About Me
Education
Leeds Arts University
MA Graphic Design, 2024 - 2025
Currently a Student
Nottingham Trent University
Bsc (Hons) Product Design, 2020 - 2024
Second Class Honours (First Division)
Carlma N. Fon-Akkum
Hi, my name is Carlma! I’m a product design graduate from Nottingham Trent University. My design philosophy is all about creating innovative and functional products that are aesthetically appealing and fun, with sustainability at the forefront of my work.
While my background is in product design, my primary interest is in graphic design. I’m particularly passionate about packaging and branding. A strong understanding of practical design considerations combined with a sharp eye for detail have lended a unique and creative approach to my work, which is reflected in this portfolio. Enjoy viewing!
Software Skills
+44 7865432680
Awards & Memberships
Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
Bronze Starpack Packaging Award
Wig Restore Travel Set
Nottingham Trent University
Best Performing YouTube Content for NTU 2022/2023
“What I Wish I’d Known About Starting University”
cnfpdesign@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/carlma-fon-akkum
01
Wig Restore Set
Commercial Project (10 weeks)
Brief: Design three bottles for a trio pack of shampoo, conditioner and moisturiser for Hair Anatomy, targeted towards women aged 21 to 40 who purchase and travel abroad with luxury synthetic wigs. All bottles should be mono-material, including 50% rHDPE, and have a maximum capacity of 100ml. The packaging should be eye-catching, fun and offer the consumer a premium look and feel.
About the Brief
The Problem The Market
‘On the go’ containers are often disposed of, and many contain multi-materials that make them hard to recycle. The containers need to be redesigned to encourage customers to reuse them, while also improving sustainability considerations in their manufacture and disposal processes.
Haircare and skincare are 2 of the biggest industries in the world, valued at over £70 billion and £84 billion respectively, and predicted to keep growing exponentially. Additionally, young women dominate the hair and skin care markets with 18 to 34 year olds leading the rest.
The Opportunity
Hair Anatomy is a big UK-based synthetic wig brand, with mainly female customers aged 18 to 35, looking to create an ‘on the go’ set for their frequently travelling customers. Together we can design a unique trio pack to overshadow the market using a fun and vibrant visual identity.
About the Brand
About Hair Anatomy
Hair Anatomy UK is an England based hair brand that produces high quality luxury synthetic wigs at an affordable price for women of all races and ethnicities.
The brand missions include being a trustworthy brand, building a positive relationship with customers, and offer premium quality synthetic hair extensions.
The primary target audience is women aged 21 to 40. They are younger and more likely to experiment with more wigs.
Concept Development
Clay models helped understand and create form, 3D printed models helped to cement ergonomical design considerations.
Week2
Week7
From rigid, rectangular sketches to free flowing, fun designs.
Design Inspo
The use of minimalism and texture carried the luxury aesthetic of the bottles while keeping them unique.
I attempted to use the literal interpretation of a head as packaging for haircare, while adapting it in a way that felt more suitable to the brand identity. It needed to be bold, fun, eye-catching and more feminine. Removing any facial traits from the bottle also allowed for the packaging to feel more inclusive, making them suitable for a wider range of buyers.
Branding Design
Motto / selling point
USP, key points of product and packaging.
The product information is displayed on matte laminated PVC stickers with extra permanent adhesive. These stickers are waterproof, weatherproof, highly durable and cost effective. Using PVC stickers was suitable for the bottles as silkscreen printing failed durability tests on packaging with over 30% recycled content.
Distribution rights, where its made & manufactured.
Mirror for shampoo sticker
Mirror for shampoo sticker
Same size as back sticker
TikTok Shop
In Context
• Compact design with 100ml capacity
• Easy to hold and squeeze
• Bottles have a sandblasted matte finish
• Made from at least 50% recycled plastic
• 100% recyclable
• Unique design encourages reuse
• Comes with see through toiletry bag for additional storage option
HAIR ANATOMY
#cf7560
#80699c
Technical Board
Neck length: 10mm
Neck finish: 12/425 standard
Neck wall thickness: 1mm
Debossed logo: 1mm
Bottle wall thickness: 0.7mm
Moisturiser lid PP, C-3 matte finish, injection moulded, 15/425 neck thread
Moisturiser bottle
50% rHDPE, sandblasted matte finish, extrusion blow moulded
• Bottles sandblasted after extrusion blow moulding process to create heavy matte finish.
• Bottles coloured via masterbatching (1 to 3%) during manufacture.
