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INTRODUCTION / Drew Vereen
Unfold As a child, I remember gently shaking my gifts every holiday to hear the clinking of plastic bricks against each other in the anticipation of a new Lego set. I constructed entire worlds, vehicles, and contraptions. The aisles of toy stores were a wondrous place where I would stare in awe, more fascinated with the design of the packaging, rather than the toys themselves. Since adolescence, I have continued to build in other formats and materials; I have meticulously folded origami, made masks, created paper, foam, and cardboard constructions by hand. Those years building for hours on end have helped me to think in 3D, understand modularity, and develop skills in geometry and craft. Packaging has allowed me to use graphic design as an outlet for my inner Lego-builder and I love to challenge myself to design and fabricate new and innovative packaging solutions.
PROJECT 01
category
Typography
instructors
Shambala Tibetan Lodge
Branding/Packaging
Shambala Slab/Mercury
Candice Lopez/Sean Bacon
SHAMBALA Shambala Tibetan Lodge is an adventure boutique hotel that provides an authentic Tibetan mountaineering experience. It challenges the physical endurance of active, thrill-seeking, adventurous men between the ages of 28 to 43. The mythical kingdom of Shambala is an ancient Buddhist pure land hidden in the Himalayan Mountains, waiting to be rediscovered by adventurous explorers. I modified the sans serif Telegrafico by adding slabs and hand drawing it; this modified typeface is used within the logo and headers. In addition I used the serif Mercury for subheads and body copy. I chose an earthy color palette to relate to the culture of Tibet and emphasize the rustic aspects of the brand. Shambala uses multiple interchangeable logos to ensure variety. A calligraphic ‘s’ knocks out of a hand-painted circle and Shambala Slab is used around the perimeter to lock-up in a circular form. Inspired by Sanskrit and Tibetan calligraphy, I hand-lettered the name Shambala and used this as an alternative logotype. Another identity utilizes a similar calligraphic style to fit specifically within the circular lock-up and is used as an alternate seal on various applications. I used natural looking materials: craft paper, cream paper with a wooden texture, leather, vellum, and wood to give the brand authenticity and a life of its own.
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Primary Logo
Secondary Marks
Color palette
Typography
Shambala Slab
Mercury Bold
Mercury Regular
Primary Logo
Secondary Marks
Color palette
Typography
Shambala Slab
Mercury Bold
Mercury Regular
Primary Logo
Secondary Marks
Color palette
Typography
Shambala Slab
Mercury Bold
Mercury Regular
Identity Manual
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Survival Kit/Postcard and Journal Set/Luggage Tag and Room Keys
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Accessories/Stationery/In-Room Directory
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PROJECT 02
category
Typography
instructors
Cinegraphic
Web and Mobile App
Klavika
Scott Wyss/Sean Bacon
CINEGRAPHIC Whether it’s managing and rating your favorite films or discovering new ones, Cinegraphic is a web and mobile application that regards film as an art form, rejects film as mindless entertainment, and encourages its users to watch and support these critically acclaimed movies through the use of their app. Each user profile is fully customizable, allowing users to rate, review, and catalog watched films. Cinegraphic uses this data to suggest films according to their taste preferences and helps find local independent movie theaters. Cinegraphic also provides an on-the-fly infographic comparing the ratings and revenue between the top grossing and the highest rated films of any given year. In order to retain a modern and hip vibe, I used the technological forms of the sans serif Klavika, and kept the color palette between a vibrant teal and dark, cool grey. I used subtle gradients to denote scrollable areas and add dimension to keep the design from looking too flat. Additionally, I created an icon system to allow users to easily navigate between the various pages of the mobile application.
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Mobile Application
PROJECT 03
category
Typography
instructors
Kleenex Kleen
Brand Extension/Packaging
DIN Next
Candice Lopez/Sean Bacon
KLEENEX KLEEN Targeted toward practical women between the ages of 30 to 45 years old, Kleenex Kleen extends the well-established brand of Kleenex into a line of hand sanitizing products. The formula is alcohol free and made from all natural ingredients to ensure the safety of children and the environment. The brand consists of gels, sprays, and wipes that come in a variety of forms and sizes. Pouches and small spray bottles were among the choices of packaging for these products in order to serve a functional, portable, and practical use in a woman’s everyday life. First I used the clean and airy forms of the sans serif DIN Next to compliment Kleenex’s existing logotype. I retained the existing brand language by implementing a gentle curve to flow with the arch of the logo and by adding a subtle gradient to the field of color that acts as a designated area for the logo to breathe. Additionally, I used fresh and clean sounding aromas such as: cool breeze, citrus blast, and fresh lavender. Each scent is represented by a treated photo and color combination.
