Research about postcard

For his graduation project the French designer Maxime Ravisy renewed the timeless form of communication of the postcards, reinvigorating it with digital tools.

Postcards are still popular and present everywhere, even when the technologies actually gives to everyone the possibility to create their own pictures of places, and share it immediately.

Postcards are things that we are pleased to receive, a timeless form of communication that can be renewed with digital tools, to get out of the stereotypes about the city and making new ways to use it. Maxime Ravisy’s project is a succession of functional proposals, an exploration of the possibilities opened by this simple template.

Maxime Ravisy, research about postacard — Maxime Ravisy, Alphabet: London (left) and Paris (right)

Alphabet: Google maps seemed to be a good way to take an objective look at the city. Satellite Views are interesting because they shows us all architectures at the same level. So, Ravisy decided to make an alphabet of each city for writing postcards with it, and show every angles of the city by the message itself.

Back to sender: corresponding with David Liaudet, professor of architecture and postcard collector, gives Ravisy the idea to make a kit that requires a creative back from the receiver. The pack, within a multitude of different sized photographs and small letters, call to an active and playful response. The result can be shared with the sender, by mixing different medias in a creative chain that can be continued indefinitely.

Maxime Ravisy, research about postcard — Maxime Ravisy, In situ

Similar images: by giving an image to Google tool “looking for similar image” it gets all pictures of the web that looks like the model given. Same forms, same colors, but the nature of images rarely stay faithful to the original. Creating an unexpected result that the designer compiled in leaflets for showing other places and / or other images, passing by humoristic postcard...

In situ: by making initially an instrument for shooting the touristic landscape, this giant postcard was gradually used by tourists as a fun and communicating object in itself. Off-format, the postcard was reintroduced in visitors pictures, to be shared both in public spaces and social networks...