The End

Has nothing to do with Awaken

The Blogger clock is wrong!

It is 3:17 AM b!+ch....!!!

That's weird.

The Identity Package

Simple, but I don't think too much so. For some reason, I am just like totally digging the business card. I don't care I centered everything!! hah

The Views

Side, Bottom, Top?

The brown strip will actually be a band that is attached to the top and wraps around the box to keep it closed.

The Seventeenth

A few slight changes. Even though less labels would cut down on materials, I have to understand the world of packaging and marketing. I need to use all four sides of the box! All 6 maybe. Anyway, the front panel would be a clear sticker.

The Sixteenth

My "This is why I'm awesome" sustainability statement thingy that is supposed to go on the packaging/label. I tried to be a little fun(ny) with it.

The Fifthteenth

Process...

The Fourteenth

Just throwing some more process out there.

The Answers (aka Learning Deficiency Reading) D

D. The author lists a number of requirements for design programs to incorporate sustainability into the curriculum; what are they, and what is the educational challenge of doing this?

A move from delivering knowledge to students to a focus on getting students to "continually learn new skills and ... gain knowledge relevant to solve the problems they encounter." They must learn to not fear new knowledge, but to embrace it and let themselves be influenced by it.

It is difficult to change the nature of how and why things are done. And the consequence of pursuing goals that are more self-serving is that our problems are passed off to the next generations, who will be worse off than we are now.

There needs to be awareness, education, knowledge, and application. Educating students and faculty is only the beginning. Plus, just because students might be given the mental tools to gain new understand, they must want to internalize them. These first steps are much easier than the eventual application. For graduating seniors, can they continue the application of sustainability on a larger scale and will the "real world" positively respond? Change is hard.

The Answers (aka Learning Deficiency Reading) B & C

B. The author asserts that sustainability as “best design practice” is broadly applicable across design disciplines, and that integrating this model into design education is not especially hard. What are the specific changes he suggests?


To start, teachers can assign projects that deal with sustainability--"that nurture a sensitivity to modes of production, energy flow, and material selection [and] waste reduction." Educating students and faculty will also be necessary. Get students to question and debate over the existing paradoxes in being only partly sustainable. For example, cars that are more fuel efficient expend less toxins into the air over time than those that aren't, if you consider the same amount of driving is occurring. However, they are still both spewing toxins into the air. Fuel efficiency is a small step in the right directions, but low calorie vs. no calorie is the ultimate goal.

C. The author says that “design must play a leading role” in changing the way we think about the world–how can design do that?

"Design has the capacity to explore and explain complex systems and to catalyze change through storytelling and by the production of alternative possibilities." The author is trying to say that design has the ability to do almost anything--question, persuade, make statements. It has been an integral part of human existence and has always been coupled with change--sometimes causing it and sometimes supplementing it. Take that idea and apply it to the topic, design is a reflection of society, but it must stand as a reflection of the future of society. As the author boldly states, "it's time to get our heads out of the sand, confront the myths that comfort us, and get to work designing a future we want to and can inhabit."

The Answers (aka Learning Deficiency Reading) A

A. The authors asserts that design schools haven’t incorporated sustainable design into their curriculum. In his opinion, what are the reasons that hamper the teaching of sustainability at the college level?

The author first reasons that the greatest impact of sustainability will be most realized when it is comprehended over both time and scale. Therefore, while some schools are beginning to incorporate the use of eco-friendly materials and sustainable processes, the students are not able to truly evaluate the affects and how to translate them into the bigger picture. The implementation of sustainability is so new that the changes that need to be made are still difficult to understand and to enact. Furthermore, while people are convinced that changes need to be made, many are not willing to adjust their own lives. The author talked about all the people driving SUVs who also claimed they were environmentalists and how many surveyed believe the government isn't doing enough. These people hope that the government and large businesses implement change so they don't have to. "Well, I don't have as big an impact of them, so they should change because it would matter more than if I just changed" is probably the unconscious thought floating through their minds. Unfortunately, all we have is theory and not enough studies of impact to help guide us in working sustainably. And for designers, how changes will influence design, aesthetics, form, meaning, organization.

