Pilot x ABC Fountain Pen and Inks

MAY 2026

A collaborative project intertwining Pilot's fountain pens and ink with the American Bird Conservancy, focused on migratory birds. When conceptualizing, I knew I loved birds and I was inspired by my own project from fall 2025: Migratory Birds ft. ABC. My idea was to create a pen case using a magnetic closure and cartons for ink bottles, featuring illustrations of migratory birds. I ended up choosing the American Woodcock due to its recent popularity on the internet, and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird for its beautiful colours.

I started with taking measurements and engineering every specification for the pen case, ensuring that panels would be accurate and account for the additional thickness of layering papers and chip board. I also had to consider how to attach magnets, and I decided on cutting holes into the chip board so that the magnet discs could sit inside without causing too much layering. Then, creating the dielines for a carton was relatively simple. I did try to experiment with a 1-2-3 fold this time, which is more secure for heavier objects.

When I got to designing, I had a clear aesthetic in mind: stamps and stickers, with wavy borders. I also tried to experiment with more fonts and type on a circle path. I also chose golden brown and scarlet red to be my ink colours, and thus the packaging had to reflect that.

Illustrations were very straightforward: I would paint the birds and show off their colours, as colour was the key selling point here. The illustrations I created for the front of the cartons would also be used on the back, on a card inside of the packaging, and on the bottle labels.

When it came time to assemble everything, paper choice was critical. For the pen case, I chose to use olive and navy matte papers inside, and finish the outside with an indigo textured twill. I then made a linen sleeve to wrap around the pen case. As for the cartons, I really wanted to emphasize texture here, so I chose thick, canvas-like stock and it created an incredible textured print.