PLACE - Mood Board
PLACE - Mood Board
More Posts from Saraholmesdesign and Others
DT: Secondary Research
So last time I posted about this, you know, before the world was ending, I was talking about the importance of coffee valves in a bag of coffee beans to keep the bag from exploding from the buildup of gasses. The valve allows carbon dioxide from the beans to escape, making it necessary. The problem with this, is that means it’s one of the things that makes a coffee bag not entirely compostable. So I was looking into that in particular and found that there’s a company called TricorBraun Flex that is working on a sustainable bag line called Biotrē that currently has a 60% compostable coffee bag and is working on a 100% compostable bag, so that’s great for the future of coffee.
On that note, we researched what’s already out there for improving the coffee making process and I found it interesting that despite how old coffee is and the multitude of different ways of brewing it, most cultures have a certain way of doing it and have predominantly stuck to their methods and tools through history. Of course things have updated as technology evolved but there’s definitely been an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach to at home brewing or, people have developed their own methods.
Of course, there are many influential coffee shops and brew masters out there, even on the west coast, that are constantly developing new methods and shortcuts that often make their way to the home via baristas but we’ve yet to see a significant, single method in coffee brewing.
The reason for this is that brewing is a very personal, particular thing. People like their coffee a certain way and everyone stores it, grinds it and prepares it differently. Still, I did find some neat little things that have been introduced to the brewing world in the last century!
I mainly looked at spoons when doing my secondary research and really enjoyed this concept:
Using the spoon as a clip as well to keep the coffee bag closed is a neat idea because the spoon would always be around for measuring and the bag gets closed, meaning the coffee keeps fresh for longer.
Alternatively, a coffee scoop with a sliding lid could help when scooping coffee. This is a picture of one used for medicine.
Another cool thing is that there are a few drip coffee makers out there that actually grind the beans for you. It’s a no mess method because it also portions out the beans, making a pot of coffee is just keeping the water tank full and clicking a button.
PROJECT ONE RATIONALE - BLOG POST #9
Project 1 - Environmental Redesign Rationale
ARTG371 - Sara Holmes
Product: Tsubazo Pairing Knife
Project Description: For this project, the goal was to find an overly packaged item and redesign it to create something more environmentally friendly. We were allowed to choose anything we deemed to be overpackaged, even if the packaging seemed alright. My goal was to create a package that could be used again, either as individual components or as one piece. I wanted to make sure that any waste from the project was one hundred percent recyclable. I also wanted to create a package that turned a simple pairing knife into a beautiful gift to be opened.
Environmental Considerations: When walking down the aisle of any store, it is unlikely that you will see more than a couple of packages with no plastic involved. Since the invention of plastic, it has been involved in packaging whether that has been as a plastic sleeve, bubble wrap, slips of plastic, etc. Even if it is made reusable (hard plastic), most of it ends up at the dump where it will take hundreds of years to break down completely.
I wanted to create a simple enough package that could be completely reused, and if the person has no interest in reusing it, it could decompose naturally. For this project, I used the following:
Scrap Wood - 13 years to decompose.
Wood Glue - 1-3 years. Breaks down over a period of time when exposed to moisture.
Cloth - 1-5 months to decompose.
Thread - 3-4 months to decompose.
Tracing paper - 1-4 weeks to decompose, could also be reused to wrap a gift, jot down notes, or even as tracing paper!
Recycled paper - 2-6 weeks to decompose.
While a bit more effort is put into the packaging because of this, my audience could comfortably buy this product without worry of what to do with the package upon opening. The box could be reused to hold paint brushes, pencils, another gift, or even the knife.
Design Concept and Solutions:
My goal was to create a package for the product that could do a better job of representing the product inside. I wanted to completely eradicate the use of plastic, make a package that created less of an impact on the environment and was beautiful for the user to look at as well as. The original package that was cardboard and plastic and I did not think that it matched the quality of the product inside, a Japanese pairing knife.
