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PORTFOLIO Kana Yasufuku April 2020
PORTFOLIOKana YasufukuApril 2020
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Breadbasket Branding Project For this project, I created the branding of a bakery store, including a logo, visual style guidelines, applications and packaging.
Concept
The concept of the logo is the neighbourhood bakery. I wanted to show the friendly, welcoming and warm ambience of the place, so I paid attention to ensure that the typography choice, colour and shapes of the logo reflected this. The name was designed in a curved shape to resemble a basket.
Process
To begin with the design process, I thought about the target audience and mission statement of the bakery and started to brainstorm about the logo design. Afterwards, I used Adobe Illustrator to make many shapes of logos based on my ideas. Finally, I picked the best one and I developed the idea and finalized it.
Problem/solution
Since the concept of the logo is a welcoming neighbourhood bakery, I wanted to apply the sense of softness and open-mindedness to the logo. In order to achieve it, I changed the line width of the logo and picked a neutral light colour.
Major challenge or achievement
The challenge of this project was planning and integrating all the different aspects of the company. I also tried to achieve the continuity established among the various graphic items including stationery, imagery and packaging.
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Japanese Restau rant Karin Website I rebranded the logo and refreshed the website for the Karin Japanese restaurant in Montreal based on the analysis of the present website.
Concept
The design concept is simple, minimalistic and attempts to reflect Japanese culture. I chose white for the website’s main colour and used navy and pink as the accent colours. These colours represent the ocean and cherry blossoms which are known as symbolic objects of the Japanese culture.
Process
I had a meeting with my client and listened to their needs and expectations for the new website. Based on the first meeting, I took a look at their website and analyzed the parts that I could improve. I also started to think about the design concept and created a new logo and a wireframe of the site. I made a proposal for the new website and I discussed the design with my client at a second meeting. After that, I created a few prototypes, got the approval of the design from my client, and developed the website from scratch.
Major challenge or achievement
Through this project, I could think about the design and user interface from different perspectives and improve my coding skills. Also, I learned how to interact with clients and listen carefully and to propose a design according to their request.
Problem/solution
Since the client does not have a specific visual identity, I suggested they create one in order for their business to appeal to the audience. Based on their image, I created a new logo for the restaurant. The previous website had some areas that could be improved. First, I redesigned the landing page to be as simple as possible to make the logo and restaurant services stand out and so that it appeals to the viewer. Second, I tried to increase the usability of the website, so I used layout to better organize the information that is available. Since each section has more than two columns, the height of the website is shorter, and users do not have to scroll so much when they are browsing the site. Also, in order to make the website accessible for all visitors, I used many pictures to show the restaurant services and menu visually.
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Vanier 50th Anniversary Logo I designed this logo for the 50th anniversary of Vanier College in 2020. The logo was created for a competition and was chosen as the image to be used in the school during the anniversary celebratory year.
Concept
The concept is progress and continuity to represent my wish for the prosperity and development of Vanier College. In order to express the concept, I decided to use the infinity mark and chevron.
Problem/solution
Since the logo would be used for any publication and application of the college, it needs to fit various sizes and surfaces. I made a logo with distinct shapes and bold colours, so it will be resizable. In order to show the strength, pride and reliability of the college, I created the infinity mark from a perfect circle. I cared about the visual beauty and balance of the logo, so I paid attention that the space between each part of the infinity mark would be the same size as the “V” and “50” parts. Also, I thought about the continuity of the college’s branding, so I used the same font and colour as the present logo.
Major challenge or achievement
I developed a strong design concept that the client was interested in and researched the techniques and methods to achieve my vision.
Process
For the logo contest, I developed the concept of the logo and started to sketch my ideas. After making many patterns of the logo in Illustrator, I chose three logos and improved them. I presented three logos to the client with mockups. Once one of my concepts and ideas were selected, I recreated the logo based on the client’s needs and feedback.
Initial Concept
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It’s a Game! Wine Label DesignI designed a wine label in abstract ways with typography and patterns that I created by finding inspiration from the winemaking process.
Concept
The design concept is pop and punchy. “It’s a game” is an Italian wine which tastes mild dry with spicy and smoky aromas: its scent resembles clove, cinnamon and black pepper. I represented the tastes and scents by using dark and bold colours and nonuniform sizes of typography.
Process
I researched the winery and the wine online and I took notes of the keywords that I would be able to express by design. Based on the brainstorm, I started to collect the images that can give me inspiration for the design and created a mood board. I also sketched the design idea on paper, and I started to design the label with Adobe Illustrator.
