Personal Progression Project - Process & Research
Brief
We are to create a piece of work that showcases our personal interest and direction towards our future pathway. It can be in any form.
First thoughts & Ideation
My initial thought process for my personal project was to come up with a topic that suited my outlook in life. At first, I was particularly inspired by the concept of light and how our words can bring light into other people's lives. It reflected upon my personal experience on how people used to make comments about my appearance when I was younger and it made me feel insecure. This mini idea stemmed into something more and I further developed it by writing down my thoughts in my sketchbook.
Figure 1. Initial brainstorm of topics I wanted to tackle for my PPP
As seen in the image above (refer to Figure 1), I created a mind map of things that I like and admire. It's to help me give me a broader idea of what I truly am passionate about and would like to use as a form for my PPP.
I initially wanted to use Time and Space as my topic for the PPP, however, I realised that topic is too abstract and it does not concern me in any form or any way. It was just a random thought and I thought it would be cool to make use of that topic, however, I soon realised it was not a plausible topic as I do not have any personal connection to it. I wanted to do something that comes from my personal experience.
Figure 2. Development of my topic
From there, I branched out and wrote my ideas that were correlated to my topic. (refer to Figure 2) A personal experience that I thought helped with the narrative and concept of my project was the fact that I am not the type of person who can express her feelings easily. Even with my parents, there are times where I struggle to say what I truly feel. It's not that I do not have any appreciation for them but somehow or rather I just don't express it very well. I think my parents know that I love them but we tend to show our love more through our actions and gifts.
I want to show how words can influence people in a positive way. There are two sides of the spectrum when we use our words, we can use them in a positive or negative way. Therefore, this personal experience is what lays the foundation of my project. I want to make use of this experience to show how we can express our feelings through words but in a different format. Rather than actually saying it, we express through different mediums.
Developing my idea
Creating a mindmap and trying to tackle the design issue
Knowing that I want to tackle the issue of how our words have influence. I created a mindmap and just wrote down what I personally thought in what forms do words have an influence on people. There are different ways where we absorb words, through reading, writing, singing, watching our favourite TV shows, etc. However, there is an underlying question where that I personally had which was, "How do we influence using words when we have difficulty trying to express ourselves?" Not everyone is willing to express their feelings through words, and therefore, I want to tackle that challenge.
Research
Words are just one of the many forms of expression which is why I decided to further research on the 5 love languages. I wanted to know how I could incorporate one of the love languages with words and use them as a form of expression.
In a study that examines the of Gary Chapman (1992) in his popular press book, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, it talks about how we should make a conscious effort in order to sustain one's well-being. "Rather than to complain that love is gone or that a relationship is dead, Chapman advises that people must make conscious efforts to speak a partner's desired LL. Such efforts are essential, but they do not come naturally." (Egbert & Polk, 2006) This shows that we should all make an effort in order to express our feelings. A conscious decision of how we can use words to influence. Linking it back to my PPP, I think it is safe to say, that how I approached the project should be in a directive way of wanting to actually bless my loved ones.
The Act of Giving is one of the 5 love languages that I thought could be incorporated with my project. I want to tackle a problem of why we sometimes struggle our feelings to our loved ones (like
me sometimes). My idea was to create a takeaway box packaging inspired by Chinese
elements and inside will be fortune cookies that I will bake with messages inside. Giving this box
as a gift to our loved ones.
I was particularly inspired by the story behind the Mooncakes. Back in the day, there was a folk tale about the overthrow of the Mongol rule facilitated by messages by smuggling in mooncakes. They hid a message within the mooncake or on the mooncake itself which led them to the success. (Hua, 2016) Looking at the history of it, I wanted to include an Asian-style design into my project.
I ventured out to Chinatown in February of 2020 to find packaging that would inspire me.
The Bun House at Chinatown, London.
When I first moved to London, a friend brought me to this bun house and I was particularly intrigued by the packaging because it not only served as a way to hold the buns inside but also there are holes for chopsticks to be inserted so that you could carry it around. Sadly. I did not take any pictures of the box but I managed to snap a picture of the storefront with the boxes stacked against the window. I wanted to mimic that box design.
When thinking back to my PPP, I wanted to focus on how we could use words influence
people in a positive way. I want to leverage from the fortune cookie concept and make use of it to show we can incorporate words that we usually do not say to our loved ones. Showcasing these fortune cookies like a gift to people that we appreciate.
Packaging design that I thought inspired me (taken at the Japan Centre in London)
I tried mimicking the box design in Illustrator.
