Two Peninsula graphic designers and co-workers would like to grow their line of pocket-sized artisan notebooks through a Kickstarter.com crowdfunding campaign.
Ben Scott, 38, of York and LaMar Smith, 35, of Newport News launched Nomad Notebooks in early 2016 as a solution for keeping their ideas and sketches organized. The partners, who work as graphic designers at Newport News Shipbuilding, wanted a notebook with a “designer look” and a mix of different kinds of paper, such as plain, grid or dotted.
“It kind of helps to evoke creativity and also keeps all your ideas together in one central location,” Smith said.
The duo said they started selling Nomad’s Repurposed notebook that incorporates recycled newspaper along with tracing, graph and kraft paper at local craft shows and found people were drawn to them.
Prince Ink on Granby Street in Norfolk has been selling the Repurposed Nomad for the past year and has folks who come back on a regular basis to scoop them up, said owner Matt Wallace. Wallace said he’s seen a chef, financial management folks and designers using it to capture notes or their ideas.
“They sell really well for us,” Wallace said.
Now, Scott and Smith want to ratchet up the Nomad Notebook hype by launching differently designed three-packs of pocket-sized notebooks but doing so in a way where they could build up inventory.
They launched a Kickstarter campaign in mid-August with the goal of raising $25,000 within a couple of months. As of Monday morning, more than 250 people have pledged more than $10,300 with 32 days left to go, according to the website.
“This is also a proving ground for the idea,” Scott said.
Pledging $10 gets a backer one three-pack. The Graph Pack has six different types of graph paper in each notebook. The planner pack offers think space, a calendar and a task list. The Sea+Air+Space product designs each notebook for each theme using photos, maps and charts.
“This gives you the opportunity to explore your ideas on multiple surfaces,” Scott said.
Other donation levels include perks such as Nomad Blackout pencils, a leather carrying case or a canvas utility roll. Nomad plans to donate a portion of proceeds to the Arbor Day Foundation, Scott said. Backers can donate as little as $5 for a mention on the thank you page.
If the campaign is successful, Nomad plans to ship orders out by December in time for the holidays, Scott said. A successful campaign would also help Nomad stock up for website sales and would help the duo on their next design, Smith said.
“We have so many ideas for future mixed-up notebooks,” Smith said.
For more information, visit nomadnotebooks.com or find Nomad Notebooks on Kickstarter.com.
Bozick can be reached by phone at 757-247-4741. Sign up for a free weekday business news email at TidewaterBiz.com or follow @TidewaterBiz.
