Operating in 161 countries, the French Institute is the cultural network with the widest presence across the world. The brand manual that we were given is 113 pages long and contains rules for all kinds of media used by the Institute. The document, rather than being simply a set of restrictive rules, acts as a starting point for the creation of original graphic design. The first item we designed for the Institute was the calendar for 2013.

In order to enrich it with a bit of French flavour, for each month there is a corresponding figure belonging to the French culture. All these 12 characters are briefly presented in a few words and simbolically illustrated through a pencil drawing.

The calendar works by arousing the user's curiosity. In order to see the text and design for a particular month, it is necessary to unseal a perforated piece of card covering it, which makes sense only once the new moth has started.

To communicate details about courses, exams and fees, we abandoned the classic brochure in favour of a foldout. Now, those interested can take in all the information they need at a single glance.