Box die cut that I made in Illustrator
As you can see, I even printed out the box die cut. However, due to the coronavirus situation, I felt
that it was not practical because I would need to trial and error with the printing (which I do not
have the resources) and also, I just did not feel at peace with the execution. I thought it
was too ambitious, which is why I have decided to move away from this idea.
Relooking at my approach
At this point in the project, it was when the coronavirus pandemic started to heat and I had to fly back to my home country. I decided to stray away from the first idea for my project because it did not feel right for some reason. The concept was there, but I was still stuck on how I could execute it. Adding onto the fact that back in my home country, we were on lockdown and all the non-essential stores like printing shops are closed which did not allow me to create any physical work and therefore I had to adapt to the current circumstances.
I sent my first iteration to Zehra and told her about my initial idea and decided to change the final outcome of my project to designing gift wrapping paper. Since I am not able to create the actual packaging, I thought why not just design the exterior.
This was the feedback that I got from Zehra after my first iteration:
Taking into consideration with the feedback that I got, I decided to go with the idea that Zehra proposed which is to design 3 different occasional gift wrapping papers, in which I have decided to be - Birthdays, Christmas & Valentine’s Day. I specifically chose these 3 because I felt that these are the most common events where we give gifts to our loved ones and are connected with them during these joyous occasions.
Even though my final outcome has changed, the basis of using Asian-style designs still holds. I researched more on the principles behind Asian art and how I could incorporate it into my project.
Station Kawasaki, “The Rokugo Ferry” from “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido” by Hiroshige, 1833-1834
In Japan, the knowledge is not passed by the way of many words, but by praxis and suggestion. The group is the central unit, and the sense of belonging dictates the behavioural pattern. Families, villages and in extended units as well - clans, provinces have this sense of unity. Their group centred culture has stood the test of time. The belief of family solidarity has led to each family having their own shrine, the centrepiece of their ancestral spirit. The aspect of unity is something I would like to showcase in my work for this project. As I think their principles of togetherness brings back to my point of wanting to connect long-lost souls back together. (Sorina and Opreanu, 2009)
Patterns are very common in gift wrapping paper. I researched Japanese Pattern Motifs and stumbled upon a Youtube video that talks Japanese family crest artisans called "Monsho Uwaeshi", they are highly experienced in designing a new yet traditional pattern.
Screenshots from "KAMON the Avant-garde - 紋章上繪師 京源 (Kyo-gen) Japanese family crest artisans" (2018)
I was particularly inspired by how one of the artists fuses the kamon patterns that you see on Japanese kimonos together with his crest designs and I personally thought this was an interesting way to approach the execution my project as patterns are very common in gift wrapping paper.
I narrowed down to 3 different kamon patterns that I thought would best fit the 3 occasions that I have chosen for my gift wrapping paper.
- Asahona (Hemp Leaves): Birthdays
This pattern is commonly used on babies’ and children’s kimonos with the hope that they would grow up big and strong.
- Shippō (Seven Treasures): Christmas
This pattern is regarded as auspicious for the prosperity of descendants, good relationships, and for bringing harmony.
- Kanoko (Fawn): Valentine's Day
It is created by hand using a tie-dyeing technique and is very labour-intensive, so a kimono with an all-over kanoko pattern is considered a luxury item.
(Nippon.com, 2020)
These patterns all remind of each occasion. For example, for Valentine's Day, I wanted a pattern that exuded luxury which was why I picked the Kanako pattern.
I wanted to create an illustrative pattern design on the front of the wrapping paper with a drawing of magpies (inspired by East Asian art) as it brings back to the story behind the Qixi Festival, which is a Chinese festival celebrating the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl through the connection of magpie birds on a bridge. I thought the magpie bird is a symbol of the connection between loved ones therefore I wanted to include it.
Process of Execution
Figure 3. Sketching out the gift wrapping paper
I started out by sketching out the gift wrappers and decided to choose elements that I felt best fit each occasion.
Birthdays - Unicorns
Christmas - Deers
Valentine's Day - Cupids
By incorporating these elements into the kamon pattern, it fuses both Japanese and modern elements to create a brand new look.
I also talked to a couple of my friends and asked them what are some things that they want to say to their loved ones but never really got the chance or are afraid to say it. I want to incorporate these messages behind each gift wrapping paper so that when they open the gift it will reveal a message. (refer to Figure 3)
Magpie illustrations to be included in the gift wrapping paper.
1st iteration
Patterns inspired by Japanese Kamon Motifs. These were done in Illustrator.