• All edges and corners are filleted for ease of manufacture.
/ Conditioner
• Lids have draft angle of 3 ° to remove from mould.
• Lids have ribs to provide support for manufacture
• Lid tolerance is +- 0.05mm, bottle tolerance is +0.2mm
• Mesh toiletry bag is 40D density rPET polyester, L= 200mm, W= 50mm, H= 150mm.
50% rHDPE, sandblasted matte finish, extrusion blow moulded
Shampoo / Conditioner bottle
Shampoo
lid PP, C-3 matte finish, injection moulded, 15/425 neck thread
Front view
User Feedback
93% of customers
would buy this trio pack.
100% of customers
think shampoo and conditioner should be made.
"Beautifully designed and great colour combination. Would have proudly displayed on a shelf!"
“I absolutely would buy and try.”
“Absolutely love this design and concept behind the products. I would love to trial this out on my Hair Anatomy wigs.”
“This would be so helpful for wig maintenance!!!”
“Bottles look too big and bulky.”
Most positive feedback centred around colours, unique shape and aesthetic.
Renders & Models
02 Tales Of Miniature Africa
Self Directed Project (16 weeks)
Brief: Create a UK-based handmade luxury scented candle brand with a range of candles inspired by Cameroonian landscapes, integrating Cameroonian cocoa and coffee beans in the scents. The target audience will be millennial women, aged 28 to 43. Cameroonian culture should be reflected in the brand visual identity and aesthetic, including calabash candle holders. The aim of the brand is to present Cameroonian culture to the Western world in a fun, aspirational, premium and creative manner. The candles should be made from coconutrapeseed wax and be eco-friendly, biodegradable and natural.
Project Context
70.4%
of the world’s cocoa is grown / produced in Africa.
Coffee and chocolate are two of the top scents for candles, but Africa represents the smallest market for scented candles. It is also projected to experience the lowest amount of growth among the global markets
Africa makes up 12% of the world’s global coffee bean production, with Cameroon being the 21st largest producer in the world.
About Me
Cameroon is the 5th largest export of cocoa beans in the world.
I was born in the US, but my family is from Cameroon. One of my biggest prides is being Cameroonian. African countries are often overlooked, under appreciated and misrepresented in pop culture.
Project Aim
This project aims to challenge negative stereotypes of Africa by offering consumers in Europe a premium experience that shares the beauty of African culture. This is done by focusing on the luxury scented candle market, through the creation of a Cameroonian luxury scented candle brand.
Research & Inspo
Musgum Mud Huts (Tolek)
The Musgum mud huts, also referred to as Tolek, are traditional domestic homes built by the ethnic Musgum people in the Far North region of Cameroon. These are built using compressed sun-dried mud, thatch and water by the locals in the Pouss village.
The Market
In 2021 container-based candles dominated the market with over 55% revenue shares. The European candle market represents around 60% of the global candle market. About 1/5 of Europe’s candle imports comes directly from developing countries. Between March 2021 and 2022, UK customers spent £418 million on scented candles. The most searchedfor fragrances in the UK are coffee, vanilla, rose, lavender, lemon, chocolate, leather, jasmine, fig, honey.
Each housing unit belongs to an individual. The husband’s house would be positioned centrally while the wives Toleks encircled him.
• Huts are fully natural and sustainable, made from renewable resource (mud with clay, and thatch)
• Suitable to hot climates as the shape and material are good for thermal regulation
• Native to the Musgum people of the Far North region of Cameroon, in the village of Pousse
• Huts come in varying sizes, and a family compound will be composed of multiple huts connected to each other
Hole at the top for thermal regulation covered by pot
Huts made of compressed sun-dried mud and thatch, called mudbrick (Adobe).
Scaffolding helps with climbing house for repairs as well as water drainage during rainy seasons.
Concept Development
Clay models were used to explore shapes, sizes and patterns. 3d printed models explored the ergonomics of the containers while mimic testing the final manufacturing method, ceramic 3d printing.
65% of candle buyers are women. The biggest demographic for candles is women between the ages of 20 to 44, intersecting older Gen Z and Millennial. The target users are of millennial women of higher affluence who enjoy home decor, cosy atmospheres and appreciate foreign culture.
User: Millennial Woman
Candle Scents
Scent Rating
3.3/5
Customers either love it or hate it. It has been called bold, rich, and fun, but also been accused of veering towards overbearing and too sweet.
