As soon as I had admired my new Luxe business cards, I gave a shout to MOO, to see if I could speak with someone about what I described as “my splendid user experience.” I got connected to Paul Thorogood, senior product designer at MOO HQ in London.

Paul Thorogood, senior product designer at MOO HQ in London. Photo: Rob Wilson, MOO artworker/photographer.

Bit of background: Once my order was in process, I received an e-confirmation from MOO, letting me know how to check on its progress. My two favorite lines were: “If you’re still not sure, contact customer service (who are real people)” and “Thanks for ordering with MOO — we hope you love your order.” Well, “thanks” and “love” are two of my favorite sentiments, so I gave this e-mail high marks.

Two boxes arrived snug as bugs in their USPS Priority Mail pouch.

The pouch lined with bubble wrap is ideal. Did MOO design this?
Paul Thorogood: No, the mailer is a standard component, not something we created. It’s part of the USPS’s inventory. We send single and double Luxe orders out in USPS envelopes like yours — and for orders printed in the U.K., we use bespoke padded envelopes. For larger orders, we have many sizes of boxes. Everything is hand-packed, and order sizes are very diverse. We have also created a bespoke 200 pack especially for Luxe cards, which will be on our site soon.

The reception area at MOO’s U.S. offices in Providence, R.I. Photo: Rebeka Fluet, MOO.

What typeface does MOO use for Yay! and other brand expressions?
It’s Bryant, slightly adapted for our use. It’s a rounded geometric, and I’d describe it as friendly, professional, yet non-corporate.

Well, I am going to think of it as “Good Moo Sans.” And how does “Yay!” fit into the brand?
I have been at MOO for over four years, so I have both inherited it and have helped develop it. Yay! expresses MOO’s excitement that we have created a product for you — and that you have used us as a service. We use the gold Yay! exclusively for Luxe but we do have other Yay!’s that are pink and blue, our brand colors. Almost all packages that leave MOO will have a Yay! on them somewhere.

The Luxe liner, complete with thumb-cut

I feel like my cards weren’t just delivered — they’ve been presented.
Thanks! We try to create packaging that is distinctively MOO and easy to use. When it comes to delivery packaging, our first priority is to protect our customers’ work. The white corrugated box fits in nicely with our Luxe card box. Enhancing it with an insert — the liner — adds further protection and fun to the experience.

The color wall of cubbies in the reception area at MOO HQ in London. In the foreground, the MOOseum showcases various MOO products. Photo: Rob Wilson.

This vitrine in the MOOseum presents MiniCards, MOO’s flagship product. Photo: Rob Wilson.

Do you know how happy it made me not to encounter any tape anywhere?
Every element of our packaging, including the sealing sticker, is designed to delight and to make our customers’ lives as easy as possible. Everything we do, from how you order on our site to how we deliver, is about giving our customers the experience their work deserves. All of our packaging has a useful and sometimes creative element to it, from the dividers in our MiniCard and Business Card boxes, to making miniature box files out of our Showcase Business Card Holder.

The violet double-faced satin ribbon reminds me of Cadbury’s chocolates, and the wax seal of course reminds me of official documents.

Our Luxe packaging was designed with a traditional and boutique print era in mind. We wanted to create something that celebrates the product and paper inside. The ‘wax’ seal makes it feel like no one else has touched your cards since your order left our hands.

If you take your liner out of the box and flatten it, you discover this MOObot and his droll comment.

Are there other spots where the little MOO Robot shows up on packaging?
Yes. The MOO Robot, as you call it, is actually what we call a hidden message. We’re inclined not to show where the other ones are — as we like customers to find them as a surprise. The animated messaging actually started in our packaging, and it is something we continue to this day.

How would you sum up MOO’s philosophy about packaging?
Our packaging is not just a vessel to distribute our products but part of the product itself. When we can, we have everything made specially for our products, and everything is designed in-house by MOO. We are passionate about everything we do, from the paper we print on, to the designs we sell on our site, to how our customers get their cards.

Tomorrow on Felt & Wire, Alyson Kuhn will throw the book, gently, at Amazon, so come back. In the meantime, you can take a slide-show tour of MOO’s London HQ right here.

Except as noted, all photos © 2012 StudioAlex