FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
General
Barbara started working on developing instagami® in 2005.
The idea for instagami® was borne of a ‘necessity’. It was its inventor's [Barbara Vinecombe] way for steering her mind away from ‘depression’. She did so by focusing her mind completely on creating a new, unique greeting card experience that could be interactively transformed into a 3D physical image …with a built-in ‘wow’ factor. Initially, in a design to suit an 'angel artwork', Barbara imagined her instagami® origami card ‘flying’ all over the world, inspiring people and conveying messages of peace, hope and happiness.
'instagami®' is a blend of the words ‘instant’ (insta) and ‘origami’ (gami).
1. The novelty of instagami® needed official validation. IP protection was also needed for its 'one-of-a-kind' mechanics (how it works) applications, including the uniqueness of an interactive origami 'greeting' card;
2. 10% of the profits from worldwide sales of instagami® is being donated to charitable causes, including for helping innovative ventures, and community, land regeneration, and other worthwhile projects.
3. 100% of the net proceeds [of specially designed instagami® fundraising initiatives] will be made available to NFP organisations with a need for a specific-purpose funding.
In the interest of protecting exclusiveness and uniqueness in our commercial and charitable endeavours, we chose to secure IP protection for instagami® in all major world regions.
Yes. instagami® is ‘IS physical , NOT digital'. It is an interactive 3D origami card. [The 3D transformation is instantly done …by you.]
To some degree... YES! instagami® adds a ‘New Dimension’ to art expression and to the conveying of one’s feelings through art. instagami®i is 'physical', it's interactive… instagami® ‘bends, intrigues, and excites the mind’
The following quote by Pam Danziger (President of Unity Marketing Inc in Pennsylvania, USA) could well describe instagami® in a 'nut shell':
“Traditional greeting cards were an early 20th century marketing solution designed around technology and consumer expectations from the early 1900’s. The consumer needs that greeting cards were once created to fill, haven’t gone away, BUT the market is ripe for someone to come along with a new 21st century solution that fills that same consumer need today.” Is instagami® this 21st Century Solution?
Yes! A tough one to believe, but all instagami® origami cards are created from one single flat piece of paper* that you transform into a 3D image…instantly! The
A transformed instagami® can reveal landscapes, oceanscapes, flora, fauna, landmarks, fantasy, ships and airplanes, football teams, critters and creatures, and so on. For instagami® artwork and design, there are no boundaries to imagination.
*Wherever possible, 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper is used.
Easily! When you receive or are gifted an instagami® origami card, you simply bend, lock, peel, flip and stick as you physically transform it into its 3D image. WOW!
It’s an experience to be had. You’ve just got to transform one from flat into 3D to experience that 'WOW' feeling! Go on, do it and send one too!
instagami® products are already special ...but for VERY special occasions, please submit your enquiry to hello@instagami.com - together let's see what we can create.
Plenty! Walt Disney started with just a mouse ─ Barbara, started with an angel!
We see the instagami® range in the near future to include Angels, Fairies, Rabbits, and Dragons artwork and designs. As we grow, our art-design adaptations will have something for everybody. Abstracts, animals, cities and landmarks (like Corcovado in Rio, the Grand Canyon in the USA, Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney).
Our award-winning embellisher craftsmen will skillfully design the embossing dies of each instagami® range. The embossing process requires two dies: one that is raised and one that is recessed, with flat paper stock between them. Then… pressure of up to 300 tonnes is instantly applied. Ouch!!! This creates a ‘raised-effect’ to the paper stock bringing life and vibrancy to shapes and colours of the artwork, thereby further enhancing the artist’s artwork.
Now you know how instagami®’s special effects are created. We do not use any non-biodegradable material (more information in Environmental and Community Responsibilities section of this FAQ).
Cairns, Queensland, Australia. After launch in Australia, it could be in your country too!
After launch, and we become full on production, we will progressively roll out…
Other instagami design ranges, such as our ‘G.O.D.’ (Gradients of Difficulty) range; and
Innovative instagami® adaptations to gift cards, storybooks, colouring books, wedding and party invitations, table setting cards, educational books and more.
Initially, products are being manufactured and shipped by our manufacturing/logistics partners in Melbourne, Australia.
After we launch and are operating fully, products will be locally manufactured in the regions where most demand exists. Analytics gathered after launch will provide us with this information.
In a 'state-of-the-art' online store website to be developed, as well as at various stores to be listed in the website. [These store locations and the stock range will be trackable and displayed in your mobile devices in the near future with the deployment of the online store website.]
YES! The envelope is a ‘Small Letter’ postage category, made from a specially designed die.
Yes. Deliveries can be made to any location in the world serviced by Australia Post.
Yes. Up to 15kg per parcel.
Shipping & Handling fees are Australia Post postage rates plus a nominal charge kept as low as possible to cover packing of the product and delivery to Australia Post. All instagami® product prices ARE inclusive of shipping and handling charges.
Please refer to the Administration Office of your Armed Services location for delivery times. You may also nominate an alternative shipping address.
The estimated delivery time will be shown in the cart with other details of your purchase. You may also purchase the product at a shop near you in the near future.
YES. All instagami® products use 100% bio-degradable post-consumer waste recycled paper and vegie inks. Please see ‘Environmental and Community Responsibilities’ section of this FAQ.
Artists & Designers
After instagami® is launched and in full production, we will announce an Art & Design Awards to be held by Origamics Arte ("Origamics"). Origamics is a NFP to be established for promoting and acknowledging the skills and talents of artists worldwide.
Registration will be free, and financial incentives accompanying the awards very appealing.
Simple... write to arte@instagami.com with samples of your artwork, your full name and address, and tell us a bit about yourself. Artists of accepted artwork samples will then be provided with a commission brief, together with a very appealing Artists Compensation Plan in an 'Artists' Artwork Agreement' for your review and completion.
Please also refer to Terms & Conditions section of this website.
Stockists
Yes. For wholesale enquiries, please contact Instagami Vending at sales@instagami.com
Yes. We see Vending Machines as our way to free Stockists' staff from having to attend to sales as cashier. However, Stockists can use their traditional shelves/racks for displaying and selling their instagami® origami greeting card stock if they so wish.
Environmental and Community Responsibilities
YES! Innovation is a never-ending part of our being the best we can be at what we do for our customers, for Earth’s environment, and for communities everywhere.
Some of the eco-friendly material used in our production include 100% bio-degradable and post-consumer waste recycled paper, embossing special effects, and vegie inks. Solar-powered machinery will also be used for manufacturing the instagami® products.
Through superior processes, excellence in developing and executing our business strategies, and never stopping learning & experimenting, we continuously investigate the best eco-friendly materials for our products.
YES! You'll be doing just that with your purchase of any instagami® product (10% of our combined worldwide profits are donated to charitable, community, and ecological restoration causes). After instagami® is launched and in full production, information will become available on how you can join people from all regions of the world for together ‘imagining and creating’ our imaginearth’s Mission, Vision, and Values. A Facebook page dedicated to conversations on the eco-system condition in your regions, and on a system that together we can make work for reinstating the well-being of all life around us. In the interim, check it out how simply it works at https//instagami.wixsite.com/imaginearth