Howful studio is pushing the boundaries of Risograph with paper clocks and pocket calendars

We can hardly keep up with how many projects Howful Studio has on the go. A Seoul-based design agency founded in 2018, the studio has since expanded into Howful Editions, a collection of products that aims to bring “a touch of extraordinary to everyday life” in the form of beautiful paper crafts, prints, stationery and daily items, many of which come out of Howful RisoClub, the studio’s outlet for creative projects and workshops in print. Yet another offshoot from its practice has manifested in Kkoyakids, a children’s brand that specialises in making lifestyle products in a range of categories, where the team get to “delve into the world of children through the eyes of a designer”.

All of these side quests skirt the edges of its studio practice, which includes branding, packaging, editorial and UX/UI design. What’s taken over the team’s focus recently, however, has been its Riso printing pursuits. With Howful RisoClub as a space to “engage in various graphic experiments”, the team has found something to quench the “thirst for a different kind of creativity that we experience while running a design studio”, shares Howful’s co-founder Yongjae Lee.

Many of the studio’s experiments with the print method have resulted in “objects that push the boundaries of paper media”, says Yongjae; we’re big fans of the Riso-printed paper clocks and vases, that form part of the current collection at Howful Editions. These out-of-the-box ideas often serve as the foundation for the team’s Risograph workshops, where they meet young Korean designers and exchange ideas, gain inspiration and insight, shares Yongjae. “For us Risograph is not only a tool that connects us with other designers but its also a vital source of inspiration and creativity,” he concludes.