a story of the designer as a young woman by deryn joy

a s tor y

of t h e de s ign er as a young woman

deryn joy

A S TORY OF T HE DE S IGNE R as a young woman

s bonu plus pages!!! ring colo

a new installment in the process of deryn joy

project 1

houseware or hardware

Pack â&#x20AC;˘ a â&#x20AC;˘ ging n. The informational container for an object. Good packaging surrounds, protects, identifies, differentiates, and draws attention to the product.

01 ...So considerations should involve presence, efficiency, uniqueness (as in, not copied from someone else), and audience, among probably other things. As a class, we came up with this list. ›› size (& shelf space) ›› works with product ›› what market/know your audience ›› user efficiency + friendliness ›› geometry/chemistry ›› information communication ›› production cost ›› sell the product ›› presence ›› legibility ›› entices + inspires ›› differentiates (mine! :D) ›› first impressions ›› placement/visual hierarchy ›› budget

And a final note on SWOT: to create good competitive packaging, one must stand out. To stand out, one must consider the product’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

02 I took pictures of packaging (bad and

My favorite examples, design-wise, were

better, environmentally friendly and

the Kilner storage canister, the Bunn

have-it-in-for-the-environment) at Lowe’s

coffee maker, and the AirWick 3-pack: the

and Meijer; I didn’t want to spend any

coffee maker doesn’t really count (it’s in

more time looking than I needed to, due

a box) but it was eye-catching: being one

to being stressed about art 574 while at

color with no crowded info really drew my

Lowe’s and not really concentrating on the

attention—I wanted to find out more. The

design aspect things. But that also meant I

glass container was cool because the label

didn’t see anything particularly beautiful.

and all-around branding really matched

(Lowe’s and Meijer. Big surprise.)

the product feel. It’s a vintage-styled

First thing I noticed: there is a lot of unattractive packaging out there. Even my “good” examples weren’t optimal.

canister (my mom has some she got from her grandmother, just like this. Only, like, actually vintage) so the checks and arched Copperplate-esque font give it a certain old-timey, country-clutter Americana feel.

Above: Kilner glass container. Top right: AirWick *gag Right: Bunn coffee maker.

Now the AirWick 3-pack. *long confused exhale* Not only is this product environmental suicide, it’s horrible-looking. All those layers of plastic; all the elements (“AIRWICK” “[BEAR]” “snuggle” “FAMILIAR SCENT” “[shiny plastic]”) fight each other and are totally unattractive. On a scale of Audrey Hepburn to the Elephant Man, this is a solid Frankenstein’s Monster. Also, without a unified goal or clear hierarchy of emphasis, no one message gets through to the customer—and the package just blends in on the shelf. Ecofriendly products had less overall packaging; and more attractive, eyecatching products had clear color schemes and uncluttered calls to attention. One of the best things I saw was a stack of plates held together with an X of rubber band. I loved that. The problem with that was a lack of label; it may have been on the bottom, but I couldn’t see at a glance what the price was or the name of the product (though that could be easily fixed).

Top: Unlabeled plates. They remain a mystery. Left: the inspirational pizza slicer that has gotten me where I am today.

03 One day in class we discussed the question,

beyond creating the package, though,

what factors into product sustainability

and extends to the use of materials in

and helps it have the lowest impact?

transporting and disposing of the package.

Ultimately we all agreed: it’s not just about

Less ink and natural inks are low-impact and

few materials, but also the efficiency of those

a good choice as far as environmentalism

materials—and the space they take up.

goes, but it’s hard for things like food

Some elements of environmentallyfriendly packaging:

packaging when consumer desires (lightweight & portable for example) clash with better packaging choices (glass may

›› biodegradable

be optimal, but plastic sells).1 A way around

›› 2nd life

this is sometimes using an “ecolabel” or

›› efficient use of space

identifying seal that lets the consumer

›› soy-based inks

know “this organic food was packaged in

›› fewer colors A company called Micromidas has come up with a way to turn sewage into a biodegradable plastic that breaks down

an eco-friendly way”—which can skirt the problem of aesthetic, for consumers with sustainable as a priority, and be a further way to make the product stand out.2

within a year. Using this kind of packaging would be a great environmental move. Using less packaging is also a good idea. Instead of wrapping a product completely, if it’s not a fragile item, use a label or a half-sleeve. Efficiency could come into play here: making packaging that stacks, nests, or tiles well makes shipping easier and less dangerous breakage-wise (the example from class was Costco’s drippy milk jugs. They should seriously fix the spout part, though). Efficiency also goes

1 “Food Packaging—Roles, Materials, and Environmental Issues.” Journal of Food Science, 72 (3), April 2007. <http://www.ift.org/knowledge-center/read-iftpublications/science-reports/scientific-status-summaries/food-packaging.aspx> 2 Dhar & Siedel, et al. “The art of packaging: An investigation into the role of color in packaging, marketing, and branding.” Sustainability Market Guides published by the International Trade Center, 2012. Doc. no. SC-12-223.E.

