The World Postcard Day is a little over 2 months away, and we can feel the buzz of excitement starting to grow! Lots of people are eager to get started preparing for the big day (28 special meetups on the calendar already!), and we are too — so let’s talk about this year’s theme and postcard!
The theme for 2024 is “The Timeless Magic of the Post”, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). Founded in 1874, the UPU has played a crucial role in connecting people across the globe, fostering international cooperation between postal services and creating a unified postal network. They are an important part of what makes it possible for us to seamlessly send our postcards internationally, ensuring that they are delivered by different postal operators without us needing to worry about the intricate processes behind them. They make the magic happen!
We know some of you have been wondering when our postcard design contest will take place. We love running the contest with our judges and seeing all your creativity — it’s been a highlight of the last few years!
However, over recent years it has become harder to run a global design contest. As you may remember from last year, it can be hard to detect copyright issues with the works submitted; even when being especially careful, it’s easy for such things to slip through, as the tools we can use for that only go so far. More importantly though, we have also noticed a growing number of entries where the images were most likely done by artificial intelligence (AI) software. It’s becoming nearly impossible to tell apart AI-generated designs from the ones you pour your hearts into, and this task will only get more difficult going forward… so, after a lot of thinking, we’ve decided to switch things up this year: instead of our usual design contest, we’ve commissioned an awesome designer to create the official World Postcard Day postcard for 2024.
So, celebrating this remarkable milestone from the UPU with the theme “The Timeless Magic of the Post” was the challenge we presented to NY-based illustrator Rose Wong. You might remember Rose from this blog interview earlier this year, from the Flower Box postcard set, or maybe from one of her countless contributions to The New York Times, the New Yorker, The Atlantic, etc. Rose brought her unique style to the assignment and created a whimsical interpretation of the theme, honoring the UPU legacy by capturing the enduring magic of postcards and mail.
We love this vibrant design, with its whirlwind of happy mail! This is just how we feel as postcrossers — like conductors of a symphony that spreads magic all around the world!
As in previous years, we’re making this postcard design available for free on the World Postcard Day page so that anyone can print it at a local printing shop or through an online service (like Vistaprint or Moo).
And as we always say, any postcard sent on October 1st is a World Postcard Day postcard — so feel free to mail this one or any other postcards you like. It’s all good! If you’re planning to send postcards on the day, we encourage you to share a picture of your cards next to a mailbox on social media, using the hashtag #WorldPostcardDay, as a way to spread the word.
And now, it’s your turn! Let’s plan some get-togethers, visits to museums and workshops, and brainstorm ways to spread some happiness into the world’s mailboxes. How are you planning to celebrate? 71 days to go!
82 comments so far
Beautiful! I can't wait for WPD! :)
Wonderful!
Such an amazing card😍 I'm glad it'll be my first WPD card
Already looking forward to WPD postcards from all over the world
Thank you, but no. I'd prefer to be inactive this days.
I love that card!!
Thank you so much!
Looking forward to it!!
A little sad to see the competition not happening this year, hopefully there are ways to bring it back in the future. That being said, the WPD postcard design is beautiful, I can't wait to send a few out :D
US Group/Bulk Order for this WPD postcard (5 cents per card) https://community.postcrossing.com/t/open-for-2024-world-postcard-day-group-order/416420
Awesome
Wow, that is a wonderful postcard.
Beautiful!
Very cheerful.
Very good approach! I suggest that in future the community can vote on 3-5 artists and the winner will then design the WPD card!
Exciting! Thank you
WPD Sammelbestellung für Deutschland :de:
(Bulk order for Germany)
https://community.postcrossing.com/t/sammelbestellung-zum-world-postcard-day-wpd-2024/874604?u=fladina
What a shame that there are postcrossers out there willing to cheat with the diabolical AI!!
Shame on you. Now it’s spoiled for all those who wanted to enter an authentic design.
Let your true self shine through with your marvelous creative mind.
Ms. Wong, you did yourself proud.
I like this design, but... getting several identical postcards from different corners of the world with the text "Happy World Postcard Day" is rather monotonous. Others may see it differently, but I prefer a simple tourist postcard from the sender's country, sent on October 1st. WPD is celebrated and such a postcard will allow me to see other beautiful places of the world that I will probably never see with my own eyes.
What happens if you have all of your postcards travelling on October 1? Can you still participate?
Lovely vibrant card. I also print stickers from the design if I dont want to send 20 of the same card.
I find this a little disappointing. It was so nice to see all the different designs. It's sad, actually.