Problem/solution
I created the abstract pattern in Illustrator to refer to the Memphis style in order to add excitement and playfulness to the design. I also changed the typography width and size in order to make it more fun and catchy looking.
Major challenge or achievement
The challenge was creating an informative and intriguing label design in abstract ways. Researching the product and company well helped me to develop a concept and design idea and also it improved my efficiency of working time.
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Chocolate Creation App I designed a mobile chocolate creation application for a chocolate company that sells tailor-made chocolate. This project includes branding and UI design.
Challenges or Achievement
My biggest challenge during this project was thinking about the flow of the mobile app. I researched many mobile app prototypes to get some inspiration and ideas. I also learned some features of Adobe XD by searching online. In order to reflect my design style, I drew illustrations that look like sketches and I designed the packaging by using Photoshop brushes for the secondary colours to add some contrast to the design.
Concept
The design concept of the app is cute and chic and created with women in mind as the major intended user base.. In order to achieve it, I paid attention to the font choice and layout. I chose the serif font because it looks more elegant than a sans-serif font. I also created sketch-like illustrations to add flair.
Process
ResearchAt the beginning of the project, I started by doing research on chocolate shop websites to know about their branding and packaging design. After that, I started to think about the idea of my target company: what is the company’s mission, brand concept, services, and target audience. I gathered the pictures that match my brand concept to create a mood board.
Create LogoI chose the font and colour scheme that I think speaks to the target audience. I chose dark brown for the primary colour because it represents chocolate.
Design the mobile appBased on my research and idea of the mobile app, I started to sketch the wireframe of the mobile app. Once I finished making it, I worked to design the mobile app design using Adobe XD. I thought about the user interface and the flow of using the application. I also created a prototype to show how the mobile app would work.
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International Compost Awareness Week Poster This poster was designed for the 2020 International Compost Awareness Week poster contest. The theme of the contest that year was “Soil Loves Compost”.
Concept
The concept of the poster is that soil and compost can build a good relationship with each other. I used colourful acrylic texture because painting and making compost from food scraps are similar in terms of mixing elements.
Major challenge or achievement
The biggest challenge was to accomplish an effective balance of typography and visuals in the poster through this project.
Problem/solution
In order to make an eye-catching visual, I made a heart shape with the shape of food scraps using acrylic paint strokes. The colourful brush texture adds dynamic movement to the design.
Process
I thought about the concept of the poster based on the theme. After I sketched the idea and gathered the reference photos, I created the poster using Photoshop.
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Recycling Poster The objective of this poster project was to raise awareness in college students about decreasing the usage of disposable products on campus. This was a collaborative project with students from the business program at Vanier College. Based on their proposal, I was in charge of visual design.
Concept
The concept of the recycling poster is to have an emotional appeal to make people aware of the waste that we do not normally think about. I used the close-up shots of objects and a marker font to make an eye-catching poster.
Process
I read the proposal that was made by the students from the business program and thought about the concept of the poster. Once I had the concept, I decided to take pictures of objects by myself and create the poster by using Photoshop.
Problem/solution
Due to the nature of the project, it was very important to make a bold visual impact to attract the audience’s attention. I decided to take pictures of the waste that we can find on the campus and use those for my design. It was a new challenge and I found some benefits of using my own pictures. First, it allowed me to create the poster as I imagined it, and it was a very interesting design experiment for me. Second, it gave more realism to the poster. All the waste that I chose was products sold at the Co-op, cafeteria and vending machines on campus, so the audience has often bought or seen them during their school life. Moreover, with the waste’s pictures, I aimed to make the audience feel unpleasantness and disgust to increase impact and make them rethink their purchase choices and their contribution to the sustainability lifestyle.
Major challenge or achievement
This project allowed me to discover many design approaches that I had never tried. It was a very good opportunity to do photoshoots and experiment with creativity for communicating the message that I wanted to convey.
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Ruth Ansel Typographic Poster I designed a typographic poster to inform people of her exhibition at the museum by reflecting on the design style of Ruth Ansel who is an American Graphic Designer.
Concept
The design concept is simple and elegant. I used the typography as a visual element, and I considered the balance of each letter.
Process
I researched Ruth Ansel’s work and examined her graphic style. I chose the typographies and colours that can represent her design style, and I designed the poster using InDesign.
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Santropol Roulant ReportThis project involved the creation of a corporate report for Santropol Roulant, a food community center offering citizens various programs and activities. The report contained some infographics and a chart to explain their services and contributions to the community.
