welcome
HERE’S THE STORY ADD / SUBTRACT
IT’S NEVER RANDOM
It is strange how a project ends up going down a certain road, but
it all starts on a piece of white paper with a pencil. Everything
seems unpredictable at the beginning but when it is all finished, I never think those ideas were random. This is a collection of my
work over the last 3 years at the Academy of Art University. The
concept explains my feelings about the true meaning of design— adding appropriate elements and subtracting things which make no sense even if they are pretty. When I design something I keep
questioning myself: “Does this graphic need to be here? Does it
look better if I delete the beautiful pattern? Is this page too plain?”. Behind the answers there is me sitting at my desk and trying to come up with a creative solution.
©2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PORTION OF THIS PUBLICATION CAN BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION FROM MIAONAN LI.
p o r t fo l i o student phone email
ADD / SUBTRACT MIAONAN LI 5107559086 MIAOLI.DESIGN@GMAIL.COM
web
WWW.MIAONANLI.COM
school
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
department
GRAPHIC DESIGN
directors
MARY SCOT T, PHIL HAMLET T
typef aces
BRANDON GROTESQUE, ADOBE CASLON
photography bindery print text stock
MIAONAN LI, CHENQI DANG THE KEY PRINTING & BINDING GIANT HORSE PRINTING 100LB FINCH FINE TEXT
CONTENTS SELECTED PROJECTS
01/08
page 09
05/08
page 105
SAY CHEESE
BRING ME THE COLOR
02/08
06/08
page 35
page 121
LISTEN TO THE SOUND
THE BEAUTY IN MISTAKES
03/08
07/08
page 47
page 139
SPICE IT UP
FOR EVERYONE OF US
04/08
08/08
page 65
EMBRACE THE RAIN
page 163
THE LATCHKID PROJECT
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
08-09
01/08
SAY CHEESE DELICATESSEN PACKAGING DESIGN
A THOUGHT
The purpose of this project was to create a new delicatessen, which includes a new brand image, labels, packaging, cheese packs and other deliverables applying to the concept. Use sus-
tainable materials when possible to reduce packaging waste. The packaging must represent the mood of the selected brand.
DISTILLING IDEAS
Cheese Board Collective is a local shop in Berkeley, which
offers a wide variety of cheese. I also love their freshly baked
breads and pizza. They are very popular in the Bay Area but they don’t have a good identity. So I thought why not cre-
ate an identity for them by myself and make the brand have a stronger, clearer, and more memorable look. I also wanted to bring more fun and unique features to the products. By using
illustration and typography in black and white, I wanted to simplify the brand and make it unique.
key adjectives
F U N, F R E S H, A F F O R DA B L E, F R I E N D LY, U N I Q U E
typography
MUSEO
instructor
THOMAS MCNULT Y
deliverables
BRANDING,
PACKAGING, ILLUSTRATION
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
08-09
01/08
SAY CHEESE DELICATESSEN PACKAGING DESIGN
A THOUGHT
The purpose of this project was to create a new delicatessen, which includes a new brand image, labels, packaging, cheese packs and other deliverables applying to the concept. Use sus-
tainable materials when possible to reduce packaging waste. The packaging must represent the mood of the selected brand.
DISTILLING IDEAS
Cheese Board Collective is a local shop in Berkeley, which
offers a wide variety of cheese. I also love their freshly baked
breads and pizza. They are very popular in the Bay Area but they don’t have a good identity. So I thought why not cre-
ate an identity for them by myself and make the brand have a stronger, clearer, and more memorable look. I also wanted to bring more fun and unique features to the products. By using
illustration and typography in black and white, I wanted to simplify the brand and make it unique.