The purpose of the item inside is to be used as an everyday knife for cutting up vegetables and fruit. My goal was to create a package that reflected the rich culture and heritage of the country that it was made in. I wanted to wow the user and make something that they would be inclined to reuse and if not, know with certainty that they could recycle it.
I began by looking at Japanese knives, the beautiful simplicity to the hilt matched with the rich texture of the blade. So much beauty deserved something more. I remembered reading about Japanese joinery a while ago and after reading up about it again, the idea came to me that I should make a box for the blade and use no nails. It would be better for the environment and would reflect Japan.
I decided that I wanted my audience to be a culinary student or a professional in the industry. I wanted to create something that would give that person absolute joy to open. The idea was that I wanted the person opening it to have the same emotion a design student down when opening their MacBook packaging up for the first time. That feeling of excitement while opening up the layers of the box to reveal the item inside is what I wanted to promote.
Considerations:
Heritage - Japan has a very rich heritage and I wanted to make sure that the design was to that standard.
Environmental - The package should be simple but elegant, easily recycled.
Colour - Japan’s flag is a beautiful shade of red and the initial packaging makes attempts at that.
Typography - Japanese design loves geometrical sans-serifs.
Experience - This should be an exceptional experience for a culinary student.
Using these considerations, I applied myself to this redesign and my goal, which never changed during the entirety of this redesign.
I was planning to seal the box closed with a wax seal to give a sense of elegance. However, someone pointed out to me that this would leave a stain on the box. I also realized as I stood there with it in my hands, that a wax seal was too much, which is why I decided to wrap it in tracing paper instead. A great thing about the tracing paper is the auditory sensation of unwrapping it and the relation it has to actually receive a gift from someone. Suddenly, without me having to nudge anyone into thinking so, the package actually did look like a gift while keeping the box below visible.
I also considered placing a seal anyway on the paper wrap but decided I loved the simple elegance of the wrap alone. Sometimes, even if you think you have a concrete plan, when it comes to the creation side they fall to the wayside. That is why creating a prototype is so important.
Initially, I also had lofty plans for painting a beautiful scene on the lid of the box. However, during our feedback week, I had a lot of the students tell me that they loved how simple the box was, that the concept even reminded them of home. One of the girls told me that she was studying in Canada because she wanted to buy and sell products and she would definitely want to sell my product in Japan!
I was pretty attached to the idea of painting, but you learn a lot in design as you go through and build products, that sometimes it’s best to kill your darlings. Getting attached to one concept is a bad idea.
I found instead that I could create a colour pop by taking the wine red from the Japanese flag on the paper wrap and matching it to a fabric, which I then sewed into a handkerchief with the help of my mother and sister. I proudly did the inside seam and ironed it, but when the time came to sew the top, my sister, with her costuming diploma, stepped in for me.
The end result is a beautiful, simple yet elegant gift. When opening, the user has to first slide off the paper wrap, open the tracing paper, slide back the lid and then finally unfold the handkerchief to reveal the blade inside, safely nestled within the fabric to keep it from moving while in transit.
Design Thinking - Tim Brown
‘Design Thinking’ by Tim Brown is an article about the development of design thinking in the ideation stage of a project and how it has led to new ideas that have flourished due to the consideration of the human element.
It’s always interesting to discover a new facet of the design process and while I believe that Design Thinking is something that we have been integrating into our learning for the past couple years, it’s nice to take a more in-depth look at it and this article is an easy introduction.
Here are my key takeaways:
Innovation = design thinking. One follows the other, you can invent on your own but it won’t ever get far without other’s input and without thinking of the human element.
The design process has been reimagined in the sense that designers no longer come in late to the project but are involved from the beginning and are often even asked to help with the design of the actual product/program.
Design Thinking is only growing as a ‘trade’ as economies shift from physical products to knowledge-based outcomes.
Succesful design thinkers are empathetic, integrative thinkers, optimistic, experimental and collaborative.
I found this case study for a portable incubator called Embrace. Embrace was developed with the idea of keeping premature babies alive by offering a portable incubator to families that live far from the hospital. What I like about this piece is the objective behind it, and a key message in the article.
