Week two: 03 February 2025
To prepare for the second class, I created a project manifesto. The stance I took is about my brand’s core values, and why representation is important.
Below is my project manifesto. This is a link to the PDF version.
Week THREE: 10 February 2025
I didn’t get to spend as much time on my project plan as I had anticipated. Unfortunately I was sick this past week, and it got in the way of being productive. I was, however, able to get enough done on my project plan to feel content with moving forward.
I did some research on Hawaiian values, ingredients and skincare brands. I also thought about who my target audience should be, and how to tweak my stance with this project. Meaning, understanding the consequences and assumptions led me to think deeper about how to present this project, and how it will live in the world beyond this class.
This is the link to my project plan.
This is a link to my presentation for this week.
Week four: 18 February 2025
Our first low-res prototype was due this week. For my project, this meant presenting iterations of logo concepts and color palettes to the class.
I wish I had spent more time exploring additional logo concepts, but I wasn’t feeling as inspired this week. I did come up with a logo that I like, but I think I want to spend this upcoming week finalizing a few more concepts.
This is a presentation of finalized logos and a color palette I presented to my class.
Week Five: 24 February 2025
Over the past week, I didn’t work on anything. Unfortunately, my schedule got messed up, and I fell off track. This week, my main focus was getting back on my personal homework schedule.
I fell off track because I wasn’t feeling as inspired over the past week. Ths caused me to push my project to the side, and not work on anything.
Week 6: 03 March 2025
This week, the contextual assignment was due. Here is the link to the document. (Not ready yet)
I met with my instructor for a one-on-one meeting to review my progress on the project. Since I fell behind last week, I had to make executive decisions for my brand. I finalized my logo, color palette, typography, and brand guidelines. My guidelines deck will be an ongoing document until the final presentation, as I will continue adding elements such as digital assets, packaging, and physical assets.
I am very happy with the exponential progress I made over the past week. I went from almost nothing to a functional branding story.
Moving forward, I need to add how my brand presents itself in the digital realm vs. the physical realm.
Week seven: 10 March 2025
This week, our midterm demo is due.
Here is the link to my current brand guidelines, which I presented in class. It includes everything I have worked on so far, including packaging and digital guidelines.
I am happy with the progress I have made. Over the past week, I focused specifically on how the project presents itself in digital spaces vs. physical spaces.
Moving forward, I will work on the actual skincare line for my brand, including the products I will have, and digital mockups.
Week eight: 17 March 2025
Over the past week, I haven’t worked on much. With Spring Break coming up next week, I subconsciously put my work to the side, knowing I could tackle a lot of it then.
Apart from that, I feel confident where I am. I know what I need to do to move forward, and how to get there. For my launch video, I know I will learn and use Adobe After Effects, and Spring break is the perfect time to learn some information.
I prepared a brand guidelines deck for last week's demo. The typography, logo, and color palette are defined and completed. The only limitation I feel right now is the launch video.
These are the unanswered questions I have right now:
Packaging & storytelling: How to best integrate Hawaiian values into the brand identity?
Launch strategy: What should the launch video include?
Website & digital assets: How can the site’s design reflect the brand’s oceanic inspiration?
Week 9: 24 March 2025 (Spring break)
This break was definitely needed. Over Spring Break, I started looking for product mockups for my skincare products. This was actually quite hard because I couldn’t find mockups that were consistent across multiple images. I spent so much time looking and switching between different PSD mockup files that it took up most of my break.
I did not get as much work done throughout Spring Break as anticipated, but I made progress. And, the best thing to say at times like this is, “progress over perfection.”
I also defined the Hawaiian cultural values I plan to highlight and integrate into my brand. I have sections on my website that are dedicated to providing this information, a section in my brand guidelines, and there are some information dispersed onto thee packaging for the products.
Week 10: 31 march 2025
For this class, we were supposed to come with our progress to date since the midterm before Spring Break.
I had prepared a demo of my website including the product mockups that I have been working on. Also, I did some social media graphics, billboard ads, and social media posts. I need feedback on them before I can move forward with them, but I wanted to get something on screen to present to the class. (The links to these will be under Week 11’s blog).
I was not confident with what I had, because it felt rushed due to spending so much time focusing on product mockups and not working on the website at the same time. So, since class was canceled, this gave me another week to perfect my website.
Secondly, I have been thinking about my launch video and I did some storyboarding. I am leaning more toward a professional and fast-paced approach, that includes the Hawaiian cultural values, the products, and important information.
Week 11: 7 april 2025
I am overwhelmed. I underestimated how long the product mockups and website would take, and I am still working on them. (This isn’t a fully fleshed-out prototype, but there is a full landing page and product page: link to Kanaloa website prototype.
Apart from that, I am going home this weekend to record my friend for my launch video. She is the same one found throughout my brand design and marketing collateral.
Week 12: 14 april 2025
Over the past week, I started to actually execute my launch video. I spent time figuring out what the intro should be, and i’ve settled on “Kanaloa” fading in and out on a plain white background. I did this because it matches the website and packaging aesthetic very well. I am happy with this intro.
I was stuck on what should follow after. I did record some content for this launch video, but since I am not the best at this, the videos I have aren’t as good and don’t match the aesthetic I am going for—not that it matters, it’s just the perfectionist in me. So, this helped me realize that I can find videos and content that exists already online if I don’t want to use what I recorded myself.
Also, I spent some time trying to figure out the auto layout in Figma for my accordion drop down menu. I still can’t figure out how to get all the information below the accordion to also move down when the toggles are clicked in the accordion, and I couldn’t find a youtube video unique to my situation to help.
Regarding AI tools, chatGPT is the only one I have used. For this project, I used it to help me understand the ingredients I chose. After researching Hawaiian botanicals and sea ingredients, I leveraged this AI to put together correct ingredients that can interact with each other, that are vegan, and things of this nature. I don’t have enough realistic time to fully go in depth and understand ingredients. If I chose to do it all, I wouldn’t be as far along with my project as I am.
It was also helpful in being a search engine to find correct terminology for looking up tutorials on youtube for my launch video. Since i’m not as familiar with After Effects, this was extremely helpful giving me correct names for transitions or effects, and helped me find the right tutorials so that I can move quicker.