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Hand Pump/Hand Sanitizer Pouches/Pocket Spray
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Sanitizing Wipes/Pocket Wipes/Gel Dispenser
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PROJECT 04
category
Typography
instructors
Occult Classics
Branding/Packaging
Quarca
Gary Benzel/Candice Lopez
OCCULT CLASSICS Occult Classics is an annual film convention that features cult classic horror films for film buffs, the nostalgic, and the daring. Using runes, ouija boards, and other symbols related to the occult as inspiration, I modified the typeface Quarca to create the logotype. I also crafted a sigil from the ‘o’ to be applied cryptically on branded items. I used black, grey, and blood red to relate the brand language to the dark and sinister featured films. The use of photography and texture reinforces these themes with crackled paper and dark, grainy, abstracted film stills. I created a series of icons that represent multiple horror films featured during the convention and applied them onto tarot cards that relate conceptually to the meaning and tone of each film. Inspired by séance rituals, the tarot cards are packaged with a piece of chalk, a candle, and matches all contained in the Collector’s Edition Blu-ray box set. The opening of the package becomes a ritual as the layers of the Blu-ray set unfold out in three different directions to reveal the discs and the items below. Graphics were also applied to keys for sponsored hotels that hang off a planchet that is reminiscent of Ouija boards.
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Unfolding of the Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Box Set with Séance Items
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PROJECT 05
category
Typography
instructors
Deadeye Collective
Branding/Packaging
Trend/Hagin/Alianza/Brandon Printed
Sean Bacon
DEADEYE COLLECTIVE Targeted toward men between the ages of 25 and 40 years old, Deadeye Collective is a high-end lifestyle brand of accessories for the practical, modern gentleman. I collaborated with a colleague to brand a line of products that range from throwing knives and hatchets to gloves and flasks. We created a logo that alludes to hunting using a graphic illustration of an animal skull with antlers that locks up with the textured sans serif Brandon Printed, the condensed serif Hagin, and the script Alianza. In addition, Trend is set as the descriptive copy on the packages. Furthermore, a hand rendered arrow-like pattern is applied in grey on grey to reference hunting and to create a sophisticated texture. By limiting our color palette to black, grey, and the colors of the natural materials, Deadeye Collective exudes a serious and masculine tone. We wanted to reveal as much of each product as possible while securing them in hand-crafted packages made from: leather, wool felt, and warm grey chipboard. Additionally, the package for the throwing knives can be repurposed by unfolding into both a knife roll and a throwing target. We designed a website that allows the lifestyle brand to be approachable through social media and for consumers to purchase products through the online store.
Primary Logo
Logotype
Materials
Grey Paper
Typography
Trend
Alianza
Hagin
Leather
Wool Felt
Pattern
Primary Logo
Logotype
Materials
Grey Paper
Typography
Trend
Alianza
Hagin
Leather
Wool Felt
Pattern
Primary Logo
Logotype
Materials
Grey Paper
Typography
Trend
Alianza
Hagin
Leather
Wool Felt
Pattern
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iPhone Case/Wool Gloves/Sharpening Stone
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Website Home Page/Product Page/About Page
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Unfolding of Throwing Knives, Knife Roll, and Target
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PROJECT 06
category
TYPOGRAPHY
instructors
Gingerly
Packaging
Sweet Sans Pro/Franchise
Candice Lopez/Sean Bacon
GINGERLY Made from all natural ingredients and paired with unexpected botanical flavors, Gingerly is a line of ginger based sweets and drinks marketed toward 35 to 50 year old women. Seasoned flavors like lavender and rose paired with ginger make this product ideal for its intended audience. The brand is inspired by Japanese design, which is apparent through the use of illustration, the simplicity of the typography and the proportion of each product. I created a monogram for the company that is elegant and soft with a rounded ear. Each plant illustration is hand done and applied to the package to denote the botanical essence each product is infused with. A palette of rich and muddy colors, both feminine and organic, relate to the flavors of the product and add a sophisticated tone. In addition, I chose the geometric and friendly typeface Sweet Sans to ensure the typography remained feminine but didn’t compete for hierarchy with the illustrations or color. Mixing materials of wood, metal, glass, and paper I challenged myself to differentiate the forms of the packaging. Gold accents are used to ensure that the product remains upscale and mature for its audience.
