Intro to Marketing & Self-Promo (WK2) - Creativity Exercise: "Build It With 3 Rules"

The “Build It With 3 Rules” Exercise

Time: 3–5 minutes

Materials: None (paper optional)

Steps:

  1. Pick something to design (a chair, an app, a café, a jacket, a poster).
  2. Give yourself exactly 3 random rules. Make them slightly restrictive.
  • Examples:
    • It can only use one color.
    • It must fold.
    • It can’t use straight lines.
    • It has to fit in your pocket.
    • It must make a sound.
  1. Design within those rules. Let the restrictions lead.
  2. Write 2–3 sentences describing what you created.
Here are my results:

Thing: Mug

Rules:
  • It can’t have a handle
  • It must change color
  • It has to stack with others
Result: A handle-free mug with a double-walled design so it doesn’t burn your hands. The exterior glaze shifts color based on the temperature of the drink, and the base is slightly indented so multiple mugs can stack neatly together. It’s simple, space-saving, and interactive.

What I learned: 
This exercise reminded me that I actually work better with limits. When I gave myself random rules for the mug, it started feeling like a problem to solve. Instead of trying to invent something completely new, I was focused on making something that worked within those boundaries. I also noticed that the restrictions made the idea more interesting than if I had just designed a normal mug. It made me realize that sometimes it’s about giving yourself just enough structure to build something smarter.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Graphic Design Theory: Project 1

Image
Hello again! Long time, no speak (haha).  This week, we were tasked with creating a 3.5" x 2" business card in Adobe Photoshop, being mindful of our use of color, whitespace, typeface, and C.R.A.P. (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity).  I have some experience with Photoshop, and this still proved to be a challenging assignment - I couldn't stop picturing the business cards I had previously made, which go against many of the rules we were taught this week. I really wanted to start from scratch and learn the proper process, versus just editing an old design!  I spent a solid 30 minutes getting reacquainted with the program before creating this. There was a lot of trial and error (mostly error) before I decided this was the route I wanted to take. I used my small business as a guideline, as it gave me a jumping-off point for the color palette.  My business colors are black, purple, and silver/white, and I have a tendency to use imagery that reflects th...
Read more

Social Media and Digital Marketing (WK1) - SMART Goals (Vans)

Image
*Please click the image to enlarge for clear viewing* I know, I know...I went over the top when completing this assignment. I've finished quite a few SWOT analyses and SMART goals (before The Art Institute closed, I took an E-Commerce and Social Media Marketing course, as well as doing these for my own business); therefore, I am intimately familiar with this process. I have a preference for coordinating branding when it comes to assignments like this, so naturally, I applied that to my SMART goals to match my SWOT analysis.   
Read more

Digital Illustration (WK2) - Project 3 "Identity Package"

Image
For this assignment, we were asked to create an identity package using our own subject and original artwork. I chose to redesign my business identity and go with a more "metal-inspired" approach.  For the updated logo, I created a font by drawing it by hand first. I knew I wanted it to look vampiric, but also take inspiration from band merchandise that I've seen over the years.  I was able to get more comfortable with the freeform gradient tool, which is what I used for the letters in the new logo.  I also used the gradient mesh tool for the moon, which I believe helped to give it some dimension. I learned a lot about this tool while doing this project, and I'm excited to use it more in the future!    For the second part of the project, I needed to create stationery using the new logo. I liked the idea of putting a trim at the bottom (demonstrated in the textbook), so I drew the heart chain on paper first and then traced it in Illustrator (I'm not a very skilled...
Read more