a blog for my class

w@madyminckartg481

For my case study, I used my Design Reseach project, Healthy Masturbation

Creatures of the Night's Alain visited our zoom class and we are making art inspired by his style. During the meeting he mentioned having pride of a lack of distinct style, but being inspired a lot by Moebius and Folklore/Mythology. Taking this into mind i created 3 color variations of art for Beren and Lúthien.

What is the problem you’re trying to solve?

Lack of inspiration/direction in a project

1) Take a stab at framing it as a design question.

How can we help designers find direction in a project?

2) Now state the ultimate impact you’re trying to have.

Designers can get out of a roadblock easier

3) What are some possible solutions to your problem?

An acronym to remember to help decode what to do next (like pemdas)

A reference guide to organize the project

4) Finally, write down some of the context and constraints that you’re facing.

Making something easy to remember

Something Universal.

5) Does your original question need a tweak? Try it again.

Project 1: Healthy Masturbation

In December 1994, U.S Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was forced to resign after stating, ​"I think that [masturbation] is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught,” at a UN Conference on AIDS. Even to this day, Masturbation is often only spoken about in the mainstream as the butt of a joke.​

The Challenge

The challenge with this project is that Masturbation is considered a taboo subject, which can make it hard to talk about. this also makes it hard to find sources for peoples questions

The Approach

In order to approach this topic, I had to make the topic approachable. I wanted to find colours that were friendly, and words that were easily understood by most ages. I decided I would stick with illustrations that were a bit cartoonish, but still accurate, and nothing too graphic for a more friendly atmosphere.

"What I Did"

I created an Instagram ad campaign, which portrayed myths vs truths about masturbation, a pamphlet that could answer most questions but still lead to the website to answer more questions. And Intended to make a video series that could combine most of the knowledge using friendly animations, consistent with the illustrations through out the campaign.

(˅ colours have been updated recently)

Project 2: Twisted Shotz rebrand

In my Packaging Class at VIU, we were tasked with redesigning a series of packaging, and since my dream is alcohol brand and packaging design, I wanted to take a stab at a part of the dream i hadn't thought of. I walked into my local liquor shop in search of something I thought was ugly, or inappropriately design, then I found twisted shots and the rest was history

The Challenge

The original Twisted Shotz Chocolates Shotz Box, was a clash of colours that felt more like it was for children than an adult alcohol product. Not to mention the box itself was more cardboard than necessary.

The Approach

The main thing I wanted to focus on was making the packaging more mature. I wanted to keep similar colours and patterns, but make them appeal more to adults rather than children. I took a lot of inspiration for fancy chocolate boxes. I also wanted to use less material in the box.

"What I Did"

I toned down the colours and overlayed the original patterns on the lid of the shots, and made it easier to keep safe in the package by using square shots. I added a window to the top of the box to save ink from printing pictures on the top.

(˅ I did take out one of the 4 flavours when I made this, but could be fit if I make a rectangle instead of a square.)

Project 3: Reeses Repackaging

When I was attending community college in 2017, I felt I wasn't making anything portfolio worthy, so I asked a friend of mine to go to the vending machine and buy me a candy and I would practice redesigning the packaging. She came back with a Reese's, and I spend the next 2 weeks in-between homework, I work on redesigning Reeses' packaging. I ended up creating something I'm still proud of 4 years later.

The Challenge

I think one the the biggest problems with Reese's is that there are 3 layers of packaging. There is the outside wrapper, the cardboard tunnel that holds the cups, and the wax paper around the peanut butter cup itself. Another problem I had with the packaging is when a bit of chocolate gets stuck to the bottom of the wax paper and you either have to toss it or gnaw on the paper like a monster.

The Approach

I knew I wanted to reimagine Reese's as a more upscale candy, closer to Fannie May. I wanted a solid little cardboard box that could stake the candy on top of each other, that would be a beat easier to eat from.

"What I Did"

I did a lot of research of small gift boxes to find a good pattern the make for my fancy Reese's, and settled on the two below that could fit 2 peanut butter cups and all of the legal information on the bottom. In the imaginary scenario this was a reality in, I was using a light recycled cardboard that was waxed on the inside using beeswax, making it easier to get the candy out of.

