Are you saying goodbye? Saying goodbye is never easy, but it is a necessary part of the journey. Perhaps a colleague is leaving the company, a friend is moving to another city or someone is retiring? Then why not create a farewell book! A farewell book is a wonderful way to capture all the beautiful moments and memories and show appreciation.
Last week, Fabian, who has been developing our photo book software for over 10 years, left us. It was an emotional but beautiful goodbye! We designed a farewell book for him and thought we’d share our tips with you. Here are some creative ideas to help you create a unique farewell gift.
Choose a theme
The first step in creating a successful farewell book is to choose a theme. Base it on the personality and interests of the person for whom the book is intended. What should the book look like?
Fabian, for example, is a funny, easy-going guy. That’s why we adapted the book to his character. It should be varied and humorous. We added funny, sometimes childish stickers and backgrounds to lighten up the book.
Collect personal messages
The core of a farewell book is the personal messages. Ask friends, family or colleagues to write short texts, anecdotes or wishes. To make it particularly lively, you could also add photos, quotes or illustrations.
Tip: handwriting gives the book a personal touch, while printed texts create a clean, professional look. You could also scan handwritten texts and insert them into the book as a photo.
Insert photos
In our farewell book for Fabian, everyone received a double page: On one page, a photo of the colleague was inserted, and on the other page, a personal farewell text to Fabian was written. In between, you could also insert photos from team outings, Christmas dinners, or similar events.
Incorporate memorabilia
It gets particularly creative when you integrate small memorabilia in addition to photos and texts. These could be concert tickets, postcards, admission tickets or even dried flowers that remind you of shared experiences.
A little fun is a must
A farewell book doesn’t have to be just sentimental; it can also contain funny and entertaining elements. For example, you could insert little quiz questions about the person, have friends create a humorous ‘to-do list’ for the next stage of their life or design a ‘bucket list’ for the new path.
Farewell can also be a chance to celebrate shared memories and honour a valuable connection. With a lovingly designed farewell book, you are giving something that the person will enjoy picking up again even years from now.
And finally, to Fabian: thank you for the great collaboration over the past years! We wish you all the best for the future – may the next chapter be just as successful and fulfilling as the last 10 years!
Team Bookfactory