Scent Rating
Customers love how the coconut and vanilla enhance the coffee and cocoa tones. It has been called fun, sweet, lovely and well balanced. 4/5
Scent Rating
3.6/5
Customers experience a variety of emotional memories when smelling this candle, with some citing memories of Christmas or autumn.
Scent Rating
3.5/5
Customers are split between finding it fresh and clean, and others disliking the zesty undertones. But most find it comforting.
3.5/5
Scent Rating Fan favourite among herbal tea lovers, The smell has been described by customers as fresh, well balanced, professional and muted!
Rhumsiki Candle
Koza Candle
Kapsiki Candle
Waza Candle
Mokolo Candle
In Context
• Unique design inspired by mud huts
• Ceramic 3d printed containers
• Sustainable kraft tube packaging
• Completely bespoke visual identity
• Highly reusable containers
• Pillar candle subscription service saves containers from ending up in landfill
• Eco friendly premium scented candles
Packaging Design
The tube packaging design is inspired by the Ndop traditional royal display cloth. Since 2020, the Ndop cloth has been classified as a Cameroonian national heritage by the Ministry of Arts and Culture.
Tolek Containers
Standard Tolek
This candle is 187g and has a burn time of 35+ hours, perfect for the irregular candle user or those who prefer smaller sizes. The design, boasting a stunning brick layered pattern draws inspiration from the smallest Tolek huts, used to store grains during harvest seasons.
Large Tolek
This candle is 560g and has a burn time of 104+ hours, perfect for the scented candle hobbyist. The design draws inspiration from the Toleks assigned to wives in Musgum compounds. The fan favourite triangular pattern has been called urban and unique.
Grand Tolek
This candle is 715g and has a burn time of 133+ hours, perfect for scented candle enthusiasts. It has 3 wicks for an even burn. The design draws inspiration from the largest Toleks, which are often used for storing animals and livestocks in Musgum compounds.
Branding
TOMA Website
To find out more about the brand and to view the entire product range of the brand, including costs and more merchandise, scan the QR code and visit the TOMA website!
03
Berry Box
Tesco Packaging Project (3 weeks)
Brief: Design a system to help eliminate plastic from berry packaging in Tesco, as well as encouraging continuous recycling of the alternate packaging solution. The system should be fast and efficient, allowing shoppers to easily integrate it to their shopping habits.
Key Research
500 million
Tesco is committed to removing all unnecessary packaging and hard-torecycle materials.
x10 less energy
Bagasse is much more eco-friendly than tree based materials, using less energy to manufacture packaging.
2.5 million
plastic pieces removed in 2021/2022 to manufacture times in a year
Customers who switch to Loop alternatives would allow packaging to be reused significantly.
This project included division of labour with another individual. I was completely responsible for the graphic design of both the packaging sleeve and the Berry Box, among other design tasks.
Packaging Solution
Wood pulp cellulose film, allowing visibility of the product.
Label printed on paper board using vegetable based inks. Different labels for different berries.
The packaging is made from sugar cane (bagasse). Its waterproof, grease proof, heat resistant and tear-proof.
Hexagonal cut-outs aid with depth perception. They are lined with wood pulp cellulose and heat sealed.
Shape has draft angle to allow for stacking, and internal corners to ease picking up of packaging.
Packaging Sleeve
Flexographic printing with vegetable ink, 300gsm paper, glossy finish
Packaging In Context
Berry Box Development
The Berry Box was designed as a return system for the new sugar-cane based packaging solution. Multiple iterations were considered.
How It Works
Shopper buys Tesco berries in sustainable packaging (each including 50p deposit).
Gets a 2nd receipt for return items at check out. Can print or get QR code emailed.
After eating berries, shopper returns to Tesco to return packaging at BerryBox.
Shopper uses screen to select return option. Can return in bulk using owned Tesco bag.
Prints unique QR code & sticks it to bag. Then scans the code plus code on buyer receipt.
Individually scans container barcodes & QR code on buyer receipt.
Places items down chute when done. Gets deposit back in 3 - 5 days after Tesco checks.
Packaging is cleaned and reused. 50 clubcard points for every 5 items returned.
Technical Board
The returned packaging can be accessed through the front door, with a key that employees have.
The side of the Berry Box is vivid and eyecatching. It will be facing the entrance/exit door of Tesco.
Graphics are added to Berry Box using flexographic printing.
The aluminium sheets are 3mm thick.
The Berry Box is made from welding aluminium.