“Empathy is at the heart of design. Without the understanding of what others see, feel, and experience, design is a pointless task.”
This project really focuses in on the people using it and went through a couple iterations before being finalized. It took feedback from users in the areas it was wanting to help seriously and that’s what made it successful. If they’d only designed something and sent it out to people without consideration, the project would have failed. This article does a good job of showing that.
Activity One - Blog Post #2
Activity One turned out to be a more fun challenge than I initially thought. I picked up a package that had a hole cut into it and when I unfolded it, I actually found that there were two holes! I was dreading trying to cut it. However, I decided not to worry about it too much and just enjoy the process.
I started out by tracing the package twice on tracing paper. I found I had to be careful with the tracing paper because it crinkled up easily when I used my eraser. I had trouble with tracing the entire package without it moving because it was too long for my hands. Eventually, I realized that if I folded it halfway, it was doable.
After taking the measurements and making note of all the writing on the little package, I finally decided to draw it out with my ruler using the measurements that I had taken.
Before cutting it, I carefully used my bone tool to create folds in the package. It was actually really good to struggle with getting the same effect in class with a pen lid, only to do it so easy with the actual tool at home. Even so, my tool got a bit ruined by my ruler because it was only hard plastic so I’d like to find a better material to use in the future.
I decided to opt out for drawing the fold marks, going off the measurements and bone fold lines instead. The hardest part was definitely trying to cut holes into the package and unfortunately, I didn’t do the best job at it. I need to figure out better tricks for cutting holes in the future.
This time, I tried cutting a pie into the holes, hoping that I could cut them out section by section. This just resulted in a choppy cut.
Still, it was a joyful experience to fold my little package up and understand just why each flap had to be different, and understand how it fit together.
While I wasn’t entirely happy with the recreation, I was satisfied with the way it folded together and when I pushed the flaps together correctly, I knew some glue would keep the holes lined up. I decided to leave it unglued for further work in class as it held together perfectly otherwise.
Reflection: Working with something tactile for the first time in a while was a joyful and happy experience. It reminded me what I love about graphic design, the simple happiness of making something that works. I need practice cutting holes too and I guess I’m going to need a steady supply of fresh blades in order to get through this semester and my fresh pad of bristol paper.
DAY ELEVEN - BLOG POST #13
Today we met with our client for the first time since our initial meeting two weeks ago! We also had a visit from Gord Wright, a Hemlock Printer rep. He had a lot to tell us about the printing process and he was very informative.
With that though, I realized that the seed paper that I was so attached to might not be the right way to go. The problem with seed paper is how moisture effects it. Grocery stores and the Goodlife Juice store may not be a great environment moisture-wise for that. Then, there’s also the seeds that are used and whether or not they are native to BC. If the seed in the paper is an invasive species, that would not be great for our environment.
Oh well, kill your darlings.
My client liked the box with the pour spout best out of the ideas I showed her but then we realized that the granola will probably be packaged inside a plastic bag inside the box to keep it dry. I’m wondering if I can come up with a solution for this, like a tearaway that’s attached to the bag and box so that when you pull the spout out, the bag is torn open. I’m not sure how this will work, but I’d like to give it a try.
If that doesn’t work, I’m also thinking of just cutting a corner of the top of the box out so that when it’s on the shelf, the bag can be seen. The user can then just tear the bag open without even having to open the box and reseal it with a clip.
I guess I’ll have to try both of these things.
Rough Rationales Blog Post #5A
Project Title: The Nav
The Challenge:
A new visual identity for an 8 issue annual student magazine that should have a new energy but must be recognizable as The Nav.
Should appeal to and embody the whole student body.
Need to be able to leave the magazine layout to the design team with the confidence that they can do it.
Redesigning my own design from the previous year.
The Approach:
Pull it back and give it a cleaner look from the previous year while still maintaining the personality within.
New set of standards and styles
What I did:
Art director
delegated layout, gave standards and rules
Initial design and layout of mag
coordinated a new printer and rules for mag layout
Notes:
Figure out which Nav to focus on, most likely most recent.