key adjectives
F U N, F R E S H, A F F O R DA B L E, F R I E N D LY, U N I Q U E
typography
MUSEO
instructor
THOMAS MCNULT Y
deliverables
BRANDING,
PACKAGING, ILLUSTRATION
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
10-11
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
12-13
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
14-15
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
16-17
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
18-19
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
20-21
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
24-25
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
26-27
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
01
pg
30-31
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
02
pg
34-35
02/08
LISTEN TO THE SOUND MUSIC INTERPRETATION
A THOUGHT
This assignment was to pick a song and express it in the form
of a poster by using typography and images. Music is a lan-
guage and everyone translates it in different ways. Some may laugh, some may cry. Sometimes beautif ul melodies can tell
terrible things, while sad songs can be cheerf ul. We were
encouraged to explore dif ferent photography techniques by using various materials, shapes, objects and colors. DISTILLING IDEAS
I choose the song Lust sung by a famous Danish indie rock band The Raveonettes. The song itself is slightly dark, but
from my understanding it is talking about an insane love and there is still some hope. Photography can be very personal in
the way one shoots a single image. I am taking this chance to
express my true feelings about this song through images. By
using a projector and combining photos, I wanted to express the idea of hope in the dark.
key adjectives
EMOTIONAL, EXPRESSIVE, DARK, CONTRAST
typography
BARIOL, MINION PRO
instructor
STAN ZIENKA
deliverables
PHOTOGRAPHY, POSTER
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
02
pg
34-35
02/08
LISTEN TO THE SOUND MUSIC INTERPRETATION
A THOUGHT
This assignment was to pick a song and express it in the form
of a poster by using typography and images. Music is a lan-
guage and everyone translates it in different ways. Some may laugh, some may cry. Sometimes beautif ul melodies can tell
terrible things, while sad songs can be cheerf ul. We were
encouraged to explore dif ferent photography techniques by using various materials, shapes, objects and colors. DISTILLING IDEAS
I choose the song Lust sung by a famous Danish indie rock band The Raveonettes. The song itself is slightly dark, but
from my understanding it is talking about an insane love and there is still some hope. Photography can be very personal in
the way one shoots a single image. I am taking this chance to
express my true feelings about this song through images. By
using a projector and combining photos, I wanted to express the idea of hope in the dark.
key adjectives
EMOTIONAL, EXPRESSIVE, DARK, CONTRAST
typography
BARIOL, MINION PRO
instructor
STAN ZIENKA
deliverables
PHOTOGRAPHY, POSTER
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
02
pg
36-37
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
02
pg
42-43
L U
ALBUM Lust Lust Lust 2008
S
BAND The Raveonettes
T
It’s ok, I’m used to it. You don’t have to mind, you don’t have to ask. I did not lie why would I lie, you know me so well that I would do everything for you. Never thought about leaving you but now you are just standing there, so far away from me. Love brought you here and lied to me. It told me that there
were possibilities and there was hope. Now there is nothing. I’m trapped in the lust of loving you. Everywhere I go, life is a big lie. You can’t see what I see, you can’t feel what I feel. It’s ok, I will just take it. I’m hiding in the truth, which you will never understand. I cried and I prayed. I’ve been strong for too long,
I need a break. I need the one thing and you got it, but how do I get it, there’s no clue. It’s ok, the big little lie doesn’t hurt that much. I guess this is real. I don’t want to get rid of the obsession. Although my voice nearly disappeared, I hope you can still hear its sweetness.
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2013
class
TYPE SYSTEMS
project
03
pg
46-47
03/08
SPICE IT UP THE FLAVORS OF THE WORLD
A THOUGHT
This assignment was to design a book based on a theme and it can be interpreted in any way. I decided to do spice because
cooking is my hobby. The e is a saying that ‘a recipe has no soul, you as a cook must bring soul to it’. Cooking is like art; I use spice to make it colorful. After the theme had been decided, I
shopped around for different kinds of spice. From Mexican to
Indian, from sweet to extremely spicy, I started to explore the world of spice.
