How We Made a Stencil to Help Non-Speakers Learn to Type
- Brand
- Non-Profit
- Concept
An estimated 40% of people with autism are nonspeaking—over 30 million individuals worldwide. Yet, only a small percentage have been taught how to communicate. In many developing countries, nonspeakers are often mislabeled as mentally disabled, when in fact they simply lack access to the tools and education needed to express themselves. That’s where our nonprofit client came in—with a powerful idea to change this reality. We were honored to help bring it to life.
01_Challenge
Produce low-cost letterboards that can be distributed at no cost to families in developing countries to support typing education.
02_Solution
To keep costs as low as possible, we had to simplify the manufacturing process and select an affordable material. We chose B-flute corrugated with a Kraft/White finish to provide a strong contrast on both sides. For production, we chose die-cutting, for the best value at higher volumes.
We also took care to ensure the edges wouldn’t be sharp by modifying the die design. Additionally, we added a small “nick” to each letter, allowing them to remain attached to the board. This approach protected the letters during shipping, eliminated the need for additional weeding (saving costs), and provided users with extra characters for future use.