I submitted this iteration of my gift wrapping paper to Zehra and this was the feedback:
Final Outcome
Birthday Gift Wrappers
Christmas Gift Wrappers
Valentine's Day Gift Wrapper
Final Thoughts
Throughout the process of my PPP, there were a lot of ups and downs. During the early stages of the project when we were just given the brief and had to come up with a proposal, I honestly had no idea on what to do. I think it’s the same for everyone because we had to come up with something from scratch. I spent lots of time trying to find something to work with. I hit a few dead ends with some ideas and still nothing came to mind. Until a friend of mine told me to approach the project in a different way. Instead of coming up with something new, work with what I already had. This led to the idea of using words as the main focus of my project. It was already my disposable and therefore, I just had to manipulate in such a way that it conveyed the message.
Looking back at how I came to this point of my project, it saddens me that I had to simplify my final outcome due to the pandemic, but I think it’s for the better. I have learnt to adapt and be flexible in rising circumstances which is probably the most valuable lesson I have learnt from this experience.
Bibliography
Egbert, N. and Polk, D. (2006) 'Speaking the Language of Relational Maintenance:
A Validity Test of Chapman's Five Love Languages', Communication Research
Reports, 23:1, DOI: 10.1080/17464090500535822.
Hiroshige. (1833-1834) Station Kawasaki [Oil on canvas]. Japan.
Hua, S. L. (2016) Chinese Food Explained: Mooncake.
Available at: http://blog.tutorming.com/expats/what-is-mooncake
(Accessed: 9 April 2020)
Nippon.com (2020) Traditional Japanese Patterns. Available at: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00478/traditional-japanese-patterns.html (Accessed: 14 May 2020).
PATTERNZ JP (2018) KAMON the Avant-garde - 紋章上繪師 京源 (Kyo-gen) Japanese family crest artisans. 11 February. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtBV_-F4ZgA&feature=emb_title (Accessed: 14 May 2020).
Sorina, C. and Opreanu, B. (2009) The Legacy of the Kamon in the Japanese Management. Available at: http://www.rebe.rau.ro/RePEc/rau/journl/SU07/REBE-SU07-A11.pdf
(Accessed: 28 Apr 2020).
We are to create a piece of work that showcases our personal interest and direction towards our future pathway. It can be in any form.
First thoughts & Ideation
My initial thought process for my personal project was to come up with a topic that suited my outlook in life. At first, I was particularly inspired by the concept of light and how our words can bring light into other people's lives. It reflected upon my personal experience on how people used to make comments about my appearance when I was younger and it made me feel insecure. This mini idea stemmed into something more and I further developed it by writing down my thoughts in my sketchbook.
Figure 1. Initial brainstorm of topics I wanted to tackle for my PPP
As seen in the image above (refer to Figure 1), I created a mind map of things that I like and admire. It's to help me give me a broader idea of what I truly am passionate about and would like to use as a form for my PPP.
I initially wanted to use Time and Space as my topic for the PPP, however, I realised that topic is too abstract and it does not concern me in any form or any way. It was just a random thought and I thought it would be cool to make use of that topic, however, I soon realised it was not a plausible topic as I do not have any personal connection to it. I wanted to do something that comes from my personal experience.
Figure 2. Development of my topic
From there, I branched out and wrote my ideas that were correlated to my topic. (refer to Figure 2) A personal experience that I thought helped with the narrative and concept of my project was the fact that I am not the type of person who can express her feelings easily. Even with my parents, there are times where I struggle to say what I truly feel. It's not that I do not have any appreciation for them but somehow or rather I just don't express it very well. I think my parents know that I love them but we tend to show our love more through our actions and gifts.
I want to show how words can influence people in a positive way. There are two sides of the spectrum when we use our words, we can use them in a positive or negative way. Therefore, this personal experience is what lays the foundation of my project. I want to make use of this experience to show how we can express our feelings through words but in a different format. Rather than actually saying it, we express through different mediums.
Developing my idea
Creating a mindmap and trying to tackle the design issue
Knowing that I want to tackle the issue of how our words have influence. I created a mindmap and just wrote down what I personally thought in what forms do words have an influence on people. There are different ways where we absorb words, through reading, writing, singing, watching our favourite TV shows, etc. However, there is an underlying question where that I personally had which was, "How do we influence using words when we have difficulty trying to express ourselves?" Not everyone is willing to express their feelings through words, and therefore, I want to tackle that challenge.
Research
Words are just one of the many forms of expression which is why I decided to further research on the 5 love languages. I wanted to know how I could incorporate one of the love languages with words and use them as a form of expression.
