Design | Graphic Design | InspirationByDesignrfixDecember 18, 2017January 16, 2018
These funky, fresh binder designs will guide you to the middle ground of utility and uniqueness.
Binders aren’t just for homework anymore. They are used for a myriad of purposes, which include portfolios, business proposals, and marketing materials. And like those school day binders, they weren’t cool unless the design showed it. It’s now time to graduate to the next level of binder design. But how can you know when you’ve created a binder that is truly best-in-class?
We’ve searched the furthest reaches of the Internet—and assessed a massive amount of designs—in order to bring you this hand-selected collection of custom binders. These creations will inspire you to step up your game from elementary to PhD.
- Sanrio 2 Pocket 3 Ring Binder
Image: Company Folders, Inc.
Hello Kitty takes center stage on the cover of this fun, friendly binder. Her cute, pink bows make a border along the bottom of the cover that continues around the back, where her friends have their chance to shine, too. Small, dark pink spots in the background add a little texture to the design.
02.Hotel Futura Room Binder
Image: Alicia Kwan
Hotel Futura’s leather binder implies guests can expect a luxurious experience. The sophisticated, simple cover features only the hotel’s name; the embossed words add a layer of texture to an otherwise smooth cover. The hotel uses two different fonts for its name for an impressive and contemporary perception.
- Reveny Custom Binder
Image: Jonas Raneryd
Reveny’s binder offers a chic, modern design with a black-on-black color palette. The real estate company’s logo is stamped in clear foil for a shiny look that makes the text stand out from the panel; its sleek texture also adds a nice contrast to the matte stock. Designer Jonas Raneryd used a sans serif font and square border around the logo to add to the design’s clean, balanced feel.
- Utah Food Services 2 Pocket Ring Binder
Image: Company Folders, Inc.
The table is set for Utah Food Service on the cover of this catering menu. Customers’ mouths will water at the photo of a delectable steak and mushroom dish on the front panel. Other lip-smacking dishes make a border along the bottom of the cover to tantalize customers’ taste buds even more.
- Budweiser Metal Binder
Image: Brady Miller
Budweiser creates a unique binder by combining two materials. Sticking with the brand’s colors, the back of the binder is made of white metal similar to an aluminum beer can, while the cover is a red, transparent plastic. The company name scrawls across the bottom of the cover in its classic font.
- Aaron McDaniel Portfolio Binder
Image: Aaron McDaniel
Aaron McDaniel stepped up his game when he created this exciting portfolio binder. The wooden binder features his name in colorful tiles across the cover. He used a lighter wood for the cover to make the text stand out, while the rest of the binder is made with a darker wood. The index tabs also match the colorful tiles from the cover.
- National Football League Proposal Binder
Image: Brady Miller
Designer Brady Miller found a new use for a football with this NFL proposal binder. Its exterior looks tough enough to take a tackle, thanks to its faux pigskin texture. The logo in the center features the host committee’s logo for Super Bowl XLVIII—this binder is ready for kick-off!
- Color Design Studio of America Binder
Image: Brian Sablinski
The Color Design Studio of America combines a cool and warm color palette for its binder. Designer Brian Sablinski’s funky design features blues and greens on the cover with the word evolve in a hip, bubbly font. Various textured looks are featured on the binder, including water drops, cracks, and metal studs. Warm orange, red, and yellow colors appear inside the cover with the brand’s logo.
- Acura Facts Book Binder
Image: Victoria Valenzuela
With the key in the ignition, clients are ready to start their engines and hit the open road with this binder from Acura. Making the key a prominent part of the cover encourages customers to open up the binder and see what’s inside. Blue colorization in the image helps drivers feel safe and secure about owning an Acura.
- CSE Insurance Group Custom Binder
Image: Company Folders, Inc.
Clients can relax knowing CSE Insurance Group is taking care of their business. The man on the binder’s cover has time for a break in the grass, implying that insurance is one of the last things on his worry list. Including the date the group opened—1949—also creates peace of mind and helps clients know the company is stable.
- FGM Binder
Image: Raffaello Cardinaletti
Fratelli Gionchetti Matelica opted for a clean, modern binder. The Italian library design company’s logo is prominently displayed on the cover in small orange and large light blue versions for a professional yet creative look. The tail on the first letter in the logo circles around the letters to indicate unity. A dark blue background and sans serif typeface add a classic tone to the design.