DISTILLING IDEAS
The first chapter of the book took people on a journey of meals
around the world. Every meal used different kinds of spices. I enjoyed the process of taking photos of food in an organized way in order to make them feel appetizing. For the cover image I played with spice and typography and made it interesting and
fla orful. Thesecond chapter is about spices that I’ve found. Each
of them has their own name and some are very unique. By intro-
ducing the benefits of spices for health, I want readers to know that spices not only excite our taste buds but are composed of an impressive list of ingredient that are essential for our wellness.
key adjectives
TAST Y, FL AVORFUL, APPETIZING, INFORMATIVE
typography
FRUTIGER, BEMBO BOOK
instructor
LIAN NG
deliverables
PHOTOGRAPHY, BOOK
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2013
class
TYPE SYSTEMS
project
03
pg
46-47
03/08
SPICE IT UP THE FLAVORS OF THE WORLD
A THOUGHT
This assignment was to design a book based on a theme and it can be interpreted in any way. I decided to do spice because
cooking is my hobby. The e is a saying that ‘a recipe has no soul, you as a cook must bring soul to it’. Cooking is like art; I use spice to make it colorful. After the theme had been decided, I
shopped around for different kinds of spice. From Mexican to
Indian, from sweet to extremely spicy, I started to explore the world of spice.
DISTILLING IDEAS
The first chapter of the book took people on a journey of meals
around the world. Every meal used different kinds of spices. I enjoyed the process of taking photos of food in an organized way in order to make them feel appetizing. For the cover image I played with spice and typography and made it interesting and
fla orful. Thesecond chapter is about spices that I’ve found. Each
of them has their own name and some are very unique. By intro-
ducing the benefits of spices for health, I want readers to know that spices not only excite our taste buds but are composed of an impressive list of ingredient that are essential for our wellness.
key adjectives
TAST Y, FL AVORFUL, APPETIZING, INFORMATIVE
typography
FRUTIGER, BEMBO BOOK
instructor
LIAN NG
deliverables
PHOTOGRAPHY, BOOK
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2013
class
TYPE SYSTEMS
project
03
pg
5 2 -5 3
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2013
class
TYPE SYSTEMS
project
03
pg
5 4 -5 5
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2013
class
TYPE SYSTEMS
project
03
pg
5 8 -5 9
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2013
class
TYPE SYSTEMS
project
03
pg
62-63
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
project
04
pg
64-65
04/08
EMBRACE THE RAIN A SHUNJI IWAI FILM FESTIVAL
A THOUGHT
This project was to pick a director and plan a film festival based on a common thread in his films The challenge was to express the mood of the thread by using self-generated photos, graphics and typography to showcase the style of the director and his work. DISTILLING IDEAS
I chose a Japanese film director Shunji Iwai who is known for his distinctive and innovative visual style. Based on his unique
perspective towards the age of youth, I came up with the title “Embrace the rain” to represent the reflections of bittersweet
memories in most of his films. Inspired by his style of “pure”, I kept minimal design in my head and developed an exclusive pack which includes a series of products relate to the word of
“memory”. Components like diary, soundtrack in a bottle of sand, origami paper and stationary system give people an idea of the mood when they receive this exclusive pack. The festival will take
place in Japantown located in San Francisco, where a lot of foreigners go to embrace Japanese culture.
key adjectives
BIT TERSWEET, MEMORABLE, SPIRITUAL, YOUNG
typography
ADOBE HEBREW, CHIVO
instructor
HUNTER WIMMER
deliverables
BRANDING, PACKAGING, PHOTOGRAPHY, BOOK, POSTER, WEBSITE
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
project
04
pg
64-65
04/08
EMBRACE THE RAIN A SHUNJI IWAI FILM FESTIVAL
A THOUGHT
This project was to pick a director and plan a film festival based on a common thread in his films The challenge was to express the mood of the thread by using self-generated photos, graphics and typography to showcase the style of the director and his work. DISTILLING IDEAS
I chose a Japanese film director Shunji Iwai who is known for his distinctive and innovative visual style. Based on his unique
perspective towards the age of youth, I came up with the title “Embrace the rain” to represent the reflections of bittersweet
memories in most of his films. Inspired by his style of “pure”, I kept minimal design in my head and developed an exclusive pack which includes a series of products relate to the word of
“memory”. Components like diary, soundtrack in a bottle of sand, origami paper and stationary system give people an idea of the mood when they receive this exclusive pack. The festival will take
place in Japantown located in San Francisco, where a lot of foreigners go to embrace Japanese culture.
