Through packaging design, designers visually communicate the personality, feel, and quality of a product to potential consumers. When analyzing packaging in the cereal industry, there is a clear line drawn between the playful visual style of cereal targeted at children, and the mature visual style of cereal targeted at adults. Although children’s cereal products are being advertised successfully, the majority of products themselves are often high in sugar, contain artificial flavoring, and include other non-beneficial ingredients. Healthy children’s cereal products rarely receive the same level of engaging and story driven branding that competing unhealthy brands receive. Thus, unethical design standards are used to capitalize off of young children who are unable to fully comprehend advertising efforts. Rather than using design to persuade children into becoming consumers of unhealthy cereal products, the author explored the effects of these tactics when applied to a healthier alternative. She hypothesized that if influential design tactics from unhealthy cereal brands were applied to the packaging of a healthier cereal product, then children may feel visually influenced to try better-for-you options. The author gathered research related to children’s marketing tactics, used her findings to redesign a healthy cereal product, and conducted in person mini-interviews with elementary aged children to test her design against competing brands. Her primary hypothesis was supported, suggesting that children find healthier options with engaging packaging more appetizing and interesting that traditional healthy options. As a result of her study, the author hopes to highlight the importance of ethical design application, and in doing so, encourage positive change within the graphic design and children’s consumer goods industries.

Photography in the World of Advertising is a photography portfolio focusing on commercial product photography. My portfolio, which contains 10 commercial product images, was completed over the course of one semester. The portfolio explores the different techniques used to photograph products for commercial uses, such as advertising, catalogs, or websites. I decided to use a mix of both on location and in studio photo-shoots to get a feel for the range of techniques used in both locations (backgrounds, natural lighting, artificial lighting, and environmental factors that could effect the shot).

Athleisure is a style of clothing that has a growing influence in American modern fashion as a result of its functionality and aesthetic. People from the East Coast are generally high career-driven yet health-conscious and fashion-forward. According to Gallup Healthways State of American Well-Being research, Boston is ranked number one in active living environment. We are constantly on the go and prioritize living a healthy lifestyle. Thus there is a high demand in fashion styles like athleisure, which can provide looks, quality and comfort at the same time. The objective of this project is to build the brand from market research and develop a cohesive brand identity.

Paintings completed over the course of two semesters serve as the basis for this art exhibition in the Winfisky Gallery at Salem State University’s Ellison Campus Center. Abstract paintings in a variety of media explore visual themes such as landscape and architecture and make up a series of large and small canvases, as well as shaped panels. Each painting’s color palette relates to the natural landscape, but the mostly geometric compositions reflect inspiration found in both geology and architecture. The larger works expand upon ideas established in the smaller, mostly acrylic paintings but use more varied media to create layers of visual information and texture. An artist statement will be displayed alongside the paintings in the gallery. The exhibition will give me an opportunity to present a coherent body of work to the school community.