Process The first thing I did for this project was to read the text and research the company. I checked their last publications to get inspiration for the layout. Secondly, I looked for pictures that suited the content and company services on free stock image sites. Once I found the pictures, I started to think about the layout and creating the icons with Illustrator. Finally, I designed the report using Adobe InDesign.
Concept The design concept was youth and healthiness. I chose a colour scheme based on the company logo. In order to make the page layout dynamic, I used many pictures that related to the company’s services and placed them on each page.
Problem/solution Since the publication conveys information about the company’s contribution and achievement for society to the audience, I thought that it would be important that the layout be easy on the eyes. I paid attention to the letter hierarchy between body text and headlines so that the headlines could stand out more. I used outlines without fill for the headlines to make the design light and give a fun and friendly impression in the final product. In order to communicate the information to the audience clearly and quickly, I made icons for the infographics and charts for annual data.
Major challenge or achievement Through this project, I learned how important it is to think about the design approach in order to convey the information as clearly as possible. Using visual graphics such as charts, icons and graphs is an effective way to visualize data.
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Montréal This Week Publication I designed a 4-page publication for Montreal tourism. I chose the theme of Japan for the publication, and I selected major Japanese cultural events in Montreal for the contents. The publication includes an event calendar and hotel information on the back cover.
Concept
The design concept is “discovering Japanese culture in Montreal”. I used many event pictures and illustrations that I created for the audience to visually understand what kind of events each article is about.
Process
I researched Japanese events that happen in Montreal and gathered the pictures related to Japanese culture. I designed it in InDesign.
Problem/solution
Since I wanted to use the pictures on the website of the event, I contacted the event organizer and asked for permission to use their images. The publication’s target audience was the people who come from other countries or regions, so I decided to use many visuals to help them to visually understand the contents. Specifically, I used many pictures and Japanese patterns for the cover design so that it would stand out and appeal to the audience.
Major challenge or achievement
I learned to pay attention to license and credit and getting permission to use other people’s work.
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What’s for Lunch Brochure for New College Students I made a school brochure to inform new Vanier students where and what kind of food they can buy on and off-campus. The brochure includes a map of the campus and the neighbourhood.
Process
I researched the food stores on and off-campus where students can have food and wrote the contents of the pamphlet. I started to think about the layout and drew the illustrations for the brochure in Illustrator. I finished the project by designing the final brochure in InDesign.
Concept
The design concept is friendly and fun. I chose the orange and yellow for the colour scheme and thought about creating a fun layout with many food illustrations that I drew using illustrator.
Major challenge or achievement
The challenge for this project was to write the content with a suitable voice tone for the target audience. Since the brochure is aimed towards new college students, I tried to keep the positive and welcoming tone for the text that I wrote.
Problem/solution
I drew many illustrations to help the target audience to visually understand the contents of the brochure. I chose a handwritten font for the headlines because it conveys a friendly impression. I kept a consistent style and layout across each page. For example, the food menu is in an orange square, and tips are in a yellow square so that the information could be logically organized.
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Science Newsletter for Children I designed a science newsletter for 6 to 12-year-old children.
Problem/solution
Since the target audience was children, I decided to use many colourful illustrations related to the articles. I paid attention to the font size and hierarchy to maintain high legibility. I avoided using reverse type to maintain the brightness and readability of the newspaper.
Concept
The design concept was a fun and friendly newsletter. Since the audience is children, I chose warm and bright colours for the colour scheme. I carefully chose a high-legibility font that conveys friendliness and feels welcoming for the body text and headlines.
Process
I read the text and thought about the idea of teasers, a flag, and illustrations. First, I started to design three flags and picked the best one based on the teacher’s feedback. After I made a flag, I started to design the layout in InDesign considering the newspaper layout rules.
Major challenge or achievement Through this project, I learned the specific terms and rules of publication design.
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Freshii Annual ReportThis project is creating an annual report for Freshii, a Canadian healthy fast food company. The report contained a table and a graph that explain the company’s financial situation.
ConceptThe concept of the report is energetic and wellness. I designed the cover with a dynamic composition using a detailed photo of fruit with a bold font to underline the wellness benefits of a fresh and powerful lifestyle.
Process First, I read and understood the report text and I researched the company. I made a mood board based on the research, and I collected the images that reflect well about the company’s branding and text contents. Once I finished thinking about the layout of the annual report, I started to design it with Adobe InDesign.
Problem/solution In order to enable the reader to understand the numeric information quickly, I worked on the graph to be able to compare the three-years of data. I also paid attention to the font choice to make the report clean and readable given the small letters of the table.
Major challenge or achievement
It was challenging to create a legible and clean annual report that reflects the company brand with typography and image choices.