Primary Logo
Monogram
Color palette
Typography
Sweet Sans Pro
Illustrations
Franchise
Primary Logo
Monogram
Color palette
Typography
Sweet Sans Pro
Illustrations
Franchise
Primary Logo
Monogram
Color palette
Typography
Sweet Sans Pro
Illustrations
Franchise
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Chocolate Bars/Cookies and Candy
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Chocolate Gift Box/Ginger Ale/Tea Tin
PROJECT 07
category
Typography
instructors
Lestat’s Coffee House
Branding
Gotham X-Narrow
Candice Lopez/Sean Bacon
LESTAT’S Inspired by Anne Rice’s fictional blood-sucking character, Lestat’s is a San Diego based 24/7 coffee house where a subculture of hip and youthful insomniacs and students can socialize and study. As a frequent patron, I was disappointed by the disconnection between the story of Lestat and the brand’s execution. My redesign incorporates a sleek, modern, and elegant aesthetic, fusing the old and new. The design pays homage to classic vampires like Dracula, rather than the trendy ones of our generation. The logotype is a heavily modified Univers Light Condensed with the addition of sharp fang-like serifs and elegant, decorative terminals that turn into thin vertical swashes. This modified typography is also used to create a number system that is applied to signage, punch cards, and cups. The swashes from the logotype were then manipulated into a bat-like form and replicated to form a pattern. The sans serif Gotham X-Narrow was chosen to modernize the brand and to contrast the intricacies of the logotype without competing with it. This type is used in all lowercase to apply quotes from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles onto various applications. Black and white was chosen as the color palette to relate to night and day and the metaphoric duality of good and evil. Similarly, black vinyl was placed on matte black surfaces to allow the brand language to become enigmatic, seductive, and dangerous.
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iPad Menu/Pastry Bag/Store Signage
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Coffee Bag/Apron/Exterior Wall
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PROJECT 08
category
Typography
instructors
Radicondoli
Branding/Packaging
Brandon Text/Cubano
Candice Lopez/Sean Bacon
RADICONDOLI Radicondoli is a small, rural Italian town that is rich in culture with a tight-knit sense of community. However, due to economic hardship and the opportunities the surrounding metropolitan cities of Italy have to offer, Radicondoli has faced a dwindling population and needed branding its inhabitants can be proud of. I chose to focus on the farm-to-table foods that Radicondoli produces, creating a cost effective and efficient packaging solution that includes wrapping paper, tape, labels, and stickers to brand and house the products. I abandoned a classical, Renaissance approach and instead used the typefaces “Cubano” and “Brandon Text” to reference modern Italian design. Each label retains the same shape and size regardless of the products form and has a designated area for information regarding the product to be filled out by a farmer or vendor. This allows for large print runs to save money and hand done customizations make the product feel more authentic. I created an interlocking pattern by combining a hand rendered icon series of vegetables and cooking utensils with Italian words related to cuisine. This pattern is applied to tissue paper in a robust Tuscan orange that wraps numerous products.
