Survival | Phase I
Concept development was initiated by researching the process of consumption. I found that we extract natural resources first to satisfy our survival needs. Such as food, shelter, sanitation, health, air, and clean water.
Natural Resources + Stuff | Phase II
This set of symbols are telling a story about the essential things we need for survival and the “other stuff” that we consume such as entertainment, traveling, and such.
I also wanted to touch on the process of consumption and how you get from extraction, production, and distribution to consumption and end up in disposal.
At this time it is important to me to showcase the process of extraction and disposal following with their consequences. This set is designed with geometric shapes and meant to be abstract.
“Stuff” We Don’t Need | Phase III
In the previous phase I investigated the complete process of extraction, production, consumption, and disposal. I also created symbols representing consequences of this process and some solutions. The feedback from the symbols was clear; the story I attempted to tell was too complex to understand as a whole set of symbols.
The previous set intended to tell this linear story but the project required a concept with symbols that worked fluidity next to one another—every symbol should speak to any other symbol in the set, regardless of its position.
In conclusion I decided to focus on the “STUFF” that we do NOT need, but we spend a lot of energy and natural resources to produce and consume it. Developed countries extract from undeveloped countries, and later dispose in those countries. It seems that no one is aware of where their “STUFF” is coming from or where it goes after disposal.
I changed the stroke of the symbols to a sketchy style with limited scale proportions. I wanted the set to feel as if it can be drawn by an American child.
Obsessions & Addictions | Phase IV
Previously I had narrowed down my focus on things we consume that are unnecessarily to our survival needs. I created a sketchy, unproportional stylization to represent a childlike feeling. As if these symbols are so familiar to an American child but the deeper issue is unrecognized.
I further developed this concept by keeping the sketchy strokes and creating proportional symbols, to represent the branding consumption obsession of American adults. As you view the symbols, if you are a consumer of that specific brand, you will recognize it with the limited hint provided within
the symbol.
