Case Study

The Ireland Funds Gala Invitation

An invitation offers a magical experience for the recipient. It’s a story meant to be unfolded and experienced through the construction and presentation. When designing invitations, it is not only important to keep in mind what you want to say, but how you are going to say it – not just through words but the experience of the invitation in hand.  All of this has to be done while keeping true to the style and message established by the client.

Soon, The Ireland Funds will be holding their 26th national gala in Washington DC. When approaching this invitation, we had to address their new graphic standards which includes sharp diagonal forms. The invitation was to be kept small but had to accommodate a lengthy list of names.

To solve these problems, we started with an 8-panel barrel-roll fold. This would provide the room needed to house the list of past honorees and committees. The diagonal form was incorporated onto the first panel as a diagonal die-cut.

The diagonal panel allowed us to play with the first fold and the unveiling of the names underneath. Finally, a silver belly-band was added to provide the key event information and created a present-like feel to the invitation itself.