04 During one of our first packaging classes of the semester, Tom Gilmore (the previous packaging teacher) came into the design lab to give a presentation on design, marketing, and customer personas. Personas are created, stereotypical representations of a certain demographic. You take the given generic details (“We want to sell this to 30- to 40-year-old AsianAmerican women”) and add specific details: a name, a face, where they shop, what they buy, how many children they have, whether they’re married, the kind of car they drive.... Our group assignment was to draw randomly one each of a selection of ages, ethnicities, genders, and marital statuses (stati?), and then come up with a persona for this demographic. It was so much fun. We ended up creating Josephina Gonzalez, a working mother of two; she’s a busy woman, between her job and her family, and trying to keep a few Mexican traditions in their lives (fresh tortillas; homemade beans & rice; a big Sunday dinner after Mass every week). She goes out a couple times a month—with her husband or girlfriends—to relax from her stressful everyday life, and when she does the grocery shopping she buys a mix of American convenience foods and traditional Mexican ingredients. This was a great exercise for thinking about product design. Coming up with a multidimensional character makes their product market so clear that designing a package to speak to them is pretty easy—and fun.

packaging

packagingbrief creative creative brief

product Farberware Colourworks pizza cutter project description Pizza cutter packaging for hanging display in store

purpose current perception • Appeal to the high-use buyer, the buyer Pizza cutter just like the rest, but maybe purpose current of high quality, and those with smaller more boring. Possibly moreperception cheap, the buyer cutter justinto like the rest, but mayb budgets • Appeal to the high-use buyer, because not a lot Pizza of effort was put of high of quality, smaller more boring. Possibly more cheap, • Give the impression sleek, and those with making it look good. professional budgets (nearly commercial-duty) because not a lot of effort was put into desired perception performance • Give the impression of sleek, making it look good. This will answer all my pizza-cutting • Sell 10% more at Target (and professional (nearly commercial-duty) needs with class, style, and efficiency; and comparable) stores desired perception performance I can store the slicer safely in its second• Create an appealing package at POP This will answer all my pizza-cutting • Sell 10% more at Target (and life package! Yay! needs with class, style, and efficiency. comparable) stores competitive environment unique selling proposition Other pizza cutters: Oxo, Cuisinart, unique selling proposition You can slice pizza like a pro without competitive environment Zyliss. Innovative shapes and more You can slice pizza worrying about nicking the blade in like a pro while Otherslicers pizzawill cutters: naturally-colored appealOxo, to Cuisinart, keeping your life simple and uncluttere storage—the unique handy-dandy Zyliss. Innovative shapes people who don’t want moving parts (theyand more container takes care of that and keeps break more easily), so this cutterslicers has to will appeal to naturally-colored marketing materials your life simple and uncluttered. catch them with its simple quality. people who don’t want moving parts (they

The packaging is the marketing: its

break more easily), so this cutter has to materials marketing simplicity and directness will speak to price The packaging is the marketing: its catch them with its simple quality. About the same as competitive brands; customer right there on the shelf. simplicity and directness will speak to the the selling point is what you feel you’re price customer right there on the shelf. considerations buying with the same price. The buyer About the same as competitive brands; • Sturdy, recyclable materials feels the price is lower due to the quality considerations selling point is what you’re and messagethe of the product—which is, you feel • Little material • Sturdy, recyclable materials buying same and price. buyer the person who useswith this isthe efficient a The • Little material • Multi-purpose packaging feels the price is lower due to the quality quality purchaser. • Informational • Multi-purpose packaging and message of the product—which is, • Informational audience the person who uses this is efficient and a • Upper-middle class quality purchaser. • Moms • Singles who entertain audience • People who make a lot of pizza • Upper-middle class

• Moms • Singles who entertain

deryn greer // september 2016

• People who make a lot of pizza

deryn greer // september 2016

05 Before this project, I’d never heard of a semantic differential scale, so it was really interesting to research them and make my own. I’m a very indecisive person, so there were some tough moments while I was deciding “two pixels to the left or one pixel to the right?” for my little dots—but I was surprised to find I’d somewhat unconsciously formed an idea of what my product was going to be like already. The scale did help me make some decisions later on: I’m trying to move away from my typical upper-class-focused minimalism and doing things a little more vernacularly (not a word. Oh well). I didn’t totally succeed, because I don’t know how to make vernacular better without making it all trendy and minimal, but it was good practice. And I think I’ll be using the scale in the future to ground my thoughts and give me a more consistent end goal.

cheap

expensive

tacky

elegant

amateur

professional

reusable

disposable

traditional

contemporary

established

new

fun WalMart

serious Crate&Barrel

06 I decided to address the sharpness of the blade by protecting it in a reusable package. Higher-quality products frequently seem to have more durable, longer-lasting packaging, and I wanted to take advantage of that with a package that doubled as a storage container—possibly a protective

Below: Efficient slicer

cover for the blade edge, or a box that held

packaging? Right: But if

the blade. The box idea obviously brought to

you walk the footsteps of a

mind a pizza box, and I got so stuck on the

[pizzaboxdesigner], you’ll

brilliance of this I couldn’t think of anything

learn things you never

else and that’s how I made my final decision.

knew you never knew.

