Research
To begin research for this assignment I read an assigned reading about gifting. This reading helped me begin to think about the definition of a gift and what it means to give a gift.
My next step in my research involved contacting my recipient (Ashland) and getting to know her more. I took notes on different things that stood out to me, and I then began to think about unique gifts and unique packaging for those gifts.
Gifting Notes
Exercise
There were two exercises for this assignment. The first one involved thinking about the best gift I have ever received.
This exercise helped me think about what possible gifts I could make for Ashland. This was especially helpful because Ashland really likes sentimental gifts, and this exercise made me think about what makes a gift the best gift.
Exercise two involved creating unique packing for an assigned object. We paired up for this exercise, and I worked with Ashleigh. We were assigned a lounging cat squishy. We decided to create a “home” for this lounging cat. We created a hammock bed because we felt like that matched the theme of the relaxing cat. We also made an umbrella that came off its stand to hide the cat; this incorporated the surprise/gift aspect of the packaging.
This exercise helped me begin to think about how I can package my gift in a unique way.
Iterations
There were a few different things that I tested throughout this assignment. My first test involved figuring out what kind of book box I wanted to build.
This was the first test of my book box. I think it worked pretty well; however, I wanted to see if I could build a box that resembles the action of actually opening a book.
This was my second test. I used the dimensions from my first test for this test as well. I had some problems with the hinges of my box, but I realized that my problems were rooted in the spine of the book not lining up with the cover. So I needed to get my spine to be level in order for my hinges to work.
I also tested the stain of the wood.
Just from testing the stain, I could tell that I did not like the red stain. So I moved on to testing the foil engraving on the brown stains. I also tested how the gold and black Cricut pens would write on wood.
I also tested different cover designs highlighting Ashland’s love of reading and the city.
Design #1
Design #2
I decided that I wanted to explore design #2 because it fits more with the style of Ashland’s favorite book: Wuthering Heights. Here are a few of the covers of Wuthering Heights that inspired my design
The last thing that I tested was the page holder.
Test number one was made out of cardboard. Test two was made out of wood; however, I noticed that the ends of the page holder were chipping, so for test number three I added a thin layer of mod podge to seal the wood so it would not chip as much.
Concept Statement
My recipient for this gift was Ashland. Through my communication with Ashland, one of her interests really stood out to me was her love of reading. Upon further discussion, I found that Ashland’s favorite book is Wuthering Heights and she likes to read physical books. I also found that Ashland liked sentimental gifts more than anything. I drew inspiration from the various cover designs of Wuthering Heights, as well as the quote “Every great design begins with an even better story” to create a book box as the packaging of my gift. I wanted to use a design quote that went with her love of reading. The gift itself is a thumb page holder that helps users read books with one hand, as well as a magnetic bookmark. I wanted to create a gift that would be useful for Ashland. The packaging of my gift is just as much as a gift as the actual gift. I wanted the packaging of my gift to be something that Ashland could reuse to store special items out of sight. The wrapping of my gift is simply to add to the feeling of Ashland receiving a gift and the excitement one feels when unwrapping a gift.
Production
Intentions Behind A Few Of My Design Choices:
- The Gift
- I wanted the gift itself to be something subtle. I wanted it to be clear that I really thought about how this gift would be something useful to Ashland. Knowing that Ashland likes sentimental gifts, I wanted to create something that showed that I listened during our conversations. I decided to gift a page holder to her because I thought that it would be useful for her when she reads. I know that Ashland prefers physical softcover books and usually reads with two hands. From my own experience, I know it can be uncomfortable to hold a book open with just one hand, so I thought that a page holder would be perfect for her when she only has one hand to read. I know that she wants to move to a city out of college, and I thought something like this would be perfect for a morning commute on a bus or train. I also wanted the page holder to act as a bookmark because I know that I would lose something so small in my bag and it would never be seen again. That is why I made the page holder with magnetic strips attached to the wood. She will be able to clip it into her book, saving her page. I stained the wood of the page holder to match the wood of the packaging to keep cohesion and harmony between the gift and packaging.
- The Packaging
- I wanted the packaging to be a gift as well for Ashland. I wanted it to be purposeful and useful for her to use after the initial gift was removed from it. That is when I thought of creating a book box. The book box would allow Ashland to store sentimental items away on a bookshelf without it being obvious.
- The Wrapping
- The wrapping of my gift is not something I really think about as being a part of my gift/ packaging. I just love unwrapping gifts, and because this assignment is a gifting one, I wanted to envoke the excitement that one has when unwrapping a gift. I just wanted something subtle that matched the theme of the book box and gift.
- The Packaging Cover Desing
- I drew a lot of inspiration from the cover of Ashland’s favorite book in designing my cover. Almost every cover design scene has a tree or branches of some sort on them. I didn’t want my cover to be design-heavy; I was going for a more-is-less type of thing, and I think it worked. The gold on the stained wood is very beautiful. I wanted the book box to have the same timeless appeal as the book Wuthering Heights.
Ashland With Her Gift!
Gifting My Gift Reflection:
Ashland loved her gift! It was very rewarding being able to give Ashland her gift in person and seeing her reaction firsthand. Ashland told me about how she had to make a digital gift because of the pandemic. For me, being able to make a personal, in-person connection with Ashland was such an important aspect of this project. It was wonderful being able to talk to Ashland about the program, especially the Visual Design Program, and what types of projects I would be working on if accepted. Working with Ashland was such a wonderful experience, her investment in this project and willingness to share and communicate information I asked about with me gave me the ability to design and create a gift that was truly made just for her. In a way working with Ashland made me feel as if I was working with a client, which was cool. Although Ashland didn’t tell me what she wanted out of my design, I imagine that this project is a lot like working with clients: gathering information and creating a design based on the information received.
Overall, I am very happy with my gift/packaging for this assignment. I think I was able to create a gift for my recipient that she will love based on the conversations that I had with her. I think my attention to detail in our conversations showed. It is evident that this gift is for Ashland. It fits her interests and style based on the information I learned from her. I am proud of my use of wood for this assignment. I initially wanted to stay away from wood because it intimidates me, but I think my final product turned out really well. There are two things that I would like to improve if I were to do this project over again. One of which is the lettering on the front cover. I think it is a little too small, so it is a little hard to read the quote in combination with the gold foil on the wood. I also wanted to make sure that my lettering fit the cover spacially. This is why I chose the size I did. I think it definitely still works. I just need to have more practice engraving with foil in the Cricut, so it would have been more legible. I would also change the hinges in my book. I would have really loved for them to go on the inside or underneath the cover; however, I could not figure out how to do it. Every time I tried, the book would not close properly. I do think in a way the hinges add to the overall look of the cover design; I just think that I personally would have liked it better on the inside, but that is just my preference. I am very happy with my exploration of using more challenging materials and my ability to produce something clean from those materials. Overall, I am super happy with my product, I think the time and energy I put into this gift shows.