- Masons of Maryland Manual Cover
Image: Jerry Arnold
The Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Maryland are keeping their important documents safe in this binder. The regal cover features the organization’s crest and seal, while the purple and gold colors add to the feeling of tradition and wealth. It also highlights a photo of the group’s Grand Lodge to welcome members into the binder’s contents.
- Jind Binder
Image: Chris Young
The Fruit Buyer’s Guide for Jind Fruit Co. looks like it’s made from a wooden fruit crate. The modern binder features smooth, light-colored wood. The company logo is the only image on the cover for a clean, minimal design that focuses on its contents. Designer Chris Young used two different fonts, which indicates Jind is reliable and fresh, while metal hinges add a touch of security.
- Potbelly RFP Binder
Image: Megh Knappenberger
Potbelly Sandwich Shop pays homage to its roots with a cover photo of the original shop where it all began. The funky font in the logo pays tribute to the sandwich shop’s unique history, along with the image of an antique stove. Fashioned out of recyclable material, the binder also demonstrates the company’s commitment to the environment and the future.
- Robert F. Kennedy Center Binder
Image: Company Folders, Inc.
The Robert F. Kennedy Center exhibits power and stability with its binder. The center, which advocates for positive change in governments and corporations, uses blue and white to create part of the letter K on the front and back covers. Diamond and compass shapes throughout the design add another level of depth and create a textured look.
- Champs Training Manual Binder
Image: Neal Alfano
Though its cover is smooth, the Champs Training Manual binder offers many layers of texture. The close-up photo of a baseball glove provides a detailed look at the grooves and lines of the leather. Champs’ red and blue logo on the corner of the cover reminds people of the brand’s authority on sporting equipment.
- Chambord Tabbed Binder
Image: Brady Miller
Home chefs will be sipping on a sophisticated drink in no time with Chambord’s drink recipe book. The crisp, white binder features Chambord’s logo on the center of the cover. The crown in the logo indicates that these spirits are for those with a refined palate. The purple and gold tabs add more elegance and royalty to the binder.
- Buxton & Collie Attorneys at Law Binder
Image: Company Folders, Inc.
Buxton & Collie Attorneys at Law chose a sophisticated and modern design for their binders. The crisp cover features a window above the law firm’s embossed logo to let clients preview the first page. The logo’s blue serif font indicates integrity, reliability, and tradition. Blue pockets inside the binder contrast the white cover, while a service list and website URL are also highlighted in blue on the back.
- Horuss Binder
Image: Áleffe Andrade
Áleffe Andrade showed off his adventurous side when he designed this vibrant binder for Horuss. The circular design on the cover symbolizes completion and unity, while customers can easily find the company’s name and contact information along the bottom of the cover. A serif font in the logo displays Horuss’s authority with a strong, traditional look. Inside, white and black squiggly lines along the bottom right panel use bold colors to add a sense of creativity.
- Tresco Lighting Binder
Image: Scott Dudgeon
Customers can let the light shine with Tresco Lighting’s binder. Tresco chose a bright blue for the cover, which radiates energy even though it’s a cool color. The smooth cover features an embossed logo that’s vertically aligned on the right side to invite customers to open the cover. The letter O in the logo looks like a shining sun to remind customers that Tresco is the place to go for all of their lighting needs.
- City of Las Vegas Sales Binder
Image: Renee Messina
Designer Renee Messina created an innovative binder for the City of Las Vegas by offering a place to store a USB device on the cover. The spine is black, while the rest of the cover is made of light cardboard. The only image on the cover is a group of circles to indicate unity for this community. The sans serif font indicates that Las Vegas is a youthful, modern city.
- MGM Resorts 3 Ring Binder
Image: Company Folders, Inc.
It’s not an accident that the acronym for MGM Resorts International’s Hospitality Internship Program is HIP. The cool purple binder uses negative space to create the HIP logo, which appears at various angles across the cover to appeal to creative incoming interns. The gray Velcro® flap gives the binder extra security to keep interns’ important documents safe.
- Engie Internal Communications Ring Binder
Image: Agence Maverick
This binder makes it easy to tell Engie specializes in energy efficiency. The cool blue cover is clean and practical; it features images in warmer colors, such as green, orange, and yellow, to symbolize energy and eco-friendliness. Its images combine weather symbols, people, houses, and geometric shapes to create a strong theme of community and show that energy efficiency is important everywhere clients go.
As you can see, there are infinite binder design styles. Now it’s your turn! What unique material will you use in your next binder design? Will your design continue inside the binder? Show us your own design ideas in the comments below.
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Now it’s your turn! Which binder design do you find most inspirational? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.
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