Nippon is the name of a book I designed. It contains many aspects one might want to know about Japan. Nippon is another name for Japan, and more formal and rarer than the name Nihon.
Disclaimer: All content found in these pages is the original property of its creators and owners. Articles, interviews, photographs, and other texts were collected and organized for the compilation of this book, which was created as a student design project. Some texts have been condensed, reformatted, and edited to increase readability. Photographs have been edited to optimize their printed appearance. Concept and Design done by me.
Also awarded ‘Best in Show’ at St. John’s University’s Dr. M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Art Gallery, spring 2017.
Want to view more? Check out my book on Issuu: https://bit.ly/2CigvSI
Tools used: Adobe InDesign CC
For this project I had to choose a name of a biodynamic wine company, and create an identity for that company, as well as come up with an overall design. Later that identity would be used to represent our wine that was to be sold for a specific target market. In this case, my target audience were people who were already interested in “greening” their homes and living a healthier lifestyle, those who typically drink wine at social gatherings, and are not wine connoisseurs but do enjoy a simple glass that doesn’t cost a lot.
I then had constructed 3-Dimensional Wine Boxes for the wine company for more than one flavor of wine.
Photography and product setting was also done by me.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC and a Wacom Intuos Tablet
TOUGH is a new line of cleaning products that are more directed towards men. No need to save all the action of getting rid of those stains and dirty dishes in the sink to the women. TOUGH cleaning products help to remove even some of the most toughest stains, and kill 99.9% of germs on surfaces. TOUGH soaps and sprays will have you and your home clean in no time. Fight those germs!
My target audience is young men, ages 18-35 who want to keep a clean apartment and/or are frustrated by their roommates lack of cleanliness, or for girlfriends and mother’s of young men who may want to encourage them to clean house or get a house warming or freshman dorm gift.
For my concept I was going more for the less typical icons that generally relate to men such as a muscular arm, a mustache or beard, etc., so that my products would seem more neutral. Not all men have big muscles or facial hair, but that doesn’t make them any less of a man. So instead, I went and did a little background research on the top 25 toughest animals in the world, and decided to go with the heads of a Wolf, Jaguar, Gorilla, and an Elephant. I used dark backgrounds and had illustrated wild animals that resembled tough, strong, and dominant features or behavior.
Photography and product setting was also done by me.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC and a Wacom Intuos Tablet
I was given the task to create some form of a work of art, revolving around a theme of a specific word of my choice. I chose the word mystify, and with that word I created a series of paintings and three dimensional cubes, each with their own color palette.
Creating splatters and scratches, unintentional markings, handprints and fingerprints, less thinking and more doing, I placed my trust in materials that I have never used in this relation to art. But no matter how I applied certain techniques, something more engaging would emerge. This piece as a whole reflects how I tend to see myself.
Photography and installment also done by me.
The Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law was a new institution at St. John’s University’s School of Law. As one of their graphic designers, I was tasked with creating a new brochure for this new institution. I was given imagery and copy to incorporate into it, and I created a grid system that would play throughout the brochure. I used red ribbons as section tabs, playing off of the idea of the red ribbon that was cut during the opening of the Mattone Family Institute.
This brochure discusses information about real estate law, the various programs and curriculums offered here, along with a message from its director, and much more. Many of these brochures have been printed to be given out to prospective students, and those willing to make kind donatations to the institution. Have a look at some of the spreads!
Tools used: Adobe InDesign CC
UNI, which is short for uniting or unity, is an English language learning system that I have created and designed. It is intended for young students in grades K-3, who are learning English while trying to keep up in the classroom, or via webcam with personal teachers.
Since there is the language barrier as well as different teaching environments (online teaching for example), it can be difficult for all parties to truly bond. I want UNI to not only help young students learn English, but also raise their confidence when it comes to something big such as learning a new language, and to develop connections between the teacher and their student(s).
Kobi and Yume are spokes-characters for UNI that I have designed. They are Shiba Inu puppies who will help the children along the way and make them feel more comfortable and not alone, cheering them on, or appearing in various activities, being the students motivation. Kobi means "awesome" in Japanese, and Yume means "dream." Together the represent the awesome dream to learn a new language.
There is a total of three outputs, and this serves as output one. These interactive flashcards would provide students who are learning English with visuals of what the word represents which they can color in themselves. The words are in both English and the student’s native language (I chose to work with Japanese as an example). This is done to promote how students are able to recognize and associate a word, action, or phrase through the process of familiarity.
On the backside of the card, the student would have to practice writing out the word, phrase, or a sentence using the word. The goal here is to get students to be able to quickly make thought out answers based on what they see and be able to repeat after themselves the English word and the word they know and interchanging them through lessons.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC and a Wacom Intuos Tablet
For my second output for my UNI project, I designed a kit filled with fun activities and resources for young children K-3 who are native Japanese speakers learning English. After doing much research, I have discovered that activities that involve children to be active, more engaged with the material they’re given and their classmates/teachers, helps to enhance their learning abilities. This allows more information to be retained because learning has been made more enjoyable for them.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC and craft materials.
For my third output of my entire UNI project, I decided to create a plush toy of one of my characters, that young students K-3 would have as a little friend to make them feel more comfortable during lessons. Stuffed animals tend to bring children comfort when they are shy or nervous whether in a new environment or during a new curriculum, such as learning English.
A great big huggable thank you to 'Budsies' for helping me bring Yume to life as a plush toy!