In a study that examines the of Gary Chapman (1992) in his popular press book, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, it talks about how we should make a conscious effort in order to sustain one's well-being. "Rather than to complain that love is gone or that a relationship is dead, Chapman advises that people must make conscious efforts to speak a partner's desired LL. Such efforts are essential, but they do not come naturally." (Egbert & Polk, 2006) This shows that we should all make an effort in order to express our feelings. A conscious decision of how we can use words to influence. Linking it back to my PPP, I think it is safe to say, that how I approached the project should be in a directive way of wanting to actually bless my loved ones.
The Act of Giving is one of the 5 love languages that I thought could be incorporated with my project. I want to tackle a problem of why we sometimes struggle our feelings to our loved ones (like
me sometimes). My idea was to create a takeaway box packaging inspired by Chinese
elements and inside will be fortune cookies that I will bake with messages inside. Giving this box
as a gift to our loved ones.
I was particularly inspired by the story behind the Mooncakes. Back in the day, there was a folk tale about the overthrow of the Mongol rule facilitated by messages by smuggling in mooncakes. They hid a message within the mooncake or on the mooncake itself which led them to the success. (Hua, 2016) Looking at the history of it, I wanted to include an Asian-style design into my project.
I ventured out to Chinatown in February of 2020 to find packaging that would inspire me.
The Bun House at Chinatown, London.
When I first moved to London, a friend brought me to this bun house and I was particularly intrigued by the packaging because it not only served as a way to hold the buns inside but also there are holes for chopsticks to be inserted so that you could carry it around. Sadly. I did not take any pictures of the box but I managed to snap a picture of the storefront with the boxes stacked against the window. I wanted to mimic that box design.
When thinking back to my PPP, I wanted to focus on how we could use words influence
people in a positive way. I want to leverage from the fortune cookie concept and make use of it to show we can incorporate words that we usually do not say to our loved ones. Showcasing these fortune cookies like a gift to people that we appreciate.
Packaging design that I thought inspired me (taken at the Japan Centre in London)
I tried mimicking the box design in Illustrator.
Box die cut that I made in Illustrator
As you can see, I even printed out the box die cut. However, due to the coronavirus situation, I felt
that it was not practical because I would need to trial and error with the printing (which I do not
have the resources) and also, I just did not feel at peace with the execution. I thought it
was too ambitious, which is why I have decided to move away from this idea.
Relooking at my approach
At this point in the project, it was when the coronavirus pandemic started to heat and I had to fly back to my home country. I decided to stray away from the first idea for my project because it did not feel right for some reason. The concept was there, but I was still stuck on how I could execute it. Adding onto the fact that back in my home country, we were on lockdown and all the non-essential stores like printing shops are closed which did not allow me to create any physical work and therefore I had to adapt to the current circumstances.
I sent my first iteration to Zehra and told her about my initial idea and decided to change the final outcome of my project to designing gift wrapping paper. Since I am not able to create the actual packaging, I thought why not just design the exterior.
This was the feedback that I got from Zehra after my first iteration:
Taking into consideration with the feedback that I got, I decided to go with the idea that Zehra proposed which is to design 3 different occasional gift wrapping papers, in which I have decided to be - Birthdays, Christmas & Valentine’s Day. I specifically chose these 3 because I felt that these are the most common events where we give gifts to our loved ones and are connected with them during these joyous occasions.
Even though my final outcome has changed, the basis of using Asian-style designs still holds. I researched more on the principles behind Asian art and how I could incorporate it into my project.
Station Kawasaki, “The Rokugo Ferry” from “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido” by Hiroshige, 1833-1834
In Japan, the knowledge is not passed by the way of many words, but by praxis and suggestion. The group is the central unit, and the sense of belonging dictates the behavioural pattern. Families, villages and in extended units as well - clans, provinces have this sense of unity. Their group centred culture has stood the test of time. The belief of family solidarity has led to each family having their own shrine, the centrepiece of their ancestral spirit. The aspect of unity is something I would like to showcase in my work for this project. As I think their principles of togetherness brings back to my point of wanting to connect long-lost souls back together. (Sorina and Opreanu, 2009)
Patterns are very common in gift wrapping paper. I researched Japanese Pattern Motifs and stumbled upon a Youtube video that talks Japanese family crest artisans called "Monsho Uwaeshi", they are highly experienced in designing a new yet traditional pattern.
Screenshots from "KAMON the Avant-garde - 紋章上繪師 京源 (Kyo-gen) Japanese family crest artisans" (2018)
I was particularly inspired by how one of the artists fuses the kamon patterns that you see on Japanese kimonos together with his crest designs and I personally thought this was an interesting way to approach the execution my project as patterns are very common in gift wrapping paper.