PI ZZ A W H E E L Soft, ergonomic grip; great for non-stick surfaces; dishwasher safe

P IZZA WH E E L Soft, ergonomic grip; great for non-stick surfaces; dishwasher safe

M A R I O B ATA L I Pizza Wheel

07 Several iterations into the pizza box cover, I realized that if it were to be reusable, nobody would want to look at the product specs every time they took the slicer out. This required another piece of packaging and a redo of the box itself. The box became a neutral plastic with Mario

Pizza Wheel

soft, ergonomic grip; great for non-stick surfaces; dishwasher safe; removable blade for easy cleanup

Bataliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logo on it, and I made a disposable sleeve with the necessary purchase

M A R I O B ATA L I

information on it; but then that sleeve covered up an awkward amount of the logo.

08 To solve this new problem, I placed a pizza behind the sleeve stripe. It covered the logo up while subtly expressing its status as a gourmet, oven-fired, fig-and-pricey-cheesepizza-slicing slicer, and your status as a fancy knows-whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-what gourmet, yourself. Now you want one, right? Right.

16 fold along dotted lines

09 Like a lot of things in life, dielines scared me terribly when understanding them was in the future. I honestly dreaded the dieline class, because it felt like Another Thing to Understand and Remember and my brain felt absolutely too crowded. Also I thought it would be super complicated. So it was an amazing surprise when not only did I get it right away (I know: me? Understand something? Crazy talk) but it was actually fun—love/hate relationship with the pen tool—and has come in so handy for our other packaging projects. It sounds weird, but I actually love dielines; although that really, truly honestly might have to do with using my hands so little this semester. I may just have enjoyed the physicality of making a Real Thing. Mockups, man. Can’t beat ‘em.

fold along dotted lines

10 Presenting my work to the class has become something I almost look forward to, because hearing about the unresolved issues in my work from another perspective really helps me see how to make the project better. I’m not a huge fan of criticism, but reassessing my project is always easier when I hear other people’s thoughts on it. And I’m lucky enough to have great classmates who do it nicely :) To the right is nearly every piece of my process work, placed together artfully and in no logical order. And that’s all, folks!

11 Just kidding. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not actually all. MARIO

B ATA L I

pizza wheel 4 in / 10 cm

There is also a 3d comp and a real, live (read: inanimate) comp; basically, if you can think of a form for this box/sleeve combo to appear in, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably already appeared. Yes, it has been optioned for a fulllength feature film co-starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

12 Customer feedback. What do the people say? My demographic was basically my mom (only a lot less awesome) so I went to her to see if she’d buy this. Yes, she said; probably not for herself, but definitely as a wedding or housewarming gift—because of the reuseable box, which elevates it to gift-able status and makes it a little cooler than the typical pizza slicer. If she were buying it for herself, though, she actually said the box wouldn’t sell the slicer any more convincingly: what she’s looking for is a good-quality slicer, and she’s not so worried about it getting dinged up in the drawer. “But the box wouldn’t hurt.”

project 2

horse dewormers

Subpar picture of the notes I took while Dan was talking.

01 Field trip to Stewart & Associates!

They then designed the package face

We learned a lot about horses and

for one brand of worming paste and

their gut parasites. (Never in all of

the poster/brochure educating the

my growing-up years did I expect that

consumer on the types of compounds

sentence to come out of my mouth.)

each horse needs, and the schedule

Apparently, horses get four different kinds

for each one throughout the year.

of intestinal worms, which cause serious

That all highlights two things Dan Stewart

health issues if they aren’t dealt with. To

kept repeating: the research is the most

do this, their caretakers commonly treat

important part (you need to know what

horses with a compound that de-worms:

you’re trying to sell and to whom), and

kills and flushes the worms out of the

you need to educate the consumer (why

inflicted gut (though in the field (pun)

they need what you have to offer.) That’s

it’s called “worming”). The downside to

why it’s so important for packaging to

these compounds are the resistance that

clearly state what product it’s selling.

the worms build up as the same drug is flushed through the horse’s system. To solve this problem, Stewart & Associates created a “worming regime” that involves targeting the kinds of worms specific categories of horses deal with (depending on age, location, hair length, etc.) using a circulation of worming compounds to reduce the risk of resistant generations of worms.

02 Mini creative brief: I am redesigning the box front of EquiMax™ brand Ivermectin horse de-worming paste. This box will appeal to the horse owner who wants to identify at a glance the compound they are looking to purchase. Other pastes and gels are sold in boxes using bright colors, making the shelf chaotic and confusing the buyer. This package will stand out in its straightforward simplicity. The audience is horse owners: • wanting ease of purchase • confident in horse care • striving to be confident in horse care but needing some guidance • wanting to spend less than vet prices on the paste • with fewer than 8 horses (or they’d buy in bulk) Right now, EquiMax™ Ivermectin is Just Another Worming Compound; after the redesign, people in this market will be drawn to the compound for the brand trust established and its assurance of quality, success, and high rating by all horses.