04 Hair Anatomy Internship
Packaging and Branding (6 weeks)
Brief: Redesign the packaging and branding for Hair Anatomy UK, a small synthetic wig business. A new brand identity will combine the owner’s vision with current design trends. The redesigned packaging be a more sustainable alternative to the previous. - 2021
About the Brief
The Problem The Market The Opportunity
Hair Anatomy UK packages their wigs in poly mailer bags, which are nonbiodegradable. Additionally, the brand itself lacks a clear and immediately identifiable brand identity, making it hard to distinguish in the market and requiring a complete overhaul.
The global synthetic wig market is worth over £150 million, expected to rise to over £300 million by 2030. Single use plastic packaging will be banned in the EU by 2030. Having a strong brand presence and sustainable packaging can define brand growth.
We can streamline the branding and packaging solutions, creating a unified visual identity while establishing a strong brand persona. Additionally, we can promote sustainability at Hair Anatomy UK, eliminating the threat of bans due to single use packaging.
Target User
Jade Williams
Age: 25
Profession: Graphic designer
City: Manchester
Hobbies: Shopping, doing makeup, hanging out with friends, designing and sketching.
Aesthetic: Neutral tones, warm tones, pastels and bright colours.
Finances: Middle earning (£27k - 32k)
• Social
• Girly
• Artistic
• Young
Materials & Manufacturing
Current Material Choice Material
The storage bags are called poly mailers.
Poly mailers, made from low density polyethylene, a type of thermoplastic and one of the most commonly used plastics for packaging. Poly mailers are lightweight, easy to ship plastic packaging bags. Poly mailers are flexible, self-sealing polyethylene envelopes that are ideal for shipping clothing and non-fragile items.
Drawbacks
The packaging material is now paperboard.
Paperboard is a thick paper based material. It is more rigid and foldable than paper, as well as being more durable and waterproof due to its thickness, but thinner and more flexible than cardboard. It is commonly used in food packing. Paperboard is commonly made from wood pulp, straw, waste-paper or a combination of those materials.
Drawbacks
Development
Concepts
Packaging Design
The wigs are packaged in paperboard boxes and shipped in bio poly mailers. The bio poly mailers are made of fermented corn starch with PBAT as a binder. They are biodegredable and fully compostable!
Hand Tag
Thank You Card
Business Cards
Yaweh
Youth Group Project (5 days)
Brief: Design an app, targeted mostly towards people aged 13 to 25, to help Christian youths connect with each other and engage more with their faith in a modern day space. - 2023
The Problem
Most youths read their bible at the beginning or end of the day. Typically before 9am (the start of the work day) or before bed. There are 2 periods of time in the day where the brain is most receptive to learning:
• 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Mission:
Create something that helps Christian youths subconsciously want to dedicate more time to their faith. Design something that is...
User: Gen Z Christian
• Between the ages of 13 and 25
• Is a Christian
• Goes to church
• Tends to read their bible at the start of the day or right before bed
• Usually busy with school, university or work
• Uses social media often
• Enjoys socialising with others and building new relationships
• Wants to be more engaged with their faith
App Breakdown
Yaweh is a social media platform open to anyone over the age of 13. It is targeted towards Gen Z Christians, attempting to bring them together on a shared space where they can discuss, engage with, and find joy in their faith. Users can share posts including personal testimonies, memes, and more. They can talk to other users using the chat feature, create groups, reflect on the “verse of the day” together, and much more!
More Mockups
In Context
Young Christians can now subconsciously connect with their faith throughout the day, sharing experiences with friends and family, and growing their own relationship with God.
App Benefits
Promotes a more positive view about God and Christianity among youths who are new to the faith by showing them a positive space where other youths engage with the faith.
Allows youths all around the world to bond over their Christianity in one space.
The In Focus admin posts a “verse of the day” everyday to help people meditate on their faith everyday, even for just 1 minute.
The chat feature allows youths to talk to each other and make new friends within the faith.
Youths can post about their testimonies, experiences within their faith, funny Christian memes, prayers, Christian movie recommendations, and so much more on the “posts” page. This will help more people connect with their faith more throughout the day.
Youths who are part of groups like the VYG, Christian Societies at their universities, or similar organisations can create and join groups on Yahweh (like Facebook groups) where they can share content, organise events, and communicate with each other about group activities.
Bible is embedded in the app to allow youths to be able to read their bible on the go without having to leave the app, promoting more engagement with the bible throughout the day.
YAWEH
Engage with Yahweh your way!
Phone: +447865432680 Email: cnfpdesign@gmail.com
Instagram: cnf_pdesign