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Primary Logo
Seal
MAterials
Paper
Glass
Wood
Typography
Brandon Text
Pattern
Cubano
Canvas
Primary Logo
Seal
MAterials
Paper
Glass
Wood
Typography
Brandon Text
Pattern
Cubano
Canvas
Primary Logo
Seal
MAterials
Paper
Glass
Wood
Typography
Brandon Text
Pattern
Cubano
Canvas
Wrapping Paper Roll/Local Spices/Produce Crates
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Apron/Jams and Wrapped Bread/Farmer’s Market Sign
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PROJECT 09
category
Typography
instructors
Zoomblox
Branding/Packaging
Bree Serif
Candice Lopez/Sean Bacon
ZOOMBLOX ZoomBlox is a toy company that makes wooden models for 5-6 year old boys to build and play with. Each handcrafted model relates to a different mode of transportation. The blocky logotype explores how the letterforms can be built and stacked together like wooden blocks. The whimsical and friendly forms of “Bree Serif� add an air of child-like wonder to the brand. The font is used for the information on the packages as well as the body copy. In addition to the series of travel and wayfinding icons, I created icons for each product, graphically depicting the models. These icons lock up with each other, blocks of color, and simple patterns to convey the hustle and bustle of transportation. Bright and playful colors make this brand fun and accessible to its target audience. Additionally, the instruction manual depicts simple schematic-like wireframe step-by-step instructions for children to easily assemble the toys without the use of language. The packages are designed with handles to optimize portability and functionality. Furthermore, I built a point of purchase display by painting wooden blocks with the colors of the brand and constructing a wall of columns and arches where the products hang from two metal display brackets.
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Backpack/Shirt/Back of Package
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Package Opening/App Games and Puzzles/Playmats
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Instruction Manuals
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PROJECT 10
category
Typography
instructors
Dymka
Typography/Packaging
Dymka Serif and Cyrillic/Baskerville
Candice Lopez/Sean Bacon
DYMKA Dymka is an imported Russian cigarette brand sold to upper class American and Russian-American smokers. The Russian word dymka (deem-kah) translates to smoke or haze, which conceptually evokes how the customer interacts with the product. Using a grid, I created an entire condensed serif typeface in both the Roman and Cyrillic alphabets. The logotype features the addition of an inline and small, serif-like spikes to further customize the typeface. I used the classical and beautiful forms of Baskerville to compliment Dymka Serif. I created a custom Russian coat of arms and an ornate border that incorporates elements of traditional, Tsarist Russian design for the packaging and other applications. Dark royal purple and gold reinforces the brand’s cultural authenticity without being clichÊ and provides a high-end aesthetic. I designed a unique cigarette package that opens like a book with a paper locking mechanism to challenge the traditional cigarette packaging form. In order to accommodate the language barrier between the brand and its target demographic, both sides of the package mirror each other with one side in English and the other in Russian.
Primary Logo (English)
Secondary Logotype (Russian)
Color Palette
Typography
Ornaments
Baskerville
Russian coat of arms
Dymka Serif Roman
Pattern
Dymka Serif Cyrillic
Border
Primary Logo (English)
Secondary Logotype (Russian)
Color Palette
Typography
Ornaments
Baskerville
Russian coat of arms
Dymka Serif Roman
Pattern
Dymka Serif Cyrillic
Border
Primary Logo (English)
Secondary Logotype (Russian)
Color Palette
Typography
Ornaments
Baskerville
Russian coat of arms
Dymka Serif Roman
Pattern
Dymka Serif Cyrillic
Border
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Dymka Serif Roman and Cyrillic
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Metro Advertisement/Dymka Cigarette Girl/Tobacco Pipe
DESIGNED BY
PhotOgraphy
TYPOGRAPHY
Drew Vereen / vereen27@gmail.com / (619) 993-7566
Jim Coit / Steve Simpson / Leanna Jones
DIN Next / Klinic
VENDORS
PAPER
Diego & Son Printing, Inc / International Coil Bindery
100 lb. Finch Opaque cover white
SoFTware Adobe CS6
Gratitude To Mom and Dad, thank you for introducing me to the arts and encouraging me to pursue my career in graphic design. You have been my foundation throughout this process by remaining patient, understanding, and above all, supportive. This book is for you. To Pamela Mabrey, you’ve been with me every step of the way and have kept me sane and in-check. You lifted my spirits when I felt hopeless and gave me direction when I felt lost. I love you dearly. Thank you for always being there for me. To Leanna, Jim, and Steve, I can’t thank you enough for all the favors you’ve done for me. Your talents and infinite wisdom have made all the difference. To Sean and Candice, I have grown more as a designer during my brief studies at San Diego City College than I thought possible. Thank you for your crazy ideas, practical advice, your ingenuity, and time. You challenged, inspired, and guided me through this intensely stressful and cathartic experience. I will never forget or take for granted all that you have done for me. Thank you.
Š 2014 All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be used or reproduced without written permission from Drew Vereen.