Original. If you couldn’t tell.

03 Over this semester I’ve been pushed into undiscovered territory, which is good; but I feel like I’m constantly racing to just get the basics done with no time to step back and either reflect or revisit and touch up. In light of this, I’ve found it good to keep in mind these four things that Dan Romanoski said:

›› Allow for failure, disappointment, and flexibility within a work. ›› Confusion is an interesting place to work. ›› Work with limitations instead of fighting them. ›› The first version is usually bad. amen tho

04 I took a few notes while we were at

what were the important elements. Then I

Stewart & Associates, but as I designed my

moved to horse magazines that advertised

package faces, more questions came up

these products. What articles did they

and I ended up doing more research for

run on deworming? How did they differ

this product than possibly any other in

presenting deworming to Western-riding

my design career. And it was awesome.

versus English-riding readers? From there

First, I went to Tractor Supply to see how the packages looked on the shelf. Were they stacked? In display boxes? How did they interact with one another? What similar products were placed nearby? I walked around for about 20 minutes,

I explored general horse gear and even clothing: what patterns, prints, styles, do these people wear? What will catch their attention and fit their lifestyles? I learned more about horses and horse people than I ever thought possible.

sketching logos and designs that I saw around (the same people buying deworming compounds are probably buying Carhartt gloves and Ariat boots, after all) and I looked at probiotics for cows, which had surprisingly interesting packaging. And I talked to some employees who were (as

05 After our first, preliminary critique, we all switched package faces; Amber Marsden got me and I got Maddy Hamel.

always) curious what a sketchbook was

It was oddly vulnerable to give Amber my

doing walking around a niche store.

design. I knew what I’d been thinking

(I always love the responses. Once the general manager was so interested he kept popping up to offer ideas for a design and suggesting further improvements; I’ve been given discounts, design projects people would like to see (“A trash can. With a raccoon-proof lid”), and interesting questions about what I do from people who thought ‘graphic design’ was only a computer thing. It’s

when I put specific elements in, but I didn’t know that all my (what felt like) extensively researched decisions would make sense at first glance. And I suppose someone else working on your design automatically implies “there are things to fix about this”—it just feels different when I’m admitting, yeah, it’s not as good as it could be but you can get it closer. Rather than ‘I’ll get it closer.’

like I’ve become a design evangelist,

It’s a good exercise in letting

touching lives across Louisville.)

go of your ego, at least.

But then I went home and did a good

My package was a little too human-

hour or two of internet research. I started

pharmeceutical for everyone (and they

with the products: what their websites

all had a point). What most people had

look like, what they have in common,

wanted to see was more horse imagery,

EQUIMAX Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

Top four: mine. Bottom: Amber’s take

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER SAFE FOR ALL HORSES

on my top option

Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX Oral Equine Dewormer Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03% SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03% TREATS UP TO 1320 LB. BODY WEIGHT SAFE FOR ALL HORSES

Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight for roundworms and bots Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX

Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER

SAFE FOR ALL HORSES

Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

and that’s exactly what Amber did to mine;

I thought she did a really good job of

which was fine, but it felt like Amber.

working within her parameters; but I also

The direction I ended up going with was

didn’t get much of a “dewormer” vibe

actually due to Maddy’s packaging.

from her designs (which is a problem I

Maddy’s several ideas included teal and white, a textured black and gold,

think we all dealt with; we don’t know how to do that sort of ordinary!).

and a very modern white with a little blue on the edge. Her type was serifed, because Leslie told her to :)

But I worked with her teal-diagonalTop two: Maddy’s.

stripe face for a good hour and a

See the little horse?

half; it was really interesting to jump into someone else’s thought process

Bottom three: my

and tweak it according to mine.

spin-off designs.

Sorry, Maddy. What caught my attention the most, though, was a little vector horse she had on one of her boxes. So I just stole it.

06 My final box changed a lot in between the

project made me realize just how narrow

first crit and the last crit. The original one

a band of styles I’m able to do: in other

was blue and white with some red and a

words, one, if “a lot of white space” counts

theme of white punched-out letters (thanks

as a style. I lack any sort of versatility.

to my Probios research); the final box mockup was red and orange, with a diagonal stripe and Maddy’s little horse graphic. The stripe actually came from Maddy, too: I liked the energy and I used it to guide the eye back up to important deworming information. The horse lets the viewer know this is NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, HORSES ONLY fo sho,

So that was a challenge. But I suppose on the flip side, it’s also a benefit, because it’s another area I can see needs work—sometimes it’s hard to know how you really are because you don’t see where you really aren’t. Realizing my weak spots (and there are plenty) lets me know which areas I most need to focus on.

and the red and orange and plenty of white

Not that horse deworming is “an area

help it stand out next to the galloping

to focus on,” but less craft-beer designs

equines on blue swooshes everywhere else

and more pleb stuff would be good for

on the shelf (or, hopefully. We’ll see).

me. I love making labels for the pricey

And I used Pluto for my font, taking a cue from Maddy (go for the unexpected!)—a

gourmet buyer, but seriously, regular people need good design too.

slab serif that resonated with me from

I think I’ll really take that up, be the

my Tractor Supply research, and it

Nelson Mandela of graphic design.

also has a fantastic uppercase Q.

