Tuna Packaging

I've been working on a project that involves designing premium packaging for a local tuna company. There were multiple iterations before coming to the final tuna packaging concept.

The final version can be viewed here.

Kiosk Design

This is one of the first thoughts for the kiosk design. Buried in this little mess there's a concept of a boat at a dock.

The final version can be viewed here.

Tuna Packaging, The Small Version

I've been creating a small version of a tuna packaging concept. The project involves creating the product packaging and a booth for a trade show event. These micro-packages will give a clear visual of how the product is meant to be presented and placed in a tradeshow booth.

Postmodernism in a Bottle

After completing a piece that was intended to be photographed then discarded, I still wanted to hold on to the project. I decided to bottle up this project on postmodernism as an interesting visual about this current period of design.

My Desk is a Collage

Current state of my desk right now, slowly I'll be getting through some of these books.

Mini Tradeshow Booth

I'm working on a project where I'll be designing a tradeshow booth. Having this mini paper model on my desk has worked well in the ideation process.

A Note to Modernism

Modernism was coming to an end in the 1970’s. A climate of cultural change resulted as the norms in society were questioned and challenged. Postmodernism design opposed the order and clarity of modern design, rejecting universality, strict grid layouts, and the modernist principles that dominated since the Bauhaus. References to history were now used as design elements for style and to evoke feelings of nostalgia.

To reflect the ideals of postmodernism and its reaction against modernism, a piece was created using the Bauhaus Manifesto. The manifesto was remade (original words in mixed typeface style) using individual clippings from newspapers in “ransom note style”, reminiscent of the 1970’s Sex Pistols album cover, Never Mind the Bullocks. This parallels ideals regarding counterculture, and postmodernism's own reaction against the universal ideals originating from the Bauhaus. In addition, the local newspaper used for the piece, The Georgia Straight, is prevalent in a wide variety of design references and style motifs. The mash up of mixed type clippings were loosely spread out on a grid-like background, using the grid as form without function. The piece was further elevated by photographing, then creating a short video, using a clip of a song from the Never Mind the Bullocks album. The piece becomes a mash up of its own photos in digital format.

The Project video can be viewed here.

Concepts for Activism

I had a couple of activism ideas in my head and created this concept.

Photograms and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy replaced Johannes Itten as the head of the preliminary course for Bauhaus education. Moholy-Nagy, who explored painting, photography, film, sculpture, and graphic design, was enthusiastic to investigate new materials and new techniques. In 1922, he began experimenting with photograms. He believed that photograms represented the essence of photography because the artist could capture patterns of light and dark on light-sensitive paper without a camera.

I was able to find a local shop that carried light sensitive paper; it was surprisingly hard to find in Vancouver. I used this process to create a 4 image piece. Transparent items, round shapes and a variety of other materials were used to capture this abstract composition. The objects used to create the shaded areas become removed from easy identification. This relates to the expressions of abstract patterns created by the photograms of Moholy-Nagy.

The Drive-Thru Dipper

I worked on a project where the problem was to create a useful friction fit (can be assembled without glue/adhesives) container. Inspired by a recent trip to a drive-thru, I was frustrated by the unavailability of a place to put your ketchup - I was eating in my car. I am against spreading layers of ketchup all over my fries because I enjoy them best when I dip each one individually. So, my solution was to create this friction fit fries box. I also challenged myself to minimize any additional material from its original form. After multiple iterations I finalized the drive-thru dipper.

Sustainability Scorecard

I created my sustainability scorecard. This indicates the most ideal to the least ideal when determining design choices for materials/vendors/etc based on environmental protection, social equity, economic health, and cultural vitality.

Local Arts and Craft Facility

I recently visited Blim, an inspiring local arts and crafts facility in Vancouver.

The Hand vs The Machine

Using sound and image, I created a short interpretation about the ideals, challenges, and ironies about the Arts and Craft Movement and The Industrial Revolution.

Industrialization resulted in a decline in creativity as designs by engineers focussed on efficiency. This resulted in a move away from handicraft in favor of mass-produced goods. In reaction against the social, moral, and artistic confusion of the Industrial Revolution, the Arts and Crafts Movement arose during the later part of the nineteenth century.

This short video interprets some of the ideals, challenges, and ironies of this period of time. The ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement were a return back to the craftsmanship and quality of objects created prior to the Industrial Era. This combination of art and craft could bring happiness back to workers in a man-made environment. However, the challenges of competing with machines were prevalent in society at the time. The demands of society and expectations that technologies created caused pressures to conform to the ideals of industrialization. The Arts and Craft Movement was continually chased by the ideals of the Industrial Revolution. The irony of the Arts and Crafts movement is that as time went on, technologies were gradually being adopted into designs of the time. Eventually, guided by the economy, industrialization soon engulfed the Arts and Craft Movement as a necessary evil.

The project video can be viewed here.

The Postmodern Rubik's Cube

I reproduced a Rubik's Cube and its packaging as a solution to creating a collage about postmodernism. This Postmodern Rubik's Cube created some interesting parrallels to the endless examples of this current period of time.

Original Works In History

I viewed the originals to some significant books in the history of graphic design. It was amazing to be so close to books that usually are only seen as images in other books. The details and craftsmanship are a true reflection of the historical periods of the times.

William Morris, Kelmscott Press

Gerard's Herbal, 1636

Leaf of the Gutenberg Bible

book from 1430

Digital Experience Concept

I worked together on an interesting collaborative project. The project involved creating a concept about our digital culture. We emphasized our reliance on technology by using multiple modes of communication in order to create a narrative. We shared our experiences by showing pictures directly from our digital cameras, through our web cams, on a video conference, uploaded to youtube, then projected onto a wall.

Wall Walkers

I was making my way through downtown and noticed some people moving on the side of a building. Appears that they were being instructed to do certain movements from someone on the ground. They were also being photographed/filmed. Interesting to see side to side, leaps, upside-down crawling, doubles and other styles instead of a normal vertical rappeller.

Watermark Designs

I made a set of five watermark designs from garbage bag twist ties. The wire was bent, manipulated, and formed by hand. Modern day logos were made to show the process of watermark design. The wire was flexible but created challenges when attempting to create 90 degree angles and flat areas of the logos. This limited the complexity of each piece; other logos with intricate details would require a steady hand. In addition, with excessive bending the wire’s durability proved to have its own limits as earlier attempts with multiple twisting broke the wire in pieces.

Watermarks were used by the 13th century in Italy. These recognizable images and patterns are translucent emblems that are visible when paper is held up to the light. Watermarks were made by forming and shaping thin bent wire. These flat designs were then attached to the surface of a mold used in paper making, and produced by pressure.

The Crowd

Billboard with an Interesting Message

This appears to be an installation piece. Maybe this requires a deeper reflection into its meaning, or maybe its an ad I just don't get. Interesting nonetheless, and it did get me curious when I noticed there was no marketing/advertising on the billboard.