Projects and Exercises

Projects

Project 1: Starter Pack

Make a graphic design starter pack that includes the three most important items to be a designer.

Full Project Description

Exercises

Exercise 4: Pair of Plants (Part 2)

Create a brand and Valentine’s Day themed packaging for you and your partner’s succulent holder. You will come up with a name, visual design, and package. The container for your succulent holders should be assembled cleanly and nicely with the visual design on it (not a prototype but a more finished package). The brand is a brick and mortar store that sells indoor plants and related items. They also offer themed holiday gift sets, which is what you are designing.

Things to Keep in Mind
  • How do you get the visual design onto the package?
  • The brand is not necessarily Valentine’s Day themed, just the package.
  • The package would be purchased in store
  • Plants need light
Objectives
  • Creating a prototype package
  • Working with a partner
  • Improving 2-D and 3-D design skills
Requirements
  • Physical low fidelity prototype package that holds both containers with succulents
  • Visual design printed as die line
  • Digital mockup(s) of package
  • Name of store & product
  • Image(s) on blackboard and miro

Due Tuesday, February 21 by 1:30 pm ET

Exercise 4: Pair of Plants (Part 1)

In Tinkercad, design a holder for a small succulent that will be 3-D printed. The container should not exceed 4” in any dimension, have an opening at least 2” in each direction, and at least one small drainage hole. It also needs to be able to sit on a flat surface without falling or rolling over.

Things to Keep in Mind
  • What possibilities does 3-D printing open up for designing objects?
  • The opening needs to be wide enough and deep enough for the succulent to sit in but must have a bottom
  • Think about color but don’t get too set on on
Objectives
  • Learn 3-D printing and design
  • Working within size limitations
  • Learning Tinkercad
Requirements
  • 3–D printed succulent container
  • Opening at least 2” in all directions
  • Container does not exceed 4” in any one dimension
  • At least one small drainage hole
  • Image(s) on blackboard and miro

Due Tuesday, February 14 by 1:30 pm ET

Exercise 3: MYOD

Together with a partner, pick one of your containers from E2 and create a label design for it. To do this you will need to create a dieline to wrap the container in, create a design for the dieline, and then print and glue it to the container. The design on the dieline should include the name of the item (real or fictional) and any other supporting information to help sell the product.

Things to Keep in Mind
  • The material you are wrapping has a thickness
  • Consider how the dieline folds when designing
  • There is no required information on the package other than the name but that doesn’t mean there cannot be other information
Objectives
  • Craft skills – cutting, folding, taping, gluing
  • Creating a dieline
  • Beginning to consider branding as it relates to package design
  • Relationship building
Requirements
  • Physical package wrapped with your design
  • Name of object on design
  • Image(s) of package and pdf of dieline with design uploaded to blackboard added to miro

Due Tuesday, February 14 by 1:30 pm ET

Exercise 2: Package For?

Take your chosen object and make a laser cut container for it using the provided chipboard. The container must contain the object in a way that it does not move around inside the container. The container should be able to be opened nondestructively and the object removed. The container will also have the name of the object (literal or made up) engraved on it as well as your name engraved on it.

Things to Keep in Mind
  • Chipboard has a thickness you have to plan for
  • There is no size restriction but you only have a finite amount of material
  • How can you be economical with the material?
Objectives
  • Craft Skills – Gluing
  • Learn how to use the laser cutter
  • Understanding material thickness
  • Thinking three dimensionally
  • Building relationships
Requirements
  • Assembled chipboard container with item brought to class
  • Container contains your object
  • Container opens and closes nondestructively
  • Container is engraved with your object’s name and your name
  • Image(s) of your cube added to miro
  • Image(s) and pdf of cut file uploaded to blackboard

Due Tuesday, February 07 by 1:30 pm ET

Exercise 1: Question Cube

Find a partner in the class. Each member of the partnership will ask the questions listed below to their partner and write the answers on this sheet of paper. Once each member has asked and answered the questions you can add their answers to your dieline. Once your cube has your partner’s answers on it you can then cut the cube out, fold it, and glue it together to make a 2” cube.

Questions
  • What is your name?
  • What is your favorite number?
  • What is your favorite letter?
  • What is your favorite color?
  • What is your favorite shape?
  • What is a recommendation for music or a podcast?
  • What is a recommendation for a movie or TV show?
  • What is a recommendation for a book or other printed material?
  • What is a recommendation for a restaurant?
  • What is one fact about themselves that no one else in the class will have?
Requirements
  • assembled 2” cube brought to class
  • all of your partner’s answers on the cube in some way
  • image of your cube added to miro
  • image of your cube uploaded to blackboard

Due Tuesday, January 31 by 1:30 pm ET