In this project, I aimed to create an intriguing card/envelope set that could be sold and realistically used/mailed. I aimed to create this card using an abstraction that I designed based on images from nature. I aimed to prioritize movement in both my card design and pattern.
Ideation
Our first assignment for this unit was to find ten images from nature and create four abstractions for each image. These abstractions included things like the direction found within the form, where the form changed color or the prominent shapes found within each form. Here you can see mine arranged in a chart for easy comparison.The first activity we did in class was creating our own wallpaper pattern from some of the abstractions we created. On the far left, you can see the original sketch of my orange that was then cut vertically and horizontally. We then rearranged the pieces according to the tutorial given and filled in the empty space around our original sketch with inspiration from our other abstractions, as seen in the middle. We then took a picture of that final drawing and uploaded it to Illustrator where we repeated the image to create a wallpaper pattern, which is the image on the right.The second activity we did in class was creating our own tessellations. Here you can see that I cut shapes out of the top and bottom of a square, and then taped them to the nearest counter-clockwise side of the square. We could then repeat this and the pieces would all fit together infinitely.The third activity we had in class was one that we did as a table group. We were all to research different tessellation shapes, decide on one as a table, and work together to create the pieces that came together as one at the end. We competed against all the other tables for different categories like the most interesting or intricate tessellation. My group chose to do a tesselation that looked like a puzzle piece and ended up getting third place in the voting.Here you can see the final activity we completed in class. We used Illustrator to digitally draw a tessellation repeatedly, then had the privilege to use the Cricut machine to cut our shapes out. We took our illustrator file and uploaded it to the Cricut app, and learned step-by-step how to use the Cricut machine. This became very useful knowledge to have in the card-making process.
Iteration
After learning basic patterning techniques and principles, it was then time to move into patterning digitally on our own. This is the first one I completed on my own without instruction in Illustrator.It was then time to move into researching patterning methods and grids. This process was difficult for me because I had no idea where I wanted to go with it. I then came across some warped grids and I instantly knew that I was going to utilize the idea in some way. I loved the way it gave a sense of movement to the viewer so I wanted to prioritize movement in my design. I also liked the way the varying sizes of the grid shapes naturally created shading and a contour effect. I drew the orange shape from my abstraction grid and played around with resizing the shape to the individual grid shapes and this was the result.This is a sort of idea board I put together when I first began the iteration process. The top four images are inspiration pictures I found online that had similar designs for the envelope to what I was imagining. I originally planned to have a cut-out on the front of the envelope like the first two images but I decided not to (further explanation below). I liked the left two images because I knew I wanted to connect the card and the envelope in some way. I liked the idea of creating a pattern for the envelope as well. The bottom shows sketches of what I originally planned my card to look like. Sources: https://www.rosapittanga.com.br/produto/convites/convite-casamento/1408 https://www.tipografiafalisca.it/partecipazioni_matrimonio_originali_clic_clac.html https://www.etsy.com/listing/91977047/?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=unique+wedding+invitations&ref=sr_gallery_20&utm_source=affiliate_window&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=ca_location_buyer&utm_content=229247&awc=6939_1670559968_bbc4e16c4d236befb21a5485cb51d1d3 https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/wedding-invitation-envelope-template-with-flowers_4375685.htm#page=25&query=envelope%20template%20cut&position=47&from_view=keywordThese images show my “trial run” of the construction of my project. I wasn’t aiming for cleanliness, but for an established sense of what I wanted to do craft-wise. The image on the top left shows my first attempt at the card where I folded an 8.5×11 piece of cardstock in half and tried the warped edge. I then realized the card would be too big for the envelope-making method I was planning to use so I scaled the card down, which you can see on the top right. The bottom two images show rough versions of my envelope design. As you can see on the left, I originally planned to have a cut-out on the front of the envelope, through which you could see the address that would be written on the front of the card. After thinking about this idea for a few days, I decided to not go through with it for several reasons. The first reason was that I wasn’t sure about having the address on the actual card, and the second is that it would be hard to communicate with the user that that was the purpose of the cut-out.In a conversation with my professor, we decided that this small grid was going to be too small and tedious for the card design, so she suggested I make my own larger version. This is what you can see here. On the far left side, you can see the very beginnings of my grid-making. All of this work was done on Illustrator. The next image over shows some of my experimentation with how I was shaping the forms to the grid. I was originally just expanding and rotating them minimally, but then moved into trying out other warping methods. I tried the warp tool on illustrator but it changed the shapes in a way I wasn’t fond of. I then figured out a way to use the direct selection tool to individually reshape every petal and orange slice. This made the drawing process much more tedious but I believe it was worth it. I chose to do it this way because I always planned to take away the grid lines in the final, and I wanted the shapes to still communicate the movement I was going for without needing the lines. I found that just rotating and scaling the shapes wasn’t showing the same movement but rather a random collection of weird shapes. The third image just shows a snippet of what it looked like in progress, and the image on the far right is the two original drawings that I warped into the grid.After I finalized my pattern it was time to put together the designs for the card and envelope. As I said earlier, I really wanted the envelope and card to be tied together in some way, so I did a few things to accomplish that. I first decided to give the envelope a warped edge on the top portion that you open. I then added some abstract shapes to the liner that I planned to place on the inside of the envelope, which you can see in the middle. I created this liner by tracing and scaling down the envelope shape and taking away the tabs and bottom portion. These are the images I either printed or used for the Cricut.Then began the construction process, which was a very “rolling with the punches” experience for me. I originally planned to go to the Union Resource Room and just print and cut everything myself. When I actually went to do it, I messed up the sizing of the envelopes several times on the cardstock I had bought and limited my supply greatly. This is the reason there is only one dark brown envelope which I had originally planned to have instead of the tan color. After that, I headed to Target to buy some more cardstock and they were out of stock. I also tried to cut out the cards myself with my knife and ripped them because my blade had become dull. I then decided to retreat to FedEx and have them re-print the cards I messed up and the envelope liners and I am very glad I did so. After this, the process was much less of a headache. I then cut the envelopes out using the Cricut and it went very well. The images above show the process of the craft. The bottom left image shows the liners and cards in the process of being cut out. The bottom right shows the envelopes and the liners together, and the top two images show the envelopes assembled. During this assembly process, I used rubber cement to secure everything. I also made the decision to cut the liner at the crease of the envelope so that the flap would fold easier and not be so thick.I used double-sided glue tape on the edges of the envelope so the user could just peel off the paper and it would adhere like a normal store-bought card.
Reflection
This project turned out to be one of my favorites in the end. I am really happy with the way my cards came out and I can see major improvement in my crafting skills from the beginning of the semester. Although a large majority of the process felt like a wild goose chase, it was all for reasons that had nothing to do with the actual project. I am proud of myself for not freaking out when things went wrong but instead instantly thinking of how I can fix it. The main thing that I would change about my final is the cut-out in the front of the card. It almost feels a little random and there’s really no clear reason for it to be there. I would maybe add some kind of design to the inside of the card or some other element to give the cut-out more of a purpose.