I narrowed down to 3 different kamon patterns that I thought would best fit the 3 occasions that I have chosen for my gift wrapping paper.
- Asahona (Hemp Leaves): Birthdays
This pattern is commonly used on babies’ and children’s kimonos with the hope that they would grow up big and strong.
- Shippō (Seven Treasures): Christmas
This pattern is regarded as auspicious for the prosperity of descendants, good relationships, and for bringing harmony.
- Kanoko (Fawn): Valentine's Day
It is created by hand using a tie-dyeing technique and is very labour-intensive, so a kimono with an all-over kanoko pattern is considered a luxury item.
(Nippon.com, 2020)
These patterns all remind of each occasion. For example, for Valentine's Day, I wanted a pattern that exuded luxury which was why I picked the Kanako pattern.
I wanted to create an illustrative pattern design on the front of the wrapping paper with a drawing of magpies (inspired by East Asian art) as it brings back to the story behind the Qixi Festival, which is a Chinese festival celebrating the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl through the connection of magpie birds on a bridge. I thought the magpie bird is a symbol of the connection between loved ones therefore I wanted to include it.
Process of Execution
Figure 3. Sketching out the gift wrapping paper
I started out by sketching out the gift wrappers and decided to choose elements that I felt best fit each occasion.
Birthdays - Unicorns
Christmas - Deers
Valentine's Day - Cupids
By incorporating these elements into the kamon pattern, it fuses both Japanese and modern elements to create a brand new look.
I also talked to a couple of my friends and asked them what are some things that they want to say to their loved ones but never really got the chance or are afraid to say it. I want to incorporate these messages behind each gift wrapping paper so that when they open the gift it will reveal a message. (refer to Figure 3)
Magpie illustrations to be included in the gift wrapping paper.
1st iteration
Patterns inspired by Japanese Kamon Motifs. These were done in Illustrator.
I submitted this iteration of my gift wrapping paper to Zehra and this was the feedback:
I realised that I needed to repeat the magpie patterns more as it wasn't very prominent in my first iteration. So, I decided to sketch up a different design.
2nd iteration
Figure 4. Colour variations for each occasion
With the fusion of East Asian art and Japanese patterns, I decided to experiment with different colour variations for each occasion and incorporate the kamon patterns into the design. (refer to Figure 4)
Figure 5. Experimenting typography
As for the type, I wanted to give it a freer more calligraphy-style which brings back to the whole East Asian art theme I was going for.
Birthday Gift Wrappers
Christmas Gift Wrappers
Valentine's Day Gift Wrapper
Final Thoughts
Throughout the process of my PPP, there were a lot of ups and downs. During the early stages of the project when we were just given the brief and had to come up with a proposal, I honestly had no idea on what to do. I think it’s the same for everyone because we had to come up with something from scratch. I spent lots of time trying to find something to work with. I hit a few dead ends with some ideas and still nothing came to mind. Until a friend of mine told me to approach the project in a different way. Instead of coming up with something new, work with what I already had. This led to the idea of using words as the main focus of my project. It was already my disposable and therefore, I just had to manipulate in such a way that it conveyed the message.
Looking back at how I came to this point of my project, it saddens me that I had to simplify my final outcome due to the pandemic, but I think it’s for the better. I have learnt to adapt and be flexible in rising circumstances which is probably the most valuable lesson I have learnt from this experience.
Bibliography
Egbert, N. and Polk, D. (2006) 'Speaking the Language of Relational Maintenance:
A Validity Test of Chapman's Five Love Languages', Communication Research
Reports, 23:1, DOI: 10.1080/17464090500535822.
Hiroshige. (1833-1834) Station Kawasaki [Oil on canvas]. Japan.
Hua, S. L. (2016) Chinese Food Explained: Mooncake.
Available at: http://blog.tutorming.com/expats/what-is-mooncake
(Accessed: 9 April 2020)
Nippon.com (2020) Traditional Japanese Patterns. Available at: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00478/traditional-japanese-patterns.html (Accessed: 14 May 2020).
PATTERNZ JP (2018) KAMON the Avant-garde - 紋章上繪師 京源 (Kyo-gen) Japanese family crest artisans. 11 February. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtBV_-F4ZgA&feature=emb_title (Accessed: 14 May 2020).
Sorina, C. and Opreanu, B. (2009) The Legacy of the Kamon in the Japanese Management. Available at: http://www.rebe.rau.ro/RePEc/rau/journl/SU07/REBE-SU07-A11.pdf
(Accessed: 28 Apr 2020).
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