We should all have equal access

It was really hard to make this box. I would have thought bad design would be easy to imitate and then elevate, but this

to the good design aesthetic!

.8% 3% in 1 4.0 ect el 1 rm nt ive ziqua pra

E QUI M AX EQUI NE

D E WO R M E R

P IZ

F R E

paste | Anthelmintic and Boticide | Net Weight 0.225 oz

PF IZ E R I ver m ectin 1 .8 % Praziquantel 1 4 .03 Pa ste

E Q U I MAX

Anthelm intic and Boticide Net Weight 0. 225 oz EQ U INE

DE W ORMER

EQUIMAX

EQUINE DEWORMING PASTE

ivermectin 1.8% praziquantel 14.03% Anthelmintic and Boticide | Net Weight 0.225 oz

E Q U I M A X

EQUINE DEWORMING PASTE

ivermectin 1.8% praziquantel 14.03% Anthelmintic and Boticide | Net Weight 0.225 oz

EQ UINE DEWO RMING PASTE

EQUIMA X ivermectin 1.8% praziquantel 14.03% Anthelmintic and Boticide | Net Weight 0.225 oz

EQUIMAX

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER

Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER SAFE FOR ALL HORSES

Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX Oral Equine Dewormer Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03% SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX

Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03% ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX Oral Equine Dewormer Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03% SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX

Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

EQUIMAX

Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

07 My developmental process. HORSES. LOTS OF HORSES. I minimized the horse and focused on type. Thought, what if it’s a brighter color? Considered different visual elements; came back to Maddy’s horse; tried blue again; changed the font; returned to orange; and

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER SAFE FOR ALL HORSES

08 As rarely happens, I actually liked my design a lot, until it was printed and put next to everyone else’s. Mine didn’t seem as real or professional—possibly because my paper was more matte and

Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

blew all the words up large for my final.

about my diagonal stripe and the little horse and the typeface. It was almost too pretty, too delicate, too open. I’m pretty discouraged. I think the colors are fine, but I wish I had another week to redo it (even though I don’t know where I’d take it; maybe a picture of a real horse?). I want to make it a little less design-y and a little more real.

EQUIMAX

was something underwhelming and cheap

Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

theirs seemed glossier somehow; there

09 My box didn’t hold up so well in the class voting. I think the best packaging did get the recognition it deserved, but people weren’t super jazzed about mine. So I was a little nervous to go to Stewart & Associates to have a serious critique - as in, Dan Stewart really knows what he’s looking for and looking at. In the end, it wasn’t so bad. He picked mine as one that originally stood out at him; the qualification was that it was somewhat brandless: “Almost too simple.” Dan and his wife both though it wasn’t The original box;

bright or saturated enough—all of

my box face; and

which criticisms were valid and made

my box, all printed

me want to go back and make mine

and professional.

better. I’d like to do that for portfolio.

EQUIMAX Ivermectin 1.87% Praziquantel 14.03%

ORAL EQUINE DEWORMER

SAFE FOR ALL HORSES Treats up to 1320 lb. body weight Net wt. .225 oz. (6.42 g)

The whole conversation was really good for me to hear, because more than pointing out literal points to improve on, they both gave so much great life/design/crit advice that I filled almost an entire page with notes.

said. Get an expert. Do your research. And the more real-world design we do, the better it is for us. We tend to live in this perfect little design world where we get to decide our demographic because our

They said things like, “The best creatives

design fits that demographic best—but

are debaters who are willing to present

in real life, we’re given a demographic.

the reasons back and forth for why or why

And we’ll have to deal with it.

not.” We need to learn to ask—tell me why, tell me more—and filter those comments, because not all criticisms will match up; eventually we have to go with our gut which

I know what he means. I’m starting to love working on real-world stuff, and I’m excited to do more of it in the future.