Nice card 🙂👍
It's a very nice card but I like the ones from other years that showed with a flag etc where they came from. It is a bit boring to get 10 or 20 identical cards, when they actually all came from different countries.
What a wonderful design!
I love the design! :)
I'm here for it!
UK Group/Bulk Order of the WPD card here :)
https://community.postcrossing.com/t/group-order-for-world-postcard-day-2024/874926?u=moominmog
It's sad there's no design contest this year. I think this postcard was a bit generic, but I like the color palette.
Love the colour-combo of this year's WPF postcard.
I'm all looking forward to WPD 2024! ^_^
I love this design so much--great composition.
Will there be a limit of 10 postcards on 1st October again this year?
Hello
Where can I buy this great card?
Can you please read it to me.
jacobadehaan@live.nl
from the Netherlands
Im sorry I have found it.
lots of greetings from Jacoba
I agree with user lyndac, it adds a just tiny amount of boredom to the otherwise really awesome WPD if all of the ordered specialised postcards for this reason look the same. But Rose Wong created a new amazing and authentic card. It was and is most important to me that postcards are authentic without KI (German abbreviation) or AI (English abbreviation).
It's safer though now that way you do it since currently. If annually, card designers are chosen by you, dear team, without KI/AI influence.
Despite two-sided: Happy upcoming World Post Card Day!
Let's not stop sending snail mail.
Susanne (Susie)
💚✉️💚✉️💚✉️💚
I received my first postcard on WPD 2021 from member @muhmachtdiekuh. If you are reading this, thank you from very nice postcard! I can"t wait for WPD 2024!😊📨👍
Am I the only one who finds the official card boring?
And otherwise I agree with the user lyndac that it is even more boring to get lots of identical cards and with the user ybur that it is monotonous to get cards only because it is WPD and everybody writes "Happy WPD" or so, I prefer to get for example a normal tourist card from someone and learn new things!
It is really strange that WPD seems to mean that everybody sends lots of identical cards to people all over the world and every receiver does the same ;-)
Congrats to the designer and to Postcrossing team that ended up with the decision to hire a professional.
I love to get many and many WPD postcacards, as everyone is unique. Different sender, different message, different stamp and cacellation, different traval wounds... Soooo interesting to observe this magic!
Also love the freedom from Postcrossing colors and WPD logo in front of the card. It spreads horizons.
I really like the design. But I agree with everyone by saying it’s kind of boring for us to all send the same postcard to each other.
Wow, is WPD so close? I am so happy to receive mail...and I agree with the remarks from Luziaceleste that each postcard, despite the “same” design on front, is unique with messages, stamps, and “travel wounds” etc.
I also appreciate the joyful design for this year’s Rose Wong! (I am sure the Postcrossing team will enjoy a - hopefully - less stressful WPD without all the decisions/detections/headaches that might have been experienced in the past.
Looking forward to receiving any and all WPD postcards...meetup ones, too. Celebrate the Day.
Canada Group Order here: https://community.postcrossing.com/t/canada-group-order-world-postcard-day-2024/875433
World Postcard Day!
The beauty of the day!
It's all about the details...
Been creating details for more than a month now!
3 slots
@Antjelino: No, you are not the only one. I do, however, know that it is impossible to satisfy everyone with just one design - personal tastes are very different. This year's card definitely beats last year's initial contest winner by far. :-) I think I'll send a few of this card to people who say on their profile they like illustrated cards.
I am so disappointed in this postcard. First of all, it’s orange. Most people don’t get excited about orange unless you are from The Netherlands or Tennessee. Secondly, it literally just looks like a bunch of computer generated clip art thrown together. It does not look hand illustrated; it does not look like art; it is not inspiring in any way. I’ll be looking elsewhere for my WPD postcards this year and that makes me sad.
I am OBSESSED with the WPD art card this year! Sad it is not a contest, it's so fun to see everyones designs!
Hahah to the above commenter... I get SO excited by orange!
Excimement
I am sorry but don't like the design and even less that the postcard is orange...
Enjoying post crossing, but not the USPS the last few days...another lost card....
I don't mind the card or its color...
🎊🥂🎉🎉🎊🎊🥂
Congratulations Rose Wong! Wonderful design : ) I am looking forward to hopefully getting one (or more!) in the mail this year!
Getting multiples of the same design - when they are all sent on October 1st - just goes to show how fun and exciting us Postcrossers take to WPD!