The Thirteenth

Went to the wood shop to build model of box.... Yeah, that didn't work out so much. I bought a cork board, but that is definitely not going to hold up against a band saw. I am resorting to building the mock-up in wood with the theory that it will actually be made out of cork. I will probably do a digital rendering as well and apply a cork texture to it.

So, above is my box concept. All sizes would be exactly the same so that they could form a perfect cube. The edges would be sliced at 45 degree angles. The top picture is a view from above, how the pieces would fit together. Then, once the person has finished drinking the tea, he/she could take the box apart (it would be held together by water soluble glue?). The pieces could fit together on a flat plane (next diagram down). The person could use the cork panels as coasters (individually) or hot pads (multiple panels put together, like in the last diagram).

And I have to think about the VIP stuff that Natacha wants. Hopefully that will be as "quick" as she says it will be. I'm not going to just slap my logo on a letterhead and call it a day. We'll see what happens.

The Twelth

Lucky number 12.

My new inspiration.

Cork!

I'm really excited about this. And it has all the qualities I want. Heat/flame resistant, nearly impermeable, environmentally friendly. It has been used for years as a wine stopper. Airtight! And I have been trying to make a packaging that can somehow break up into pieces that could be used for either coasters and/or hot pads. Cork is perfect for that. The bag shows that there is a way that it can be flexible. The bag was made of a combination of cork shavings and cotton fibers. Oh man, my thinking cap is on.

The Eleventh

I also found this product by MicroGreen. It's a plastic that is made from 100% recycled soda bottles. It is heat resistant up to 400 degrees, so they can make it into microwave-safe containers. Plus, the heat doesn't transfer as much to the outside, so you don't burn your hands on it. It might still be in developmental stages, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

The Tenth

I'm looking into using bamboo.  "Lighter than steel but five times stronger than concrete, bamboo is native to every continent except Europe and Antarctica. And unlike slow-to-harvest timber, bamboo's woody stalks can shoot up several feet a day, absorbing four times as much world-warming carbon dioxide." <-- Found that in a Herald Tribune article.

The Ninth

Continuing to develop the logo. I think I am finally getting somewhere. I know the leaf isn't working fully yet. I am trying to get some thicks and thins in there. Make it look organic, yet still keeping the "perfect circle" intact.

The Eighth

Well, I am definitely changing my colors after talking to Natacha and Deb! Really, they were just filler colors until I settle on which flavors I want to do. The flavors will really influence what the colors will be.

The Seventh

I'm pretty set on this logo. I think the Asian inspiration is coming through. I didn't want the ying-yang form to be too cliche or cheezy. The sketches show a little of how I was wondering how to integrate the tea leaf and water drop form that wouldn't be just a straight ying-yang. They are similar tear drop forms. I decided to forgo the water droplet and just stick with a simplified version of a tea leaf. Below that is my potential color scheme. It seems like everyone is using similar colors. I'll do a little bit more fiddling with color palette.

The Sketches

Sorry for the crappy quality, but the computer was being fussy. These are just a few sketches in a random notebook I have. My main notebook is MIA...which means it's under a bunch of clothes in my room. I will have those pictures up sometime, but I'm not sure when. I am going to put up some logos that I did on the computer as well.

The Sixth

We just got back from the tea presentation at tisane. It was pretty informative and it's the most amount of tea that I have had in a very long time. It wasn't half bad either. The white tea probably tasted the best out of all of them. It was the mildest. I am trying to decide between focusing on white tea or green tea. More research.

I went to Helen's Tea by New Haven the other day and this guy was freaking crazy. And I asked him about why everything is exposed to light and said that light has no affect on the teas. Yeah. I didn't want to argue with him because he is the owner or employee or whatever of the store, but wtf. I bought some blossom tea, which I am considering using for the project. The problem with blossom tea is that it isn't really ideal for single use. You have to want a lot of tea or be having a get together for it to be worth it.

