01 | Vinyl Cover
DESIGNED IN 2019
For an independent project, I chose to design a vinyl record cover for The Avett Brothers' latest album, "Closer Than Together". A lot of the songs on the album discuss nostalgia, and simultaneously reminisce on simpler, 'younger' times. This was the general inspiration for the inclusion of the simplified, cartoon-like characters. A specific song, "Long Story Short", makes a reference to how this world is too difficult for kids to raise themselves in. When I listened to this portion of the song, a kite came to my mind. This same kite can be seen in the attached design, with a broken string to symbolise the broken innocence of those children who are left to their own devices.
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The lyrics in another song on the album, "We Americans", mention the continuous struggle between good and evil in the world. Their piece "Bleeding White" points to another comparison, this time between the living and the dead. These dualisms inspired the contrast in colour choice across the background of the cover.
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Finally, the typeface, Liu Jian Mao Cao Regular, ties together this 'youthful' vinyl cover, with letters almost appearing to be handwritten.
Elon University
02 | Coaster Design
This deliverable was inspired by the Guinness "Switch to Pub Mode" campaign, initiated in 2018. Guinness created this idea of reminding consumers, specifically those in Ireland, of the days when going to a pub meant engaging in face-to-face conversation, rather than turning to their phones to fill a lull in conversation.
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This campaign was accompanied by a few branded posters and billboards, which were printed and distributed around public facilities throughout Dublin. However, I thought the practical solution would have been to create a product to be placed inside the pubs as well, like coasters..
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I felt it was important to incorporate the brand's official logo, name, and colours onto the 'front' of the coasters. The 'back' then included traditional Irish phrases and conversational topics, to further entice pub-goers to put down their phones and pick up a good chat!
DESIGNED IN 2019
03 | Package Design
DESIGNED IN 2018
Scope: Walk through a local department store and select a poorly designed product label to take home and re-work.
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I decided to conceptualise new product packaging for Duke Cannon's men's hand lotion, 'Bloody Knuckles'. The original label is included in the image to the left. It caught my eye (ironically) because of the lack of an "eye-catching" design, despite the enticing product name.
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I wanted to create a label that stood out from the rest in the men's cosmetics aisle. The name of the product was at the centre of my design planning and execution. I thought it was reasonable for the original designers to incorporate a literal depiction of boxers, who would more than likely be subject to bloody knuckles regularly. But, I also believed the concept could have been pushed much further to make the branding all the more effective.
I decided to mimic a boxer's medal on the front of the container sticker. The shiny 'gold' face already distinguished the product from its fairly monotone-coloured counterparts, which was typical for male products at the time. I then covered the red circumference of the bottom half of the lotion with a band of leather, tightening it around the container with a black shoelace, just as a boxer's glove would be tied. The added texture was unique for a lotion product, and helped users open and close the container after applying the slippery product.​