Today more and more people organize their lives in cyberspace, so now paper-printed organizers or journals must be extra-special. Modern diaries are not just pretty, handmade publications with a cool cover and cleverly designed pages, but they also bear an entirely different philosophy and a distinct quality – so basically, it’s the guidebook for an entire way of life. We explored the creative diary lineup of Hungarian designers that are available in Budapest, and here we present the ones for which we think it’s absolutely worth getting back to using a pen or pencil.
The limited-edition diaries of Judit Szolnoki-Szendrődi are all made of premium-quality materials, but their most lovable elements are the charming black-and-white graphics located at various points of the books. The vertical weekly layout provides an easy overview, and there’s also a place for notes or drawings. It has a bag-friendly size, with an elastic closure making sure that it won’t open, while the ribbon bookmarks help us keep track of the most important things. There are five colors to choose from.
IRKA’s 2017diaries are made in the spirit of “Let your life flow” – the 800 copies are produced in three colors, and with two different types of pressing. An exclusive edition was created for 2017, and the black-covered, gilt-edged pieces of this collection are only available in their webshop. The layout of IRKA gives the user a lot of freedom, and weekly to-dos can be sorted on two pages. The size of the days are convertible with the help of a fine net of dots, which also provides a great background for drawing. Compared to previous years, the number of pages for notes also grew, so basically it’s not only a diary, but also a notebook.
This brand is created by a team of interior designers, who use creative materials and traditional book-binding techniques. The diaries of Rubidium365 are made with 13 different covers and colors, from soft pink velvet to metallic canvas. This daily planner provides enough space for to-dos, doodles, and lists. The pattern on the cover has 365 dots, one for each day of the year. The pages also have a guiding grid made from 365 dots, and the highlighted one on each page tells us the current day of the year.
These pastel-colored pieces, with a silver and golden glow and uniquely designed calligraphic captions inside, are girly in every aspect. The journals come with a hard cover and a year-at-a-glance page which helps to quickly overview all the months, while the weekly organizer pages are completed with pages for notes. Some pages are decorated with charming graphics, and the diary even has some coloringdesigns in store, so those who love coloring will find it a pleasant surprise.
Produced by Slow Budapest, this is an exciting experiment that wants to guide us back to spending our free time valuably. Designed by graphic designer Dia Ghyczy, the anti-diary is a very cool, colorful little book that was released with three different covers. The concept was created by coach Nelli Krajcsó, who utilized coaching techniques, psychological theories, mindfulness techniques, and international literature for slow reading. Thus the anti-diary is not simply for keeping track of tasks, but very cleverly and with great humor, it also helps to gain a deeper self-knowledge and mindfulness.
There are many DesignByRothAniko diaries out there, but they have certain things in common: they are all made with the same detailed, instantly recognizable artwork. These small-series, hand-bound, uniquely designed pieces all have a fantastic quality, and it’s guaranteed that you won’t see it in everyone else’s hands – and, most importantly, you’ll love it all year long. The designer has larger and smaller diaries; some of them are spiral-bound, some are thread-stitched, there are weekly and daily ones, and this year a perpetual calendar with removable pages was also released.
The brand of Tamás Seres starts the planning with a clean slate each year, with new designs and a new typography on the cover. The designer made geometric and organic items for 2017, but of course, both the patterns and the letters are playful in a way. Among the serigraphic beauties there are more restrained, laid-back, and some pretty cool designs, and there’re plenty of astounding colors and color pairings. The choice is definitely not easy!
The creators of these peculiar diaries made sure to not only highlight important and traditional holidays, but also some interesting or funny occasions and events – celebrating these will make everyday life more fun. Naturally, the most important aspects are clarity and practicality, to help ensure that your days are well organized. The diaries are made of 100% recycled paper, and they are available both in English and Hungarian.