(˅ I did this project in the USA where the regular size of Reese's only had 2 peanut butter cups, in comparison to Canada's regular size which has 3 peanut butter cups. This is one of the biggest problems with America (besides the obvious))

Project 1: Healthy Masturbation

The Challenge:

Masturbation is riddled with myths and taboos

Hard to find straight forward and approachable information

The Approach

Make it approachable colourwise and wording wise

Medical but readable

Friendly illustrations

The "What I Did"

Make a Pamphlet

Video series

Website

And Instagram ad campaign

Project 2: Twisted Shotz Rebrand

The Challenge:

The original packaging looked like too much candy

Colours clashed

Could be mistaken as something for a child

The Approach

Make more age appropriate

Less materials in new box

Keep colours and patterns but dull it down

The "What I Did"

Kept the colours & patterns

Took inspiration from fancy chocolate boxes

Added a see-through window so consumers can see what flavours are, instead of listing them on the box.

Project 3: Reeses Repackaging

The Challenge:

Not sustainable packaging (3 layers)

Hard to eat (licking chocolate off of paper)

The Approach

Gift boxes (More fancy)

More sustainable

Easier to eat

The "What I Did"

Create 2 types of boxes

Used recycled cardboard, waxed with beeswax to be easier to remove from pacakaging

Brand Statement (an elevator pitch about why to hire me)

Hello, my name is Casey and I’m a adventurous designer/ photographer who can offer a multitude of perspectives and ideas along with unique design and personality. I want to learn as much as I can about design and create a more interesting world to perceive.

Brand Promise (6 words or less, a promise I can keep)

Bring humor to everything I do

Moodboard

Sketched wireframes

The links I’ll use in my portfolio

Home, This won’t be listed on my navigation bar, but can be reached from hitting my logo.

Graphic Design Work, My dream career is graphic design so I want to make sure its clear that its what the website is about

Photography, Im very proud of my photography and would like this to be noted as something I could be hired for.

Illustration, I don’t think this will be a link on the navigation bar

About me, this will include how to get in touch with me and some of my exhibits & awards since I may as well flaunt them

Which 3 (or more) projects will I showcase on my site?

Healthy Masturbation: A fictional campaign to help make the topic of masturbation more approachable.This large project, while a bit taboo, is one i’m definitely proud of.

Shotcolate Repackaging: A redesign of Twisted Shotz's Chocolate Shotz Box. Designing packaging for alcohol is my dream job so I definitely should showcase this.

Reeses Repackaging: A redesign of Reese’s peanut butter cups’ packaging to make it a little more earth friendly. A passion project I did 4 years ago while attending community college.

Possibly Infographics: Some fantastic infographics completed in my 3rd year class. I could definitely see myself doing more infographics in the future and would like to showcase the work i have so far on the matter.

Possibly Menus: 4 years ago I designed 2 fictional restaurants to make menus for as a passion project.

Possibly Swig: I’m currently in a class that is designing an entire business and if i like the finished product at the end of the semester I will definitely add it my portfolio, so I have more recent works.

Determine:

Where do I need to fill holes in my showcase?

I need to make sure my personality comes through in a way that could still be considered professional.

I want to be sure I can be found throughout the web

What will you do specifically to fill holes?

I think adding elements of illustration to my About Me page will help my personality

I need to make sure my username is more professional so I can be my own advertisement on instagram and possibly make a Linkedin and Dribble

What platform will I use?

Not the easiest question, but not the hardest. I have a lot of experience manipulating Wix to work as I want it to, without having to rely on templates. I know I don’t like Squarespace, I find it hard to achieve what I envision with their system. That being said I will likely use Wix but if I have time I’ll experiment with Cargo, Readymag, Semplice, godaddy, or maybe even try squarspace again.

What will my domain name be?

This is the question I’ve struggled with for the last 3 years. I know “blobaglob” isn’t very professional but I don’t want to be suckered down by my name, which is overwhelmingly common on the internet. Overall I want a name that I could be found at through put the internet but its nearly impossible to do so with my name. that being said I may bite the proverbial bullet and use one of the listed names under the keep reading.

01.30.21

Richard has a good point on what Natasha Jen got wrong. Her presentation was definitely for more shock value, & I can see why Richard thinks she might lack the proper understanding of design thinking. However, I would say any jargon that has to be redefined anytime you talk to someone in the same field, may be counterintuitive. In her show, Natasha Jen implies that there has been no criticism to Design Thinking. Richard goes on to state there are plenty of examples, including some of his own. Anything that resides on the internet is bound to criticism, especially something so widespread. But realistically, Natasha isn't saying that no one has ever doubted Design Thinking, most likely, she's implying it isn't being talked about enough. She insinuates that it's a way to sell graphic design to non-designers, and she doesn't like how it's portraying her.

