Cards have been a vital part of celebrations for decades now. Whether it’s an invite, or a thoughtful greeting, cards have always been the way to go. Taking it a notch further, ‘Ultrapop’ has launched exquisite 3D cards to mark any occasion from birth announcements to birthdays. Ultrapop is the brainchild Vishal and Saumil, who’ve been best friends right from their schooling days.
The idea for Ultrapop came to Vishal while on a family holiday. Fascinated by the concept of a 3D card, he bought the entire store! He wanted to introduce the cards in the Indian market as it remained a one-of-a-kind concept in the country. He then showed the cards to Saumil who hopped on board right away.
“I was mesmerized when I opened those cards. Because of our background in printing, we design the cards here with a partner overseas. We’re still testing the market and observing the demand,” says Vishal. The cards are available in a number of designs, such as a stork, wisteria tree, a pirate ship, and more.
As far as design is concerned, it is a very crucial element to them both, and the duo brainstorm designs for each and every card that is being manufactured. “Initially we had a rough start with the designs. It took us months to sort out. Slowly but surely we’re coming up with products that cater to all age groups,” admits Vishal.
The duo reveal that they initially designed a football stadium, and showed it to their close friends for feedback. However, none of them guessed it right! They then began to design cards for kids, and specific events like a baby shower. “This was our stepping stone to realizing who our customers were,” they said.
While their clients are a good blend of the male and female demographic, the female pool is a lot higher. The entire card-making process takes about two to three weeks, involving a rigorous design phase. The manufacturing then takes place with their partner overseas.
Their expertise goes well beyond just 3D cards ; they’re also printing magazines, brochures, notebooks, diaries, paper bags, and more. Vishal’s background in the printing industry is another added advantage. “As of now, our manufacturing takes place overseas, but we want to make it in-house. We can then provide other design elements such as gold foiling, colours and textures that are not currently available in the market,” says Vishal. “With in-house manufacturing, we can immediately rectify samples that need some changes,” says Soumil.
The customisation process requires a lot of attention to detail to give their clients the desired end product. The first step in the process is the actual pop up in the card, for which one needs to provide a picture from all six dimensions. Next is sketching out the card for a rough idea of what the product will look like. What then follows is a process of trial and error, till the finished product meets the clients’ needs.
The duo now has their sights set on the wedding industry, as it is a booming market. You’ll see a lot more of them at exhibitions, flea markets, retail stores, and various pop-ups around the city. “Right now we’re showing the customers what we can do, but in a few months, we want to do what our customer wants,” they sign off.