Highlight the leadership role.
Project Title: Balanced
The Challenge:
Overwork is a social stigma that promotes an unhealthy lifestyle.
I wanted to change the way that people thought of overworking and give them tools to change their relationship with work/life balance.
Create something usable that could be integrated easily into a busy lifestyle.
The Approach:
Not trying to be a fix-all but guide the user to make healthier choices by offering an integrated scheduling system.
An ecosystem that learns about the user through use.
What I did:
I created a web app, mobile app, smart speaker (ish), smart watch ecosystem that could be applied to all aspects of life.
Ish - an ai that learns about the user through conversation and gives helpful tips on a healthier work/life balance.
Brand identity.
Research.
Art Direction
Notes:
Clarity!
Explain this project to someone who has never seen it outside of class.
Project Title: Fox & Koi
The Challenge:
Last year, I realized that I needed a way to reconnect with my passion for graphic design and push myself to create outside of class work. I’ve always loved enamel pins and so along with a business partner, I began an enamel pin shop.
The Approach:
A pin business is a lot more than just drawing pins, there’s a lot that goes into it including the business side of it, like speaking to manufacturers and suppliers, understanding costs, creating a website and a presence in the online world and community.
What I Did:
I run the business side of fox & koi. I speak to the manufacturers, find new manufacturers, coordinate locations and markets for selling the pins, create the websites, package the pins, do the marketing and I also design pins, stickers and prints.
Notes:
Put focus on leadership roles.
Explain more about the pin process?
Day Five - Blog Post #6
Today we got started on redesigning a package of our choice. It’s a project I was kind of looking forward to since I first saw my friends working on it two years ago!
I had two packages I wanted to work on at the start of conceptualizing. One of them was an easy choice, an over packaged, instant matcha tea satchet, four box extra, plastic wrapped disaster.
The other, was a beautiful knife pushed inside a plastic cage.
Though I knew which one would be easiest for me, something about the knife called to me. I started to paint pictures in my head of what my package could be and I knew, in the end, that was the one that I wanted to do.
I have started ideating and drawing thumbs but I think I know what I’m heading towards. I want my audience to really enjoy their experience of opening the package to reveal their tool, in the same excited way that a graphic designer might unwrap their gorgeous apple packaging to reveal a macbook.
To a culinary student or worker, a pairing knife is the ultimate tool, like the macbook is to the graphic designer. Both are equally important, both give the same delight and ease of use.
Having completed my Logo and drafted my brand standards, I began trying to figure out ways to apply my brand. Here’s what I came up with for my presentation.
DAY TEN - BLOG POST #12
The aim for this stretch of the project was to create thumbs, mapped layouts and sketch model mockups. It’s hard however to get the appropriate size when you don’t really know how much space 250 grams of Good Life Granola is going to take up.
Now, something I was told to work on was my ideation component so I worked really hard to come up with at least 50 thumbs to work with. I’m not the type to put myself into a box (*bdm tss*) so I found that just letting my pencil take up the space it wanted was the best way to go for me. This created a bit of a flow of ideas rather than me just trying to fill little squares with thoughts. Sometimes, you need to think outside of the box. (*bdmmmm tsssss*)
Here are the ideas I came up with.
I wanted to make sure that I worked through as many shapes as I possibly could think of to be thorough about the ideation period. Although I came up with some really fun, crazy shape ideas, I found myself drawn to a simple box for ease of production and cost when it came to the packaging and decided to develop those concepts further.
After fleshing those out a bit more, I decided to just sit down and have fun. I forgot how much I loved this part of the ideation and creation period. Although I messed up a couple of times, I didn’t let that frustrated me and instead just enjoyed the tactile puzzle I was dealing with.
These are the design solutions I have come up with thus far:
I can’t wait to get proper measurements down so that I have a better idea of what I’m working with. I’m not even sure at all which one I like best so far, although I can tell you that the most interesting one to try and create was definitely the rectangle with the pour spout! (I thought my brain was combusting a little bit as I tried to visualize what I had to do in my head.)
