What does the name PICKMOTION stand for and can you tell us more about the creation of the first postcard “Life is Confetti”?
Lawrence: PICKMOTION was initially called PICK POSTS - like postcards that you can "pick" or select - but I found that there was a lot more behind the products. Ultimately, we want to work with Instagrammers worldwide and to this day, we are all about this co-creative process. The photos come from the Instagrammers, but we develop them into products with typography and illustrations. We quickly realized that we might make other products in the distant future. So we needed a different name. Ultimately, it's about picking emotions, and that's how the name PICKMOTION came about.
Marius: The photo of the first postcard is from the May Festival 2011 in Kreuzberg, Berlin. I was just in the right place at the right time. Shortly afterwards I chatted with Lorenz, who wanted to redesign city maps not only with the main sights, but also with cool spots, street festivals and simply new perspectives. We then sat down and created the first series. There were ten cards with two or three motifs by me and a few other photographers that we found pretty quickly on Instagram. That's how the first Berlin collection came about.
Lawrence: My favorite motif is actually the first postcard "Life is Confetti" by Marius. It combines everything: the celebration, but also the mindfulness of the individual moment. It is a typical "stay a while, you are so beautiful" moment and has the basic ingredients of PICKMOTION.
How did it feel to hold the first PICKMOTION card in your hand? What other moments at PICKMOTION do you look back on with particular fondness?
Marius: That was totally cool! Lorenz had made a test print of the first card and showed me the box full of them. It was a very special "wow" feeling. Especially because photography had made such a shift from analogue to digital at that time. Up until that point, photographers were extremely underrepresented and Instagram created a huge wave where everyone could share photos. You could see that everyone can have a portfolio, everyone has the same opportunity and can go out and show themselves. The thought and the idea that the photographers behind it could earn money with it was still unknown at the time and was a total innovation.
Lawrence: I also fondly remember the very first trade fair, where we didn't even know that it was an order fair. We then took orders on our own products, i.e. on our postcards, because we didn't have any A4 paper, let alone a pad with us. That was a bit of a silly thing at times, but it was also a charming and really nice moment. Other nice moments are always the team events. I fondly remember our second victory at the Golden Greeting Card 2022. That was after Corona and we were able to really celebrate together as a team. I think it was really deserved and also important for the team to see this success. That was a cool highlight moment for me. 
The PICKMOTION team celebrates their win at the Golden Greeting Card 2022
What were the toughest hurdles and how did the company overcome them?
Lawrence: The hardest hurdle for us and of course for many companies was the lockdown. The pandemic also hit retail, i.e. our dealers and direct customers, massively. It presented us as a company with major challenges, such as short-time work or having to put many projects on hold. It was not until 2022 that we were slowly able to return to the goals and dreams we developed in 2019.
Of course, the team doesn't always stay the same, it changes and it's a shame to have to part with some employees. It is definitely challenging to develop the company so that the right people have responsibility. But it makes it all the more fun to develop these people. That is also one of the greatest joys: helping people - including yourself, hopefully - to improve. I think that is also a great spirit that supports and shapes me.
What makes PICKMOTION special in your eyes? How does the brand stand out from other companies?
Marius: At the time, I was extremely impressed that something like that could even be done. Lorenz had these ten card designs and went to shops alone and asked if they wanted to place them. There was this vision and seriousness right from the start. People were also very impressed, especially at the trade fairs at the beginning. The competitors didn't understand it at all and didn't even know what Instagram was.
Seeing how the company, the team and the products have grown is also incredible. And also the fact that we work with so many photographers. This collaboration is still a very nice value for me. I think it will continue long into the future. The way I understand social media, collaboration is what works best and that is also a core value of PICKMOTION.
Lawrence: Our unique selling point for our products is the co-creative process and the fact that we work with over 1,000 people worldwide. We share inspiration and bring things to market that would otherwise have ended up in digital nirvana. That was exactly one of the basic ideas: things that we find digital and simply beautiful belong on great print products and get the appreciation they deserve. It's always brilliant when you see how people celebrate and are happy that they have been published on real print products. We also have such a strong creative team of our own that shares their inspiration and grows together. I think people also notice that not just one designer, but many creative minds have tried to design a really good greeting card. We also do a lot of things ourselves - from product development to the entire presentation, but also the logistics processes. We always cover the entire life cycle. This curiosity shapes us and is very important.
The first Pickmotion postcard "Life is Confetti"
What do you wish for the future of PICKMOTION?
Lawrence: I think we are on the verge of becoming even more mature as a company and being present at even more points of sale. We want to sweep away some of the heaviness that comes with political issues or whatever with our spirit of lightness. The products are meant to remind us that we should appreciate the day and celebrate life and our loved ones. My vision is to make this basic idea even more present in various product forms in retail and online. I think we can dream more in the future and make more dreams come true, whereas at the moment we still have to be very selective. There are still many ideas, the drawer is full.
