We love visiting gift shops in San Francisco, and we never miss a chance to check out their greeting cards. There are so many beautiful designs. Funny ones, clever ones, cards featuring San Francisco, and illustrations by talented local artists.

We often leave feeling inspired. But it also makes us wonder.

It's a question we've been asking ourselves since we started making cards. Here are three ways we've tried to stand out.

When we started making greeting cards in Switzerland, we already knew how we wanted to sell them. Over there, it's quite common for people to sell their own products right outside their homes.

So why not greeting cards?

We filled a cupboard outside our country home with the cards we'd made and started selling them to our neighbors. And people loved it!

When we moved back to San Francisco, we brought the idea with us. This time, we built our own little wooden card house.

And it works here, too! Our neighbors have gotten to know our work and can easily pick up a card whenever they need one.

→ Read the full story of our little card house

→ Curious about this Swiss tradition? Here's an interesting article about why these little shops work so well in Switzerland.

We love giving our customers the option to personalize their cards. For example, we can change the wording on the cover, whether it's for a different occasion or simply to add someone's name.

The illustration stays the same, but a small change can make the card feel much more personal.

Sometimes, we take customization much further. One example is a card we created for Mission Blue, a café in San Francisco.

Instead of creating just another greeting card, we created something specifically for their café. The result? A card that means something special to people who know the trail or love visiting the café.

A greeting card is usually something you buy, write in, and give to someone. But does it have to be?

With our Letter to the Future project, we turned a simple greeting card into an experience. Instead of writing to someone else, people write a letter to their future selves, which they'll open months or even years later.

It's still just a card and an envelope, but now there's reflection, anticipation, and a surprise waiting in the future.

And sometimes we experiment just for fun! We turned miniature versions of our greeting cards into earrings. We wore them at markets, and people noticed. We soon sold out!

And our designs matter, too.

It's always exciting when a shop owner tells us they need to order more.

Of course, we still want to find creative ways to stand out. Because experimenting and coming up with unexpected ideas is also one of our favorite parts of running a business.

It's a challenge, sometimes a little crazy, and always fun.

💡 What about you? Have you come across a creative way to make an ordinary product stand out? We'd love to hear about it! Just hit reply.

Solène & Zélia, for SoliaVenture

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