Christine Peruski

The task was to design a series of 12 cards featuring a hero or villain of your choosing and represent aspects of that individual through abstract concepts. I chose the character Thanos from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The project objectives included conducting research, connecting with pop culture, and managing a design system. The comic world is vast, so I spoke with some comic fans to answer questions and narrow my search. Exploring all aspects of this character was difficult because the character isn’t fully explored in the movies, so I made compromises and included information from the comics and stretched some definitions. My design system was based on the art deco look of the character’s armor a well as the character’s ideals of balance, which informed my decision to split the cards between purple and yellow. I found that I can overwhelm my creative space with too much content, and I have learned that less is more. Creating more isn’t necessarily bad as you will find yourself with more choices and whittle them down to the best options.

The task was to create a store theme and branding system for a branch of the non-profit organization 826 National in Madison, Wisconsin. The theme should be playful, silly in a sophisticated way, and contextual to the city’s mythology. Branding elements include a logo system, products with packaging, store front, stationery, and web elements. My store combined the biking culture of Madison with the rougher nature of the rural community just outside of the city which can be at odds with the city population. The city of Madison was assigned to three students. We were required to research the city and present our findings together. However, the design process separated and became an individual process resulting in different store themes. Using some bike parts, small wheel tread and paint, I created textures that became the basis of the brand, rough and natural. This also spoke to the material choices for packaging, as plain cardboard has a natural look that also speaks to the rough and tumble style of the target audience while also being cheap to produce and easy to recycle.

The goal was to create two posters that compliment and interact with each other. The posters needed content that attracted attention at a distance, but also rewarded a viewer for taking a closer look. I explored radio shows of the past and podcasting of the present. I utilized both type and image to represent sound waves to tie the posters together, making them a set. During this project, I contracted COVID-19 and was unable to work for a week and quarantined for an additional week. Without the usual classroom critique and creative atmosphere I was creatively blocked. I learned from this experience how valuable a creative atmosphere can be, even if only communicating through video conference. It is best not to create in a vacuum. Because of this project, I have become better at communicating and collaborating with my peers.

The task was to explore an object visually through photography using variable angles and distances. Choose the 20 best and use intuitive combinations of image and type that explore the connotative and denotative meanings of the words and object. I chose my Blue Yeti microphone that I use primarily for podcasting. I explored concepts of communication, expressions from popular culture, my personal podcasting experience, and the personifications that could be derived from the microphone. As my first project using the iteration process, I was unfamiliar with how the steps related to the final goal. The critiques I received began to contradict each other, and I learned that at some point I need to stop incorporating all the feedback and make my own decisions. I believe that some of the final images are not as good as earlier iterations. I will use this experience to allow me to make better decisions in the future.