Meet Suann Song, the Founder and Creative Director of Appointed- American brand of fine paper and desktop goods. Suann always believed a beautiful work environment fosters creativity, productivity and overall well-being and so this is how Appointed was born.
We chat to Suaan about the brand's history, what constantly inspires her when designing and the core values that have defined Appointed so far.
How would you describe Appointed in 5 words?
Elevated, functional desktop paper products.
What led you to creating your brand? / What’s the story behind Appointed?
I have always believed that a beautiful work environment and the tools you surround yourself with foster creativity, productivity and overall well-being. As a graphic designer by trade and following an exhaustive yet unsuccessful search to find well made and refined desktop products that are manufactured in the U.S., I decided to create my own. Following a year of research, prototyping and designing, I started Appointed in March 2015 by way of a Kickstarter campaign that raised seed funding to launch the company. Since then we’ve become a go-to for everyday, elevated paper products.
Sustainability is at the heart of your brand, can you tell us a little bit about what you do to make sure you keep this at the core whilst also growing?
We recognise the environmental impact we have when manufacturing paper-based products. With this in mind, we actively try to limit our impact and make environmentally-conscious choices. While quality is always a priority when selecting our raw materials, it is equally important for us to work with partners that prioritise also sustainability.
What’s your favourite Appointed product?
Our signature product, the Notebook. I started the idea for Appointed with a notebook. As a graphic designer by trade, I wanted to create an everyday notebook that was beautiful to take to meet with clients but functional and durable for my everyday use. I use a notebook daily and we like to say a notebook is a keeper of everyday things: records, thoughts, drawings, personal histories and the ideas chronicled in a new notebook can be endless.
What inspired your brand’s style? What continues to inspire you when designing?
I’ve always been and continue to be inspired by the functionality and minimalism of Scandinavian design and the thoughtfulness and simplicity of Japanese design. You see this inspiration in our minimalist but thoughtful approach to design.
What do you enjoy doing in your down time / at the weekend?
My favorite type of weekend is a slow weekend with my family that includes great food, time outside and if possible a little time for myself for reading or a run.
Name your top 3 favourite independents stores (can be anywhere in the world!)