is hopefully not filled with parasites amiright lolololol. Unless there is a huge basis for

trust, don’t show the client multiple options: just show them the best one and say, “we chose green because X.” It’s inconsequential if the client just prefers purple, because X. And, said Dan, the little details and the nuance are frequently the most important. The client will know what they’re looking at and looking for, so if the detail is wrong (in our case, say, unhealthy horse images), the ones we’re trying to win over will be distracted or turned off— just as the prospective buyers will be. So pay attention to those details, he

project 3

ethnic condiment

01 Day one: given our project sheet, to “design a series of labels for three varieties of an ethnic condiment”. For the first time all semester, I felt like this was actually something I could do and enjoy doing and do well—and it was an opportunity to do something crazy and colorful. There were several condiments/beverages that I wanted to do (Thai tea, peanut sauce, Milo) but I eventually came back to my first idea: Indian chutney. It’s a kind of relish that comes in innumerable varieties and the brands I’ve seen could all use an overhaul. I wanted to redo a particular brand (Patak’s, “the original,” est. 1958), so I started with a new logo derived from the Hindi alphabet. I did a lot of preliminary research that first day, actually, looking up traditional patterns and colors and other Indian brands—just for the logo. Sad story: I didn’t end up using it at all. That’s the way these things go sometimes.

To be updated.

02 Our next class was held in the art library. We spent the first part brainstorming topics related to the countries people had picked and then finding books on them relating to the country we each picked—both visual and word research. Finally, Sarah Carter (the research librarian) showed us how to use ArtStor to do specifically visual research with very specific parameters. It’s an incredible database. I spent over an hour looking at the different artworks from India.

Also Rizvi and Ahmed’s book on Kashmiri shawls. AUUGHH THE BEAUTIFUL

03 Mood boards and a product inventory were the next steps in the process. I had to make one of each for my chutney, so I visited grocery stores to get pictures of real shelves of chutney and did many google searches to get a wide variety of products. It really helped me realize what parts of the packaging environment I was headed in the right direction with and which parts were totally off-base. My original idea was not very colorful, since it was going to be on a shelf with a lot of other colorful products; I still think that’s a valid idea and could be explored further, but as I worked on my labels, everyone pushed me towards more color and my final iterations ended up being the opposite of what I’d originally intended. These could also work, but I’m disappointed that I didn’t push my first black-and-white idea harder. However, my mood board is super colorful, so I’m at least being true to that. My inventory really helped my place my label on my subconscious differential scale—it helped me get the ideas from theoretical to concrete. I realized I didn’t want something fancy and gourmet, but ordinary-grocery-store and ordinaryAmerican-shopper. This chutney isn’t to be “savored” as much as merely bought: appeal to the middle-class buyer as exotic and exciting but not too much so. It’s not expensive. It’s not weird. It’s crazy enough to make you feel adventurous without actually requiring any courage—making an authentic condiment accessible to people who maybe don’t want too much authenticity. Call it a gateway drug.

Product inventory. These are things Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to appear around my product on the shelves. (I also wanted them to provide some subtle vernacular inspiration.)

Mood board. Color, pattern, texture, authentic + American perceptions, and existing interpretations of Indian products. I think the mood board may be a little too sophisticated for what I was going for.

04 When we did forced-fit sketches (sketch your label as if it wereâ&#x20AC;Ś [random and completely unrelated category of thing]), I made 69. Most were terrible, but a few actually gave me some good directions. I love doing forced fit with a timer, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not how I usually work and I need to get out of that rut. I think too much and take too long, which means I usually come up with one idea and force that to fit over the long run, which so doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work. Prompts like these help me come up with a lot of ideas and incorporate the best parts of those. Presenting my three favorite developed sketches in class was helpful, since the class knew which design they wanted me to go with; unfortunately, at this point I was still working on my logo and nobody had had a problem with it yet. Hindsight is 20/20.

05 Once I’d chosen my final design to

But being sensitive to these things, I spent

work on, it actually came together pretty

another two hours making a new logo;

quickly. This was what I thought I’d go

when I printed it out next to an ordinary

with when we had our Round Robin crit.

font, this new version was just as bad or

I got the paper back and read this about my logo: “The logo is very similar looking to Curlz :(“ …ouch. OUCH. For the record, here’s my handwritten, the vectorized version, and finally, if it really were in Curlz. Big difference, for the record.

worse. I checked the two with my sister (not an artist) to get her read on it, merely asking, “which label looks better to you? No analysis. But which looks more real and professional? Which would you rather buy or look at?” She immediately responded, “That one,” and pointed to the typed logo that took me less than five seconds. “The other one…it’s just too light on top. It doesn’t match the corner designs, doesn’t really fit the whole feel. I don’t like it.” Cool cool. Thanks.

sweet

mango CHUTNEY

Design often seems to be that way, at least for me: not always spending hours finding the right solution necessarily, but by golly figuring out the wrong one. I may not know what to do at this point, but I sure as heck have an idea what not to do! So I ditched my lettered logo and moved on with my life.

Patakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

sweet

CHUTNEY

MANGO

HOT

MANGO

MAJOR

GREY’S MANGO

HOT

MANGO CHUTNEY

SWEET

MANGO CHUTNEY

CHUTNEY

major grey’s MANGO CHUTNEY

hot mango CHUTNEY

major grey’s MANGO CHUTNEY

hot

sweet

major

MANGO CHUTNEY

mango CHUTNEY

MANGO CHUTNEY

grey’s

MANGO CHUTNEY

hot

MANGO CHUTNEY

Patak’s

sweet Patak’s MANGO CHUTNEY

hot

sweet

CHUTNEY

MANGO

hot

MANGO CHUTNEY

Patak’s

major grey’s MANGO CHUTNEY

06 I have more than 60 iterations of these labels. I began with black & white and colored letters, as per my original idea and sketches; but wasn’t a fan of odd contrasts. Changing the corner designs to color felt better, but started confusing the brand and flavor name hierarchy. I tried separating the kind of chutney with the ‘mango chutney’ part since they’re all mangobased, but that was too much. Also the serif was starting to lose its attraction.

Tried black & white again with the resized type and new colors. Honestly, I still like these. But I needed more consistency and it didn’t feel enough like an ethnic product.

Reduced corners to identical patterns, all sans-serif, and a typeface for the logo.

Patak’s

hot

sweet

CHUTNEY

MANGO

Patak’s

major grey’s

tomato

MANGO CHUTNEY

The negative shapes the corner designs made were really working for me, but everyone said at this point that the labels needed more color. I see how these may not have come across as super Indian. But I still like the b&w/color combination.

MANGO

MANGO CHUTNEY

hot

sweet

CHUTNEY

major grey’s

tomato

CHUTNEY

MANGO

This is defeat. I went for the color explosion. ...Honestly, though, I love these colors, so it’s not so bad.

07 It was time to start making the back and

I ended up copying from the real jar,

sides—the boring things. I did a lot of

but I did make my own. I’ve never

research on nutrition labels, since the new

been so proud of something so ugly.

label design is mandatory by 2018, and made several versions both vertical and horizontal. Finally I checked the nutrition label size next to the jar label size, because like the genius I am that hadn’t occurred to me yet. And I realized it was physically impossible to make my nutrition label fit and be readable at the same time. I was going to have to pick one, so I picked option three, which was START OVER AND THINK FIRST.

Nutrition Facts

Making everything fit was something of a trial until I realized I was using a ginormous point size, and then all my nutrition information fit on one side, leaving me Fun Food Facts on the other (the original jar’s label doesn’t meet in the back, so there are two clear sides, separated by the product name on the front). So close! And yet so far.

% DV*

13 servings per container

Total Fat 0g

Serving Size

Sodium 170 mg 7%

Calories

1 Tbsp (20g)

Vitamin A

* Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Facts 13 servings per container Serving Size

1 Tbsp (20g)

Amount per Tbsp

Calories

% DV* 0% Total Fat 0g 7% Sodium 170 mg 4% Carbohydrates 12g

Sugars 12g 2% Vitamin A

* Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Sugars 12g

60419 95021

INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, MANGO, SALT, VINEGAR, SPICES, GARLIC, DRIED RED CHILLIES. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT, ALMOND, AND CASHEW NUTS. DISTRIBUTED BY ACH FOOD COMPANIES, INC., MEMPHIS, TN 38016 USA PRODUCT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

Carbohydrates 12g

Nutrition Facts: Serv Size: 1 tbsp (21g), Servings: about 16, Amount Per Serving: Calories 50, Fat Cal. 0, Total Fat 0g (0% DV), Sat. Fat 0g (0% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholest. 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 280 mg (12% DV), Total Carb. 13g (4% DV), Fiber 0g (0% DV) Sugars 13g, Protein 0g, Vitamin A (0% DV), Calcium (0% DV), Iron (0% DV). Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

◆ Vegetar

For recip

Question

See lid fo opening.

08 The label was printed and affixed to

solution. I was planning on printing the four

the chutney jar for maximum effect.

labels I’d made and if that particular one didn’t work, shine it, I’d just do three and

UGH

not worry (it’s two weeks until Christmas

My corner designs weren’t thick enough

break, are you kidding). And then that

to stand out, the (new) logo wasn’t

non-artistic sister who has probably never

dark enough to make a statement, the

seen the inside of an Illustrator file in

type felt weird, I had too much space

her life, in this “well duh” voice as I’m

around the Fun Food Facts, and Leslie

complaining on the shuttle about my tough

thought the ends should match up.

existence, goes, “Just increase the stroke.”

Also it was the last day of class

Oh my gosh Jess, no, I can’t just ‘increase

before Thanksgiving break so

a stroke’ because I didn’t make the

no one was really focusing.

design in Illustrator, I took a picture and

I did manage to extend the edges and add some FFFs and tweak the label overall to

then vectorized it. Heavy sigh, seriously. Non-designers, what can ya do.

make it work better, but I couldn’t think of

Except that as I thought about it, I realized

a good solution for the corner designs. I’d

that whether knowledgeably or not, she was

drawn and vectorized them, and I wanted

totally right. I could literally add a stroke to

the sizes to stay the same proportions on

my sketches—not in the label document,

the label—so I couldn’t just shift+click

where the designs were placed, but to

to make them more pronounced.

the vectors themselves in the original.

