The aim was to create a stamp that promotes renewable energies. While traditionally a graphic design brief I tried to make the process of informing people more tangible.

The stamps use thermochromic ink which, when heated, turns transparent. Two different colours are layered to create a nice effect. Body heat is enough to activate the process. When the ink is activated it turns transparent and reveals a QR tag underneath. The QR tag is then captured by a mobile device and automatically directs it to a mobile site. The site contains contextual information related to the specific stamp as part of a photo sharing social network

The inherent social aspect allows for real discussions about problems and solutions. With the rise in connected devices and the increase in mobile cameras, the concept relies on existing technologies. QR tag readers are available on any mobile device and can be downloaded for free. Many mobile devices are being sold with readers already installed and if this continues then the uptake of QR tag usage would naturally increase.

A different approach was needed to allow the stamp to perform it’s function without compromising the concept and restarting from scratch. The direction was to look outside of the stamp and include functionality that lends it’s self to a more interaction based realisation.

As a result the concept now includes more than just a stamp design, it includes a whole new way of customization, discussion and sharing with the added information about the topics relating to climate change and renewable energies delivered though a mobile social network.

The functionality of this is derived from the use of QR tags and mobile capture / internet devices.

This is a QR tag. It is a 2D structure similar to that of a standard bar code. The difference is that it can be captured using a mobile device’s camera and a reader interprets the image and decodes the information, which can be anything from a line of text to — the more common use — a bookmark for a mobile internet site.

The tag example shown here is a link to the new Rave Interactive social network.

The principle is that a user activates the heat, captures the QR tag and is transported to a mobile social networking site. The page they start on depends on which stamp they have captured, but they can navigate the whole site from their mobile device. The starting page contains contextual information about climate change, energy conservation and renewable energies as well as a task to take an image relating to the stamp captured.

This is then uploaded via 3G, MMS or email from the device and shared with the community. The images can be rated and the highest rated image over a recurring specified period of time is made into a stamp using the Royal Mail customization feature on their website. These can then be purchased and the submitter of the image receives them for free.

This encourages socialisation around an important topic allowing for exploration of the way to change the current status-quo. It encourages the capturing of images, be they inspirational or horrific, which further illustrate the positive points of renewable energies and the negative points of continued dependence on fossil fuels.

In a strange way this is also a method of stamp collecting, aimed directly at the younger generation who see stamp collecting as a book full of plastic and boring stamps. This provides a gateway for the younger generation to step into the world of stamp collecting. Bringing it into the digital era. It may even inspire them to take another look at the world of stamps to see what other cool things there are, allowing a stepping stone to the traditional method of collecting.

There has been some sketching of a few ideas of an actual ‘design’ on the stamps but then came a realisation that a design would negate the primary objective of this stamp concept which is for the user to imprint their own creation on the canvas and send it off to the recipient.

The size of the stamp has changed since the original concept of 35mm x 35mm to 35mm x 55mm in order to give the user a larger canvas to make their design.

In order for the user to be able to create their design, the canvas needs to be blank. Currently there is a single colour with the Queen’s head and price in white. When heat is applied to the tonal area it turns transparent and enables you to see the textual fact underneath relating to the specific renewable resource matched to the stamp. The colour is supposed to indicate which energy source as well as the cost of the stamp.

Problems keep occurring which can be quite disheartening but it also forces the search for an alternative solution, something which makes you think harder about the design and whether or not it is viable.