I also love getting everyone else's WPD postcard designs! I myself will make a "Timeless Magic of the Post" design to send out on October 1st. I hope others do the same and I hope I also get one in the mail!! Is there a blog post where we can all share our WPD designs for this year?
I think the switch to choosing the artist to make the official card is a good one - where can we submit an artist for next year's WPD card art? and how can we then vote on the artist? and can there be a winning non-AI card and a winning AI card??
I love 'from-scratch' art and I have to admit that there are some amazing AI artists out there as well! I welcome any homemade/computer made postcards anyday!
I love beesknees suggestion of making WPD stickers out of the winning design, too!
HAPPY POSTCROSSING :)
Hmmm...I like it but I don't love it. It's kind of busy. I guess our differences are what makes the world go round!
I love the vibrant colors.
What a lovely postcard ❤️
Happy postcrossing everyone 🌸
The WORDS of their decision, their choice may or may not be of importance to you but with their freedom to choose, their choice, their commissioned design...
is boring
is disappointing
is without flags
is monotonous
is orange
is generic
is really strange
The good, the bad, the ugly, the power of WORDS!
I celebrate! I respect! I value their freedom to
choose, their freedom to make a choice...
The design is not my favourite, but it's nice enough. I really miss the excitement around the contest though and so far don't feel inspired to create my own cards like in previous years. I will be at a meeting on WPD, so I will probably send out cards from there rather than this design.
I love it a lot! 😍 I’m a bit disappointed that AI is the reason the competition was taken down. I was excited to participate for this year and try my luck
I will be on holiday on world postcard day and will (hopefully!) go to a philately day and afterwards I'll drop off some snailmail for special postmarks. That is the plan anyway.
As I, personally, MUCH prefer photos to illustrations (with the exception of Blue Cats and Lou Paper and a few exceptions), I won't send this card out. If an illustration doesn't, at least, depict a plant or animal realistically, it will never be the card for me and I only send illustrations out, if nothing else fits a profile I draw as perfectly, as one of the illustrations I have to send out.
So World Postcard Day is super exciting for me, of course, but I won't send this card out. Actually I don't think I have ever sent a world postcard day card out, unless a Postcrossing friend gave me some and they fitted some profile perfectly.
I am not crazy about this design.
I love the design! Maybe next year we can have a design contest for each country? Then all of the cards are exclusive to the country they originate from. Excited to send and receive this one!
I'm new to postcrossing and when I started reading this article about the contests of previous years, I thought maybe I should draw something and I have artist friends who would really like this idea of a contest with a postal theme. That is, this is a great opportunity for many people to realize their creative potential or choose several postcard designs! It is a pity that there will be no competition this year. But I really like this postcard and I would like to receive it! And I really liked the idea from another postcrosser to have a competition for each country and we got their postcards!
I'm new to postcrossing and when I started reading this article about the contests of previous years, I thought maybe I should draw something and I have artist friends who would really like this idea of a contest with a postal theme. That is, this is a great opportunity for many people to realize their creative potential or choose several postcard designs! It is a pity that there will be no competition this year. But I really like this postcard and I would like to receive it! And I really liked the idea from another postcrosser to have a competition for each country and we got their postcards!
Wowwww! World postcard day is coming.
The decision is understandable.
But the design of the card is really terrible.
First thought: “You need a designer for that?”
Perhaps it could be done the other way around in future: It's not the pictures that are submitted, but the opportunity to apply and then a random selection is made from the applicants. These people then create a design - or even three different people - and the community votes on which one it will be.
Either way, we will be sending out postcards on October 1st. :)
#WPD2024 >> Looking forward to it!
#Kudos Rose for the nice work!
Counting days :) 68 days to go!
Happy #WPD2024!
I can't wait for this year, what it brings...
A question and a comment. What is the size of the official 2024 WPD postcard? It doesn't look 6x4 inches to me, and I need to know so I can tell my printer. Also, in year's past, I never have received an official WPD postcard, even though I've sent out as many as 30 official WPD postcards on WPD. So, I don't think Postcrossers need to worry about receiving many duplicate postcards. That's just not my experience. In fact, I would love to receive a WPD postcard.
The design doesn't inspire me- kind of meh. I will make my own cards for the day.
This is my first time participating WPD.
It just so happened that week was a public holiday in China. I planned a travel itinerary via Beijing, Macau, Hong Kong, Osaka and Taibei. I was supposed to be in Osaka that day as planned! (Or maybe Hong Kong).
Looking forward to mailing this colorful postcard at that day!
