fully behind the business. We’ll look to make a number of new cards and ranges and take part in more trade shows. In May we’ll be at PG Live, Stand 842, and hopefully though we’ve left it late, a couple more later in the year.
Your inspiration …
What inspires your products?
Our cards are taken from and inspired by things we’ve seen or done throughout our lives. But I would say, our humour owes a lot to comedies like Red Dwarf, Blackadder and Men Behaving Badly. Perhaps a bit masculine, but overblown, silly and eccentric as well.
What other card and gift designers do you admire?
We’re a very new company and only been to one trade show, but at that trade show we were next to
J2 Studio. We met Jan Morley, who owns the company and she was very helpful and kind to a couple of people who didn’t really have a clue what they were doing. We really like their cards and style also, especially the collective nouns range.
What current or upcoming trend are you're covering?
We’re currently looking into the London centric/ business/ drinking trend. We should be unveiling a new range that is a sarcastic/subverted view of this lifestyle soon.
Quick questions ...
What is your favourite book?
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
What is your favourite film?
Naked Gun
What is your favourite album / band or song? All 3 if you want!
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, The Verve, Bright Side of Life.
What is your favourite card or gift brand?
Splimple
What is your favourite website or blog?
9gag.com
What can't you live without?
Kit Kats
What's your guilty pleasure?
Whitesnake
Thank you Lewis!
