Project Name: Elements & Principles
Tools Used: Adobe Indesign
Challenges: Balancing visual hierarchy while maintaining simplicity in the composition. Creating a strong focal point without overwhelming the design.
Solutions: Used a combination of contrast, positioning, and directional elements (arrows and a halo) to draw attention to the subject. The dark background enhances the figure's prominence, while the typography reinforces the theme.
Project Name: Holiday Card
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator
Challenges: Capturing warmth and holiday spirit with a minimal color palette and simplified shapes. Ensuring the steam effect is visible without overwhelming the composition.
Solutions: Used bold outlines and warm tones to create a cozy aesthetic. The steam effect is subtly incorporated to emphasize warmth, and the "Merry Christmas" text enhances the festive theme.
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator and printed packaging materials
Challenges: Balancing a romantic yet humorous tone in the design while ensuring readability and visual appeal
Solutions: Used elegant cursive typography with a deep red, floral-patterned background to evoke romance, while the humorous quote from the song Something Stupid adds a playful contrast. The text arrangement guides the viewer through the message effectively.
Project Name: Trading Cards
Description: This project features custom-designed character sheets integrated with dice storage for tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons. Each sheet includes a unique character illustration, stats, and thematic elements tailored to the character’s identity.
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, cardstock printing, and resin dice.
Challenges: Ensuring the dice holder was both functional and visually cohesive with the character sheet, balancing aesthetics with readability, and selecting durable materials.
Solutions: Used precise measurements for the dice compartment, high-quality printing for vibrant visuals, and tested various materials for durability and ease of use. The final product successfully merges utility with artistic expression, enhancing the tabletop gaming experience.
Project Name: 1900s Ad
Description: This piece is a stylized promotion for a fictional amusement attraction, "Freddy’s Diner & Amusements," featuring animatronic characters performing on stage. The vintage aesthetic, warm color palette, and character expressions suggest a nostalgic or possibly eerie theme reminiscent of classic animation and animatronic entertainment.
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, printed on textured paper for an aged effect, and mounted on black cardstock for presentation.
Challenges: Capturing the retro animation style while maintaining clear, engaging character designs, balancing warm tones for a nostalgic feel, and ensuring the composition directs the viewer’s focus effectively.
Solutions: Used limited, muted colors and grainy textures to mimic old posters, designed expressive characters to evoke intrigue, and framed the scene within a stage-like arch to enhance the theatrical theme.
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, printing, bookbinding techniques
Challenges: Aligning the printed elements correctly to maintain the integrity of the original Starry Night composition while integrating new design elements. Ensuring the text overlay remained readable without overpowering the artwork.
Solutions: Careful layout planning and multiple test prints to adjust alignment. Transparent layering techniques were used to balance the visual weight of text against the background.
Project Name: Package Design
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, printing, packaging design
Challenges: Achieving a vibrant, retro aesthetic while maintaining high print quality on a small-scale box. Ensuring alignment of the design on all sides of the packaging.
Solutions: Used bold colors, pixel-style effects, and nostalgic 80s iconography (boombox, cassette tapes, roller skates) to evoke the era. Conducted multiple test prints to refine alignment and edge detailing.
Project Name: Calendar Mount Display
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, foam board, adhesive spray, and a precision knife.
Challenges: Aligning each calendar month precisely. Printing and cutting the pieces without smudging or misalignment also posed difficulties.
Solutions: Used a grid layout for accuracy, test-printed samples for color consistency, and applied a mounting technique that minimized warping or peeling. The final display balances aesthetic appeal with practical functionality.
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, printing and cutting tools, DVD case
Challenges: Creating a retro-style game cover that aligns with the horror theme while maintaining visual appeal. Ensuring proper print dimensions and color accuracy.
Solutions: Used vibrant yet eerie colors, bold typography, and a mix of in-game and cinematic elements. Adjusted image resolution for a high-quality final print.
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, cardstock, star garland
Challenges: Ensuring the text and illustrations aligned properly when assembled, balancing decorative elements without overwhelming the design, and managing the precision of cuts.
Solutions: Used alignment tools in Adobe Illustrator to perfect placement and created mockups to test visual balance. The result is a whimsical and inspirational design with the message "Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground," combining a dreamy aesthetic with practical craftsmanship.