To note, this plush toy has been selected for recognition on The Best Toy and Game Packaging Designs by DesignRush as part of their Best Designs Trends 2023. Do visit https://www.designrush.com/best-designs/packaging/trends/best-toys-and-games-packaging-designs and check out some other cool works!
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC
Here is an overview of the creation of the UNI logo, along with a logo animation I created for the logo in Adobe After Effects.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC and Adobe After Effects CC.
At Ben’s Best we strive to do business in a more enlightened way, where we take responsibility for the impact of our business on society and the environment, and move these impacts from negative to neutral, or better still, positive. It is our goal to leave the smallest footprint possible and always strive for improvement in our business, environmental policies and social impact, becoming a truly sustainable business.
My objective here was to create a design to promote Ben's Best beverages, for a desirable target market of my choosing. Keeping in mind the idea of sustainability in design, I created a design that would be geared towards young children, whose parents are looking for a healthy choice of beverage their kids would enjoy. It is important to ensure that young children are staying healthy by getting parents to put the best that the natural earth has to offer us all, in their kids tummies. I created little fruit characters and colors reflect each flavor as they wrap around each Tetra Pak.
Photography and product setting was also done by me.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC and a Wacom Intuos Tablet
I had designed a type specimen for the typeface Kabel, created by Rudolf Koch. One side is a typographic poster, while the other side provides information on the typeface and Rudolf Koch.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC
Migration is not always voluntary. Sometimes people are forced and leave their homes because of war or domestic violence, poverty, health reasons, etc. Some migrants who have come to the U.S. are not even aware of the services that may be available for them locally. For example, they need to talk to someone about their stress, or how to cope with depression and fear, etc. My Feel Like Humans project revolves around this theme, and I have developed a total of three outputs to serve as possible solutions to this problem.
For my first output, I designed a series of four posters. These posters would offer quick information about where one can seek emotional or physical help, where to find ways to Gert involved with their community, etc. They’d be in places they may often be in, such as libraries, schools, and local institutions. Such information would allow migrants to get familiar with the different types of services and resources where they can potentially get help from, and know where to go.
Poster One directs Immigrants who are feeling depressed or lost to seek help from mental health professionals.
Poster Two offers a beneficial location in each of the five boroughs, where migrants can get proper counseling.
Poster Three encourages migrants to get involved with there community, explaining to them that being apart of something would help give them a sense of belonging.
Poster Four offers suggestions of where a migrant can seek safe and confidential medical help if they or their child is ill.
With all four posters, I used the same textures from my series of paintings, Mystifying Aura, to symbolize the jagged emotions and struggles that new migrants face and are unable to reduce.
Photography and setting placement also done by me.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC
For output two of my Feel Like Humans project, I went forth with designing and coding a website that new migrants could access in order to find out more information about the various services that are available to them to better their integration journey.
Such services may include, information about certain health clinics, after school programs for kids, where to go to seek counseling if they need someone to talk to about how they are feeling through such a difficult transition in life, etc.
On this website they'd even be able to watch stories of those who have gone through similar life changes and how they have overcame them.
Tools used: Sublime Text for HTML and CSS
For my final output of my Feel Like Humans project, relating to health and migration, I chose to design a trifold brochure for new migrants and their families. Not only does the brochure provide information on where to seek mental, physical, or emotional help, but also provides new insights on where someone new to their community can get their families or themselves involved, and a flow chart of the various forms of stress that can result from a difficult migrating journey.
It's important for new migrants to be aware of the various health issues that can arise, resources available to them, and how they can help make themselves feel better. Brochures like this would be handed out in schools, libraries, health clinics, etc., to ensure that they are not difficult to acquire.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC
Here I had chosen a typeface that is not so commonly used or known, and I redrew its letterforms as paths in Adobe Illustrator to spell out the title "Gratuitous Type No.5." Along with that I had designed an engaging cover for this magazine issue. I decided to make a design that corresponded with the theme of the type I had chosen, as well as using textures from the series of paintings I had made, Mystifying Aura.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC
What you see here is a typeface I created using a program called FontStruct. I decided to create a crazy hyperactive looking typeface with much variety, while having each character fit as a whole.
Following up with my new typeface, I created a few album covers using various letterforms from my typeface for one of my favorite music artists; Major Lazer. I felt as though many of the music he creates reflects my fun and wild typeface.
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator CC and FontStruct
My task was to create and design a television network. My network is Circuit which features a wide variety of action movies ranging from the 80s to now. The circuits I made represent the energy and power that help give many of us that adrenaline rush when watching action films.
Tools used: Adobe After Effects CC
Here is a motion graphics piece I had made for the renowned song, "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" from Disney's The Lion King. I used the idea of kinetic type, color, and pattern in Adobe After Effects to create a fun and joyous piece.
Tools used: Adobe After Effects CC
I had created a large scale piece made out of cardboard. I went along with the theme of jazz music, and had first sketched out a design of a silhouette of a man playing a saxophone, later bringing it to a much larger scale. At a little over 6 feet tall, and more than 2 feet wide, made out of strictly cardboard, glue, and painted with black spray paint, my cardboard jazz player plays on. Also awarded as an honorable mention at St. John’s University’s Dr. M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Art Gallery, spring 2016.
This is a visual perception book I created. I was given the task to design it, organize Daniel Chandler's content, and create my own infographics and illustrations.
To see more, view my book on issuu: bit.ly/2R7PZjk
Tools used: Adobe InDesign CC