key adjectives
BIT TERSWEET, MEMORABLE, SPIRITUAL, YOUNG
typography
ADOBE HEBREW, CHIVO
instructor
HUNTER WIMMER
deliverables
BRANDING, PACKAGING, PHOTOGRAPHY, BOOK, POSTER, WEBSITE
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
project
04
pg
74-75
term
SPRING 2014
class
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
project
04
pg
76-77
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
Momigami Paper Traditional Handmade
5.9” x 5.9” SIX COLORS SET OF 12 6色12枚入
MIAONAN LI
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
project
04
pg
84-85
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
project
04
pg
86-87
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
project
04
pg
90-91
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
project
04
pg
98-99
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
05
pg
104-105
05/08
BRING ME THE COLOR POWDER MIXED PAINT PACKAGING DESIGN
A THOUGHT
This project was to create a paint packaging system for a sustainable latex powder paint using eco-friendly materials derived
from sustainable resources. As a designer, we tend to create beautiful stuff to put on the shelf, but that is not the only reason I’m
doing design. I always think of the second-life for my creations. I believe a graphic designer can reimagine the end of a package’s life. Isn’t this ability powerful? DISTILLING IDEAS
Because packaging should be easy for people to see whether it
is for indoor or outdoor usage, I asked myself what ’s indoor
and outdoor looked like. In the end, I decided to use simple illustrations of indoor/outdoor products to differentiated them. I used fresh color to visually attract people. The packages are made from recyclable paper stock and can be reused after disposal.
key adjectives
S U S TA I N A B L E, CO LO R F U L, F R I E N D LY, M O D E R N
typography
BRANDON GROTESQUE, SERIFA
instructor
THOMAS MCNULT Y
deliverables
BRANDING, PACKAGING, ILLUSTRATION
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
05
pg
104-105
05/08
BRING ME THE COLOR POWDER MIXED PAINT PACKAGING DESIGN
A THOUGHT
This project was to create a paint packaging system for a sustainable latex powder paint using eco-friendly materials derived
from sustainable resources. As a designer, we tend to create beautiful stuff to put on the shelf, but that is not the only reason I’m
doing design. I always think of the second-life for my creations. I believe a graphic designer can reimagine the end of a package’s life. Isn’t this ability powerful? DISTILLING IDEAS
Because packaging should be easy for people to see whether it
is for indoor or outdoor usage, I asked myself what ’s indoor
and outdoor looked like. In the end, I decided to use simple illustrations of indoor/outdoor products to differentiated them. I used fresh color to visually attract people. The packages are made from recyclable paper stock and can be reused after disposal.
key adjectives
S U S TA I N A B L E, CO LO R F U L, F R I E N D LY, M O D E R N
typography
BRANDON GROTESQUE, SERIFA
instructor
THOMAS MCNULT Y
deliverables
BRANDING, PACKAGING, ILLUSTRATION
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
05
pg
106-107
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
05
pg
108-109
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
05
pg
112-113
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
05
pg
114-115
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
05
pg
116-117
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
SPRING 2014
class
PACKAGE DESIGN II
project
05
pg
118-119
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
06
pg
120-121
06/08
THE BEAUTY IN MISTAKES IMPERFECTION IN LIFE
A THOUGHT
This project was to record what we see everyday and find a
way to express it. In our daily journeys, we constantly confront
imperfections—the broken sidewalk, the cracks in the wall, the bus that is always late, the figure sleeping in a doorway. They
can be annoying, humorous or tragic, but it is these disruptions in the world’s design that create the contrasts and narratives that fascinate our minds and stir our hearts. DISTILLING IDEAS
I walk to Fruitvale Bart station everyday from home. I always
see imperfect things either a broken chair, trash on the street or graffit on walls. Sometimes I wondered what’s the story behind
them. For this project, I used my eyes as my camera to record the imperfection of things on my way home.
key adjectives
LOOSE, FREE, UNIQUE
typography
FUTURA, SABON
instructor
STAN ZIENKA
deliverables
PHOTOGRAPHY, BOOK
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
06
pg
120-121
06/08
THE BEAUTY IN MISTAKES IMPERFECTION IN LIFE
A THOUGHT
This project was to record what we see everyday and find a
way to express it. In our daily journeys, we constantly confront
imperfections—the broken sidewalk, the cracks in the wall, the bus that is always late, the figure sleeping in a doorway. They
can be annoying, humorous or tragic, but it is these disruptions in the world’s design that create the contrasts and narratives that fascinate our minds and stir our hearts. DISTILLING IDEAS
I walk to Fruitvale Bart station everyday from home. I always
see imperfect things either a broken chair, trash on the street or graffiti on walls. Sometimes I wondered what’s the story behind
them. For this project, I used my eyes as my camera to record the imperfection of things on my way home.
key adjectives
LOOSE, FREE, UNIQUE
typography
FUTURA, SABON
instructor
STAN ZIENKA
deliverables
PHOTOGRAPHY, BOOK
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
06
pg
124-125
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
06
pg
126-127
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
06
pg
128-129
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
06
pg
130-131
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
06
pg
132-133
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
06
pg
134-135
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2013
class
TYPE EXPERIMENTS
project
06
pg
136-137
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2014
class
NATURE OF IDENTIT Y
project
07
pg
138-139
07/08
FOR EVERYONE OF US REBRANDING OXO
A THOUGHT
This project was to pick a company and rebrand it to give it a new life so that it could be more successful in the future. I think
rebranding is necessary when a company is facing a challenging market. Consequently, I picked OXO, a famous kitchen tools
brand in the US. I wanted to expand the brand so that they can reach a wider range of audience. DISTILLING IDEAS
I use OXO products a lot. They are easy to use and look nice. However, it seems everyone sees OXO only as a company which sells smart cookwares and few people know their core concept
is based on Universal Design. It is meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to older
people, people without disabilities, and people with disabilities. I wanted to address this for the new identity and expand the
brand into the field of advanced technology in order to ease daily tasks for everyone of us.
key adjectives
UNIVERSAL, INFORMATIVE, INNOVATIVE, SMART
typography
UNIVERS
instructor
HUNTER WIMMER
deliverables
BRANDING, BOOK, WEBSITE
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2014
class
NATURE OF IDENTIT Y
project
07
pg
138-139
07/08
FOR EVERYONE OF US REBRANDING OXO
A THOUGHT
This project was to pick a company and rebrand it to give it a new life so that it could be more successful in the future. I think
rebranding is necessary when a company is facing a challenging market. Consequently, I picked OXO, a famous kitchen tools
brand in the US. I wanted to expand the brand so that they can reach a wider range of audience. DISTILLING IDEAS
I use OXO products a lot. They are easy to use and look nice. However, it seems everyone sees OXO only as a company which sells smart cookwares and few people know their core concept
is based on Universal Design. It is meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to older
people, people without disabilities, and people with disabilities. I wanted to address this for the new identity and expand the
brand into the field of advanced technology in order to ease daily tasks for everyone of us.
key adjectives
UNIVERSAL, INFORMATIVE, INNOVATIVE, SMART
typography
UNIVERS
instructor
HUNTER WIMMER
deliverables
BRANDING, BOOK, WEBSITE
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
OXO
MIAONAN LI
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2014
class
NATURE OF IDENTIT Y
project
07
pg
146-147
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2014
class
NATURE OF IDENTIT Y
project
07
pg
152-153
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
FALL 2014
class
NATURE OF IDENTIT Y
project
07
pg
158-159
WE CANNOT ALWAYS BUILD THE FUTURE FOR OUR YOUTH, BUT WE CAN BUILD OUR YOUTH FOR THE FUTURE. Franklin D. Roosevelt
L ATC H K I D T H E S I S P R OJ E C T
The purpose of the MFA thesis is to become an observer of
society and find a social problem to solve using graphic design. I’ve been hearing a lot about the problem that kids around 9-12
come home alone after school and parents do not know what
they are doing during those hours. By doing a massive amount of research and having conversations with the appropriate people, I found that many people used to be latchkey kids and see it as a normal social phenomenon. BACKGROUND
A latchkey kid or latchkey child is a child who returns from
school to an empty home because his or her parent or parents are away at work, or a child who is often left at home with little
parental supervision. The term refers to the latchkey of a door to
a house. The key is often strung around the child’s neck or left hidden under a mat at the rear door to the property. The eff ects of being a latchkey child differ with age.
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
2014-2015
class
MFA THESIS
project
08
pg
164-165
08/08
THE LATCHKID PROJECT LATCHKEY EXPERIENCE CAN BE FUN
WHY THIS TOPIC
I used to be a latchkey kid and my parents were busy with their
work while I was about 10 years old. It was a good experience because in those home-alone hours I learned how to make a simple meal for myself and helped to clean the house. My parents felt proud of me but they also worried because back in
those years, smartphones didn’t exist and they couldn’t reach me
instantly. These days many parents are worried about their latch-
key kids. I want to reduce the parental anxiety of leaving children at home and motivate latchkey kids to be involved in basic
household management activities. I took this idea and developed it into a smart phone app. This reward-based app is user-friendly for both kids and parents. By setting customized tasks, parents
can watch how their kids are doing when they are away from home. I believe this app will make stronger connection between parents and children. The app also comes with a wireless home control system and kids can notify parents if there’s an issue in the house.
DISTILLING IDEAS
From my research, I found that if latchkey kids’ after school hours can be more fun and meaningful, it will reduce the parental anxiety of leaving their children at home. Based on
that thought, I designed the LatchKid app, a mobile app which
motivates latchkey kids to be involved in some basic household management activities.
key adjectives
F U N, U S E R-F R I E N D LY, P L AY F U L, TA S K-D R I V E N
typography
BRANDON GROTESQUE, SERIFA
instructors
PHIL HAMLET T, BOB SLOTE, ARIEL GREY
deliverables
M O B I L E A P P, W E B S I T E , B O O K , V I D E O, POSTER, ILLUSTRATION
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
2014-2015
class
MFA THESIS
project
08
pg
164-165
08/08
THE LATCHKID PROJECT LATCHKEY EXPERIENCE CAN BE FUN
WHY THIS TOPIC
I used to be a latchkey kid and my parents were busy with their
work while I was about 10 years old. It was a good experience because in those home-alone hours I learned how to make a simple meal for myself and helped to clean the house. My parents felt proud of me but they also worried because back in
those years, smartphones didn’t exist and they couldn’t reach me
instantly. These days many parents are worried about their latch-
key kids. I want to reduce the parental anxiety of leaving children at home and motivate latchkey kids to be involved in basic
household management activities. I took this idea and developed it into a smart phone app. This reward-based app is user-friendly for both kids and parents. By setting customized tasks, parents
can watch how their kids are doing when they are away from home. I believe this app will make stronger connection between parents and children. The app also comes with a wireless home control system and kids can notify parents if there’s an issue in the house.
DISTILLING IDEAS
From my research, I found that if latchkey kids’ after school hours can be more fun and meaningful, it will reduce the parental anxiety of leaving their children at home. Based on
that thought, I designed the LatchKid app, a mobile app which
motivates latchkey kids to be involved in some basic household management activities.
key adjectives
F U N, U S E R-F R I E N D LY, P L AY F U L, TA S K-D R I V E N
typography
BRANDON GROTESQUE, SERIFA
instructors
PHIL HAMLET T, BOB SLOTE, ARIEL GREY
deliverables
M O B I L E A P P, W E B S I T E , B O O K , V I D E O, POSTER, ILLUSTRATION
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
2014-2015
class
MFA THESIS
project
08
pg
166-167
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
2014-2015
class
MFA THESIS
project
08
pg
168-169
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
the
LATCHKID project
MIAONAN LI
term
2014-2015
class
MFA THESIS
project
08
pg
170-171
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
2014-2015
class
MFA THESIS
project
08
pg
174-175
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
2014-2015
class
MFA THESIS
project
08
pg
176-177
ADD / SUBTRACT
p o r t fo l i o
MIAONAN LI
term
2014-2015
class
MFA THESIS
project
08
pg
180-181
KEEP IN TOUCH