Frankly, this project was so close to done

Well duh.

that I felt utterly unmotivated to find a

rian ◆ No artificial colors or flavors

pe ideas visit www.PataksUSA.com.

ns or comments: 1 800 726 3648

or Best By date. Refrigerate after . Stir well before using. NET WT 12 OZ (340g)

PATA K ’ S

sweet

MANGO CHUTNEY

Nutrition Facts: Serv Size: 1 tb about 16, Amount Per Serving: Ca Total Fat 0g (0% DV), Sat. Fat 0 0g, Cholest. 0mg (0% DV), Sod DV), Total Carb. 13g (4% DV) Sugars 13g, Protein 0g, Vitamin (0% DV), Iron (0% DV). Percent D based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, MANGO, SALT, VINEGAR RED CHILLIES. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT, ALMOND DISTRIBUTED BY ACH FOOD COMPANIES, IN PRODUCT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

09 For continuity, I made all the label shapes a diamond. Then I put the type in even

The Major Grey’s label

columns, made them all small caps, and

gave me so much trouble

all serifs (thanks Amber). I also punched out the info text on the side, to make it easier to read on the saturated colors.

that I did indeed drop it from the flavor pantheon, so to speak; but three is a magic number, so I’m not

You can’t see from these pictures, but I also printed these with a color on the back—that way when you look through the jar you can see the color on the inside. How that would interact with the half-eaten chutney, I don’t know, but that’s a grossness issue to be worked out when these labels are actually being considered for production. The only jars that were the right shape at Hobby Lobby were these teeny little ~8-oz jars, so I’ve decided to market them as a sample set of chutneys; once again, bumping them out of the blue-collar shopping range (does Meijer sell chutney sample sets? Didn’t think so) and making me wonder why I ever try to do anything in the first place. I really, really enjoyed this project, though, and I’m so glad they turned out okay.

too broke up about it.

60419

95021

60419

mango

95021

60419

See lid for Best By date. Refrigerate after opening. Stir well before using. NET WT 6 OZ (170g)

For recipe ideas visit www.PataksUSA.com. Questions or comments: 1 800 726 3648

A kind of Indian salsa, our thick, chunky chutney is mild and tangy with a hint of chillies—sweet to the palate with a refreshing bite. All our chutneys are vegetarian and use no artificial colors or flavors!

chutney

mango

tomato

PATA K ’ S

chutney

mango

sweet

PATA K ’ S

chutney

See lid for Best By date. Refrigerate after opening. Stir well before using. NET WT 6 OZ (170g)

For recipe ideas visit www.PataksUSA.com. Questions or comments: 1 800 726 3648

PATA K ’ S

spicy

A kind of Indian salsa, our thick, chunky chutney is mild and sweet with a hint of chillies—sweet with an underlying spice. All our chutneys are vegetarian and use no artificial colors or flavors!

See lid for Best By date. Refrigerate after opening. Stir well before using. NET WT 6 OZ (170g)

Questions or comments: 1 800 726 3648

For recipe ideas visit www.PataksUSA.com.

A kind of Indian salsa, our thick, chunky chutney is spicy and sweet with a hint of chillies—hot to the palate with a refreshing bite. All our chutneys are vegetarian and use no artificial colors or flavors!

95021

MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT, ALMOND, AND CASHEW NUTS. DISTRIBUTED BY ACH FOOD COMPANIES, INC., MEMPHIS, TN 38016 USA. PRODUCT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, MANGO, SALT, VINEGAR, TOMATO PASTE, SPICES, GARLIC.

MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT, ALMOND, AND CASHEW NUTS. DISTRIBUTED BY ACH FOOD COMPANIES, INC., MEMPHIS, TN 38016 USA. PRODUCT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, MANGO, SALT, VINEGAR, SPICES.

INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, MANGO, SALT, VINEGAR, SPICES, DRIED RED CHILLIES. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT, ALMOND, AND CASHEW NUTS. DISTRIBUTED BY ACH FOOD COMPANIES, INC., MEMPHIS, TN 38016 USA. PRODUCT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

So I revised and printed and trimmed and mounted the labels and lived happily ever after. Merry Christmas, everybody.

COLORING PAGEZZZZ!!

color here

or here

or even here!!!! :D

© deryn joy 2016. Thanks to all my fans, who made everything possible. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Well, actually, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my parents, but minor detail. thanks, ancestors, for enabling all this

other books by this same author

mayonnaise: keep on dreaming one girl’s unrequited love affair with design, proving the age-old maxim that “the course of true love never did run smooth,” nor the solid-state drive in her laptop, apparently.

loading: please wait (coming december 2016)

the kitten-duck written and illustrated by deryn joy, age 11. it’s an existential riot.

billy goes fishing (is I think what it’s called, it’s been a while) also written and illustrated by deryn joy, 11. there are no words.

no, seriously. it’s told in illustrations. and it ’ s pretty good too , considering

welcome, life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience