DVB303 Experimental Visual Communication
Project statement
The traits most commonly associated with perfectionism - being detail-oriented, high-achieving, and organised - are almost universally respected, but do not paint the full picture of perfectionism. Many perfectionists hold themselves to unrealistically high standards and have a persistent fear of failure, which can hold them back from achieving their goals and aspirations. But with the positive reputation that often comes with the ‘perfectionist’ label, it can be hard to find the motivation to shake those habits.
These conflicting views on perfectionism hint at the spectrum on which perfectionism exists. Maladaptive perfectionism presents as constant self-critique and the frequent experience of ‘analysis paralysis’, where the person is so fixated on completing a task perfectly from the start that they find it near impossible to begin at all. Adaptive perfectionism sits on the other end of that spectrum, characterised by resiliency and a healthy motivation to set and achieve ambitious goals.
This project sprung from the belief that perfectionists have the capability to move from one end of the spectrum to the other. Rather than trying to reject their perfectionistic traits altogether, it is more important for perfectionists to be given the tools to develop more resilient, adaptive thought patterns so they can achieve their goals. The primary aim of this project is to embody that adaptive mindset and share it with others.
Design concept & brief
Ungoldilock is a stationery brand and social campaign made by and for perfectionists. To combat the endless search for 'just right', the Ungoldilock philosophy encourages perfectionists to take messy action and become comfortable with imperfection.
Overview
Target user
Young adults (17-28) struggling with maladaptive perfectionism in work or study.
Context
The products will relate to productivity, work and study, and be displayed in and around the user's working space (study, office, desk, laptop, phone, etc.). These are contexts where perfectionists are likely to fall into maladaptive habits or self-doubt, so the products will serve as visual and tangible reminders to redirect to healthier thought patterns.
Purpose
- Promote adaptive and resilient thought patterns
- Encourage people to develop mentally-healthy habits
- Inform users about maladaptive vs adaptive perfectionism, and how they can combat the maladaptive mindset
- Rather than asking people to get rid of their perfectionistic traits overnight, promote a self-confident, proactive, ambitious mindset so that perfectionists can become more assured versions of themselves
Objectives
- Provide actionable advice and tools to help perfectionists in work and study
- Spark joy in the user's workspace, reminding them to move towards a more positive, adaptive mindset
Deliverables
Brand identity
Why: Ungoldilock's brand identity and visual language is integral to the effectiveness of its messaging. The bold colour scheme and quirky typographic style are not only stylistically effective, but serve a functional purpose by sticking in the user's mind long term.
What:
- Logo suite
- Typography
- Colour palette
How: I built up much of the Ungoldilock brand identity in the previous assignment, so I will continue to expand on the brand's retro-utilitarian aesthetic and apply it across more deliverables.
Stationery collection
Why: Perfectionism commonly rears its head in the contexts of work and study, so stationery is a suitable medium to convey the Ungoldilock philosophy to users.
What:
- Pencil cases
- Notebooks
- Pencils
How: I will use the technique of lino block cutting and printing to print onto everyday stationery items with Ungoldilock branding and other designs. Lino prints always turn out a little different each time and tend to show their imperfections in a really interesting way, which fits perfectly with the purpose of Ungoldilock.
Desk decor
Why: Desk decor allows for users to embed Ungoldilock into various parts of their working space, providing tactile reminders to take notice of (and combat) their perfectionistic tendencies.
What:
- Fidget stackers
- Phone stand
- Pen pot
- Trinket tray
How: I will use Womp 3D to create each item - in some cases from scratch, in other cases by modifying built-in program assets with my own designs. I will then 3D print and paint these items to match the Ungoldilock visual identity.
Stickers
Why: A sticker is a great medium for quick little text slogans, so they can provide immediate little reminders and advice right on sight.
What:
- "Perfect is the enemy of done"
- "Make it exist first, make it good later"
- "Perfection is a fantasy, not a destination"
- 70/30 rule: "Aim for 70% 'perfect', let go of the rest"
- Definition of what it means to 'Ungoldilock' oneself
- "Take messy action"
- Ungoldilock logo variations
How: I will primarily use Adobe Illustrator to create my designs, and print them on matte adhesive vinyl stock at the DigiFab Lab.
Additional merchandise
Why: Additional merchandise will serve as an extension of the Ungoldilock brand that users can carry with them day to day, and share with others.
What:
- T-shirts
- Tote bags
- Bag charms
How: For the textile items (T-shirt and tote bags), I will use large lino blocks to print directly onto the fabric. For the bag charms, I will use the laser cutting machines at DigiFab.
Packaging
Why: Having hand-made packaging will create a novel and endearing customer experience, as the customer will know that each and every item was crafted with them in mind.
What:
- Drawstring bags
- Pillow boxes
- Swing tags
- Boxes
- Paper bags
How: I will use packaging made from rustic-feeling materials (brown cardboard, muslin cloth, etc.), and hand-print designs onto them using carved lino blocks.
Social media identity
Why: At the end of the previous assignment I had considered designing an app with productivity tools like a Pomodoro timer as well as some information about maladaptive perfectionism. Ultimately, I have decided to not go in this direction for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there is already an oversaturation of productivity apps on the market that many people already have their own preferences for. Secondly, I want to avoid creating anything that feels too prescriptive for the user as this could potentially compound perfectionistic traits - users may see it as one more thing they need to follow perfectly.
A social media page will allow for users to see pieces of Ungoldilock-themed advice interspersed with their social media feeds, and create a community of 'recovering perfectionists' to share tips and advice with each other.
What:
- Tips and advice (like those featured in the sticker designs)
- Product shots
- Community polls/forums on Stories
- Informative posts about maladaptive vs. adaptive perfectionism
How: I will use my own design account on Instagram to 'host' Ungoldilock content, which I will share posts to intermittently throughout the semester and in the lead up to the graduate showcase.
Project timeline
I initially planned to spend each week working on two categories of deliverable (stickers/decor items, then stationery/packaging, then social media/merchandise).
In reality, the different categories ended up blending together chronologically, and I would move back and forth between deliverables depending on the supplies I had ready on any given day.
This timeline was a good guideline to keep as a broad checklist, but the 'Complete by' dates became more of a vague suggestion as the project continued to develop.
Moodboard
As established in the previous assignment, Ungoldilock's visual language is inspired by vintage mechanics, diners, and autoshops. This is an intentionally messy and somewhat chaotic aesthetic, acting as a visual opposite to what might be typically associated with the aesthetic of a perfectionist (e.g. pastels, clean grids, colour-coded notebooks, etc.).
Logo variations
Typography
Stickers
The first deliverable I chose to work on was a collection of stickers with different slogans, pieces of advice, and little reminders that all relate to the Ungoldilock philosophy.
I started with rapid ideation in my sketchbook, developing a collection of slogans and experimenting with interesting sticker shapes and compositions.
Pinterest was a big source of inspiration for these, as I could rapidly search through images that fit within the kitschy, maximalist style I was aiming for.
I then moved into Adobe Illustrator, where I set up 10 artboards to start off with, forcing myself to fill each one with a unique design. I ended up creating a total of 27 stickers, including some different colour variations of the same designs.
I then prepared the stickers for print by resizing each design and adding bleed margins and cut lines.
I sent this file off to DigiFab, where it was printed on their large format printers.
I was very lucky to come across a beautiful toolbox from an art supply store (in Ungoldilock red, no less), which turned out to be the perfect way to display my stickers.
Having the sticker pack completed so early ended up really helping me with the other deliverables, as I could repurpose some of the messages and designs for use across different contexts and items.
The stickers offered a fun way to play around with typography and the brand's visual identity, which was a very enjoyable design exercise for me.
Stationery collection
The more I worked on Ungoldilock, the more I realised it was settling into the identity of a stationery brand with a social campaign energy behind it. Once I realised this, it became a lot easier to rapidly develop many more deliverables, which felt more purposeful and relevant to the brand.
In the previous assignment, I thoroughly enjoyed using lino block printing, and decided to apply that to the stationery line to give it a genuinely hand-crafted feel.
Notebooks
Rather than a traditional A4, white-paper notebook, I chose to print my designs on square, brown-paper, spiral bound, ribbon-tied scrapbooks.
I chose this unconventional style of notebook because it leaves its purpose entirely up to the user - they can choose to use it for art, for note-taking, for scrapbooking, or anything else they choose. Additionally, the imperfectly-textured brown pages will hopefully alleviate the 'blank-page anxiety' experienced by many perfectionists - the paper is already a bit imperfect, so you don't need to worry about messing it up before you even put pen to paper.
For the smaller notebook, I chose to adapt one of the earlier sticker designs, reading "Perfect is the enemy of done".
I then traced this design onto a piece of lino rubber material and carved away the negative space.
I used red acrylic paint and transferred the image onto the notebook.