The Sites

FSC - Forest Stewardship Council

SPC - Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Earth911

New Leaf - paper

Tiger Press - printing

Greener Printer - printing

Printing for Less - printing

Finlay - printing

The Paper Mill Store - recycled paper

Gans Ink and Supply Co. - soy inks

Sonoco - packaging

dynamicgraphics.com

GreenOffice.com

printingresponsibly.org

recycledproducts.com

woodpak.com & ecoprocote.com (timber soy natural wood stain)

GLOBAL 100 - Top 100 Sustainable Countries in the World

Packaging Strategies Conferences

--Sustainable Packaging Forum, held in Denver, CO.

--Sustainable Packaging Design, Jan 2009

CT Green Expo

Just a really interesting list of all sorts of companies and sites dealing with sustainability. This is pretty much what the vendor presentation is going to present in class. I thought I would have it in here for my purposes and to make a digital copy. The last things are like fairs/expos/learning opportunities that are becoming major events locally and nationally. The Global 100 is so awesome. It lists the top 100 companies in regards to sustainability and what they focus in. There are a few that deal with materials. One with Aluminum, which is pretty interesting. It seems unusual to have a sustainable metal company. Who knew?

The Reminder

 http://www.businessofdesignonline.com

how to find green vendors.

I don't want to forget this site!

The Fifth

Alright, these aren't my sketches. I don't have them scanned in yet, but I thought I would post some of my beginning logos. There were a lot of different logos in class. Joe's was so on point, it was amazing. I really enjoy the different approaches that both he and Constanza are taking. These logos aren't going in the direction they need to be going in right now. The first two are so hard to see here, but I liked the thin letters at the time. The last one is closer, but everyone is using the same fonts... I need to get one that is modern yet has an Asian feel. And no tacky "bamboo" fonts. Ugh.

The Fourth, cont.

Speaking of African culture... I love the colors on these tins.

The Fourth

I haven't been able to get to do this in a couple of days. I am focusing my attention on sake for right now. I think that that the designs are beautiful and elegant. It's funny because most people in the United States think that arts from other cultures are amazing. It's just that it is so different than our own. Plus, a lot of other places have a longer history than the States. We are a relatively new country if you compare it to places like Egypt or China. In any case, it seems cliche that I would do something Asian, but it is not because I am Korean. Or maybe my Asian gene is finally kicking in.

The Third Cont.

People drink sake from square cups like this. I really want to explore something like that with my tea package. Some sort of kit that includes tea, cup/mug, strainer, etc.

The Third

I found this picture of a sake set that I thought was just awesome. How cool that it has its own spout?! In any case, I think that sake will be very inspirational for me in terms of this project. It is similar in that there is a deep culture connected with sake and sake drinkers. There have been commercialized aspects of it, but there are ways to remain true to the art form. Additionally, it can be served hot or cold much like tea. Plus, I think that Asian design is some of the most innovative and beautiful.

The Second

I'm not quite sure how I want to tackle this project. I am both excited and upset about it. Well, I don't want to say upset, that might not be the right word. I just know I want it to be very clean and simple, but I feel like that is all I do. It is the aesthetic that I enjoy, but is it pushing me to do something that i'm not comfortable with? I am really trying to be innovative with the packaging so that while the design is clean/simple, my container will be the part that is flexing my creative muscle... I hope.

My current problem: simple modern or nice serif? And how to be not tacky/cheesy/cliche. But I think my idea of AWAKEN: Your Senses, Your Mind, Your Spirit, might be along those lines. I won't rule it out yet. Maybe just flavor names instead of flavor metaphors.

The picture is just a post of some canisters that I thought were nice. Unfortunately not really sustainable (unless you are counting the whole "reuse the tin" concept).

The First

I am welcoming myself to this blog spot. I have never created a blog before, we'll see what happens.

This spot is designed to follow my journey as a faux tea connoisseur through avid research and the development of AWAKEN tea as a brand.