Many of us have been working hard on our ‘smizing’ the last few months: Doing our best to smile with our eyes when are mouths are covered by masks during so many meetings with those not in our social bubbles.

Smiling is a simple but invaluable human cue that helps smooth out interactions, but mask-wearing has made that non-verbal communication all but impossible.

Juniper Park’s design arm Le Parc saw that problem and came up with a playful solution: printing masks with cheerful, charming smiles in a “pop art” graphic style. All Juniper Park and Le Parc employees received two of the designs on lightweight fabric that’s ideal for summer.

“The smile is a powerful expression in communication—a social lubricant,” said Nathalie Cusson, creative director at Le Parc. “In creating these masks, we wanted to playfully share a smile with our team and give them the ability to spark a moment of joy in their colleagues, friends, and loved ones.”

Le Parc also created image files of each design that can be easily downloaded and provided to a printer or mask vendor to produce more of the smiling masks. The idea of sharing the designs was inspired by recent Juniper Park\TBWA report “Navigating Through Revival,” which identified a greater willingness to share during the covid crisis.

“Ideas are now shared not saved,” wrote the report authors. “We’ve seen the values of open source communities and creative commons being embraced the world over. The greatest minds are coming together online to provide genuine solutions, from universities collaborating around-the-clock on a vaccine, to volunteers 3D printing valves and essential medical equipment… The power of a shared idea is being realized and brands are beginning to follow suit.”