For the larger notebook, I adapted a design I created for the back of a t-shirt, which I will explain in more depth in the Merchandise section.
The lino block I used for the t-shirt was too large for the notebook, so I carved out a smaller version without some of the caption text from the original design.
I printed a small circular lockup of the Ungoldilock logo on the back of each of the books.
Pencil cases
For the pencil case designs, I repurposed the lino block from the smaller notebook, and carved two additional blocks with different lockups of the Ungoldilock logo.
I chose pencil cases with organic-feeling textures and neutral colours to continue the semi-rustic theme of the stationery line.
Desk decor
The purpose of the desk decor collection is to brighten up the user's working space, providing a subconscious reminder to curb their perfectionistic tendencies without being as explicit as the text slogans on the stickers/stationery.
I enjoyed experimenting with 3D modelling and printing in the previous assignment, and it ended up being a perfect medium for creating custom desk decor for Ungoldilock.
Fidget stackers
Early on, I had considered making fidget toys like clickers or spinners, but ultimately decided that these were not entirely relevant to the brand's purpose. Instead, I decided to make 3D versions of the Ungoldilock bears which can be used as static decor, balancing blocks, or even worry stones.
I took the vector design into Womp 3D, which I overlaid and used as a reference to create the model heads.
I sent these to DigiFab to be 3D-printed in resin, which allows for greater preservation of detail and also has a bit more weight to it than some 3D-print filaments. I wanted to avoid the ultra-lightweight and somewhat cheap feel that comes with a lot of 3D prints, and I was very pleased with the results of the resin material.
I did a few rounds of spray painting - first the colour of the eyes and muzzle, then the main colour (taping over the eyes and muzzle to preserve their colour), and then finally a clear, satin-finish coat to achieve a semi-matte look.
I made these stackers in two colour variations - Rosella Red / Parchment White, and Pineneedle Teal / Goldilocks Yellow.
I am very pleased with the end result, and already enjoy stacking them in fun different ways at my desk.
Phone stand
Another cool feature of Womp 3D is its library of assets and templates available for user modification. I decided to modify one of their phone stand templates by bringing in an SVG of the Ungoldilock bears and negatively extruding the design to leave an imprint on the phone stand's surface.
I then sent it off to be 3D printed in the same resin material as the other items, and opted to paint it entirely Rosella Red.
Merchandise
The additional merchandise items are less specific to the context of work or study, but allow the user to carry a piece of Ungoldilock with them day to day.
T-shirt
For this item, I wanted to do a large back hit with a design inspired by vintage-style t-shirts. The following examples represent the style I was aiming for:
Upon studying these examples, I noticed the following:
- Most use an eclectic mix of typefaces, from calligraphic to block sans styles and everything in between.
- They tend to follow a similar compositional structure for the most part - large title at the very top, smaller caption/byline beneath, large central graphic (often a building), and multiple longer lines of text at the bottom.
- Usually the designs employ no more than two or three colours, with many only using one.
Keeping these trends in mind, I came up with the following design:
The artwork features three differently-sized chairs and a bowl of porridge, a nod to the fairy tale that inspired the brand's name. (I attempted to make a version with the bears' cottage to keep with the theme of building illustrations, but decided the chairs would lend themselves better to a lino cut design.)
Bag charms
For these, I took the Ungoldilock bears and applied specific stroke swatches to them in Illustrator to prepare them for the DigiFab laser cutting machine.
I chose a thick clear acrylic (4.5mm) to give them a bit of weight and intentional clunkiness.
I made a few duplicates and spray painted them the core Ungoldilock colours. In future, I would like to make a few variations that combine the different colours together.
Packaging
After printing onto so many different materials, I realised that the lino blocks would work effectively on packaging as well. I bought a variety of package types (mini boxes, pillow packs, drawstring bags, etc.), all of which were made out of rustic-looking materials to keep on theme with the hand-made aesthetic.
Social media identity
I shared a lot of the design process for this project to my design account on Instagram, and used this as the basis for building up Ungoldilock's digital presence. So far, I have made a handful of posts and shared many stories on Instagram, which is already receiving a very positive response from people :)
I hope to continue sharing Ungoldilock posts in the lead up to the end of year exhibition and beyond as Ungoldilock continues to grow into itself :)
Thank you to Gabbie, Bella and Ian from DigiFab for all the amazing work you do and all of your help throughout this project, not only for myself but for the countless students you help to bring their ideas to life! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