I have not been involved in the discussions of Postcrossing since an update of the forum prevented me from visiting it with my safari of a former version(sadly)... And I still decided to leave some comments here. I like this design, though I am not sure why the colour of it was specifically mentioned. Is it because that orange is just not popular or with bad meanings? But I think that we could not deny a design in advance only because that it is majorly in a certain colour. Also, I am aware that part of our postcrossers prefer postcards with real or simulated images. I believe that it’s more possible for an annual and themed design to be realized in the form of illustration. Fortunately, postcrossers with strong preference (or just want to have a variety) could also celebrate WPD by sending other postcards (Hint: that includes WPD postcards from former years — I am still happy to send and receive leftovers from 2020) ;) And we can definitely write more than a single ”Happy WPD!” — postcrossers expecting to read more from others are encouraged to mention this on their profile:)
I would love to print this postcard out and send some out on or before (or after) WPD. We should remember that it is about connecting and spreading love:) Well done Rose Wong and many thanks to Postcrossing team that makes this fascinating day happen and keeps organizing it for years ♡
As illustrator and postcrosser for me it's very sad that there will be no competition for the postcard design, but I see your point, nowadays a lot of people are using AI and this is such a shame and disrespectful for human artists :( that said the postcard is really nice, I hope to get one 💕
This will be my first year participating in WPD. I can understand other postcrosser's concern for sending and receiving the same postcard. I certainly don't want the same postcard more than once. With this in mind, I may seek out finding a variety of WPD postcards to use.
I like the "whirlwind" look of this design, and will definitely be sending these for WPD.
The country-specific unofficial Hornbill designs have been a lot of fun to send and collect the past couple of years. I hope they do another one in 2024, and that Christina is on the short list to do an official country-specific WPD design in upcoming years.
I miss the contest, but completely understand the difficulty with the rise of AI and wanting to honor original creations. Maybe next year it would be fun for PC to select some artists and hold a vote on who to commission for the official card?
I don't like it at all.
Here in the Netherlands we already have several smaller studios designing a card, like they did last year. I will skip the official card this year.
Count me in the camp of Postcrossers who love and appreciate this year's design. I ordered 15 postcards printed via Moo.com along with some WeatherUnderground weather phenomena postcards designed as "travel posters" (the PDFs for those have been languishing in my archive for years, now is the time to share them with the world!). I received the printed postcards yesterday, and I must say WPD2024 postcard looks amazing!
I can not get excited over this one. Same reasons as stated from others. It doesn't convey anything but orange (not that Orange is a bad thing, it's my middle son's fav colour!). But, like last year, I will have my daughter make my card again. People really enjoyed getting them. I hope to get many different ones as well!
Every year, halfway through September, I change my PC profile. Asking people to NOT send me the official WPD card. I hardly ever send out the same card twice, seeing the same card over and over again is just sooo boring. I haven't liked any of the official card designs so far, not too keen on meaningless illustrations. Although this year's at least has a bit of a retro feel to it. I'll just send out cards I love on October 1st, that's my way of celebrating! 🥳
I love the color
I really like the design, but I wish the colours were a bit muted, like most of Rose Wong’s designs. However, I’ll be happy if I receive this card :) Looks cute!
Watching this postcard, I can't say I adore it, but I like the idea behind, and also the design.
It would have been interesting that several colours of the same design were created, to avoid this impression of uniformity when you receive several postcards that are the same in a few days. And to avoid the orange/green together (or the orange) that can be a problem to certain persons.
A lot of persons seem to think that just one postcard is not enough, and it is increasing with the popularity with WPD. Multiple cards could be selected.
About the colour orange, here, it reminds to many of us the colour of the tube and RER corridors :) This colour was very frequent in the 70ies and lasted for a long time in many public areas, so it's not very valued. There is a great writer about the symbolism and history of colours through the ages : Michel Pastoureau.
And of course there are many differences from a culture to another about how you give value to such or such color. That's why more choice would be great.
I am looking forward to WPD postcards from all over the world , who want to swap wtih me?
I was on holiday in Calais, France, on 21 July when a friend sent me a message that it was International Postcard Day. I had to spend over half an hour looking for a shop that sold postcards. I always send postcards from my holidays to relatives and friends. But it seems that nowadays people send emails or messangers rather than handwritten ones. Fortunately, there are Postcrossers with whom I can share my passion. Happy Postcrossing.
I like the postcard and already ordered some. I guess it is always the same with any motive: you cannot please everyone. Just on question. Last year we had have a limit of 10 addresses. Do we have such a limit this year too?
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