Natasha Jen said it best when she declared that design thinking is just another buzz word. I wholeheartedly agree that design thinking is an oversimplified processed that substituted the ever-important critique with the unimportant post-it.

While I do agree with Natasha Jen for the most part, I must point out the few flaws she had stated. A few times during her presentation she said that something using design thinking seemed obvious. For example; "So now, just take a pause and think that MRI scan for children, let’s put you know cartoons on the wall, do you really need design thinking to actually do that? Isn’t that a little bit obvious?" This may seem obvious now but you can't say that with 100% certainty knowing that hindsight bias is now in play. It certainly seems like something that doesn't require a week's worth of design thinking but there is no way to say for certain that you would have the same thought unless you were there.

This week we did the Inside Self(-assessment) by Denise Anderson and for this post I’m including a photo of “Pixie- Dust” which is some of my passions. But Mainly I’m answering the question where am I headed? ( and how will I get there) (in 5 years specifically)

Where AM I headed?

Ideally in 5 years I’ll be designing brand & packaging for a brewery or distillery.

How am I going to get there?

Graduate and get a job at a design Agency

Work up to doing freelance work in my free time

Build my portfolio with actual and personal projects that show off my capabilities with alcohol branding and packaging

Take the step to reach out to beginning distilleries and/or breweries.

Design thinking, as according to Tim Brown, seems to be the ability to think ahead. Much like Dr Strange in Marvel’s Infinity World, one should look at possible outcomes, how you get there, and which is the best for the company and the audience.

Reading Tim Brown's work, some fantastic examples can be used to explain design thinking and what it consists of, and what it means to be a design thinker. While some of the examples could be considered dated, such as his almost idolization of Thomas Edison, he manages to explain design thinking perfectly.

The main important takeaways are as follows:

A design thinkers personality should follow E.I.E.C.O. which stands for Empathy, Integrative Thinking, Experimentalism, Collaboration, and Optimism. using these characteristics, it’s easier to put one in the headspace of others, analyse how they could make life better, and put their ideas into practice with the help of those around them.

In the article Design Thinking, Tim brings up the point of making a quick prototype by a designer for Kaiser Permanente, by literally grabbing and tapping "a marker, a film canister, and a clothespin" asking if this is what the person they were talking to meant. 

Prototyping is an important part of experimentation, and this example is great as evidence of design thinking because it involved listening to a client/ audience member and putting together evidence of their listening. This included not only experimentation but every part of E.I.E.C.O. 

01.16.21

Finding inspiration for what I want my portfolio to be is a hard task for me. This is because I love such a hectic style, but those kind of styles are harder to use as a starting off designer verses an established designer.

Anyway here are some of my inspirational sites.

1. Marco Tiberio

This may not be the most professional but golly is it fun! Marco’s dress-up doll site can lead to his more professional portfolio, but he did make it hard to figure out if you don't read the pop-up, and many people don't read pop-ups.

2. DAD agency

DAD agency is bold! They incorporate fun in a blunt style. They move their logo as you scroll, just incase you forget where you are. Their style oozes out of the screen, you can tell what they like and how they’ll do it.

3. CUKIER Creative Group

Cukier’s portfolio is a fun way to show off their work in an incredibly comprehensive why. They address your questions before you ask them. This design allows them to keep their personality, while allowing some professionalism in a fun manner.

4. DAPP BOI

This website is for a graphic designer avertising himself as a cryptocurrency because that's something he has a passion in. Doing so, allows him to show his passion and personality in a fun way that's still understandable. 

5. bo en

This is a website I could play with for hours. It cant be understood in just a single screenshot. I would love to take this interactive form and make something playful but comprehensive. Is it cheating using a musician portfolio? maybe. But its so incredible I had to share it.

01.13.21

below the keep reading is some fantastic and fun websites that also inspire me

blog post #7

blog post # 13

blog post # 6

today was the final critique on our type posters but as usual, I found myself to be my harshest critic, ane went to completely redo my entire poster as soon as the critique was over.

Blog post #5 

the above images are examples of my type choices.