mel woodard: portfolio
DESCRIPTION
A sample of the projects I've been working on both at school and work over the past year. More can be seen at melwoodard.com!TRANSCRIPT
My naMe is Mel.
i subscribe to the philosophy of eclecticism. i am
not only a designer, but a swing dancer, a coffee
geek, an avid jazz appreciator, an improvisational
cook, a vintage dress reproducer, and a very
sarcastic individual.
it isn’t the design world that shapes how we
design. it’s everything around us. Who we are,
where we’re from, our crazy families, our odd
habits, our offbeat interests and passing fancies.
We’re all part of this expansive network of
individuals, no two of us alike. it’s called earth.
so, how do i approach design? i design for those
people i share earth with. i want to improve how
you can use a package. i want to engage you to
read. i want to peak your interest in something
new. Design isn’t great because of any aesthetic
properties or trendy qualities, but because it is
accessible by everyone.
MoDern Heritage
the Modern Heritage brand is a series of kits
aimed at reintroducing the art of film pho-
tography to the general public. although film
has been experiencing a resurgence in recent
years, it has mostly been restricted to a niche
market, leaving little accessibility to those with
little or no prior knowledge of photography.
the goal is to show the user not just how to
use the camera, but give them an understand-
ing of how photography works.
the first kit in this series, the Friedlander, is a basic 35mm slr system that includes a camera,
external flash, two rolls of B&W film, two mailers to send in film for processing, and an instructional
booklet. the series could potentially be extended to include kits for a tlr camera, medium format,
polaroid, pinhole and more, offering the chance to dabble in more experimental photography.
CHuí Mate
not to be confused with your average earl
grey, mate (MaH-tay) is a traditional brewed
drink originating in south america. Chuí Mate
aims to set itself above the growing sea of
mate brands not only by avoiding stereotypi-
cal “south american” imagery, but also by
improving the usability of its packaging. With a
sliding door and the mate packets on a perfo-
rated roll, the package allows the user to eas-
ily remove one packet without disturbing the
rest, as is often the case with your traditional
tea packaging design.
(aBoVe leFt) Play-by-play of opening the mate container’s sliding door, retrieving the brew bag
from the perforated roll. the jaguar spans 3 panels before repeating
(aBoVe rigHt) the brew bag, ready to be steeped. the string on the tag is pulled to cinch the bag,
and the reverse side of the jaguar is shown above.
PuBliCity Center
the associated students Publicity Center at
Western Washington university provides ser-
vices to the campus community to publicize
student organizations and events, from con-
certs to lectures to art gallery shows. this has
included such work as posters, handbills, digi-
tal signage, banners, and publication design.
laByrintH
labyrinth is a woman-themed literary and arts journal published annually by the WWu associated students Women’s
Center. the theme for this year, intersections of identity, was played out in a visual vernacular recalling flight paths
and inspired by the clean, minimalist design of airport wayfinding. the journal also
had an accompanying gallery show and reception for the artwork.
tHe Hourglass
offering the complete experience from day
till night, the Hourglass Cafe & Bar is a place
where time moves slowly. By day, the space is
a sit-down coffee shop, where customers can
come to enjoy a peaceful cup of single origin
direct-trade coffee and a fresh pastry from
each day’s unique menu. By night, the cafe
is transformed into a bar, serving fine coffee
liqueurs, wines, beers, and a selection of arti-
san desserts from the nightly menu.
tHe Menu
the essence of the Hourglass is portrayed in the frosted plexiglass beverage menu, which displays
the daytime menu on one side and the nighttime menu on the other, with nothing but the hazy,
slow passage of time separating them. With this feature, customers can see what kinds of offerings
are available at both times of day, unlike restaurants with totally separate day and night menus.
WeBsite Design
this is a resource for people to learn about the Hourglass and see the permanent menu selection
(daily rotating menus are only available in the cafe)
Visitors can also find out about upcoming live music, new coffee arrivals, and purchase single-origin
coffee beans by the pound online.
sounD CoMMons
sound Commons is a week-long world music
festival held in the heart of Bellingham, Wa. in
order to engage people and develop interest
in the event, this environmental experience
causes pedestrians to interact with it and with
each other, as they eventually reach a com-
mon destination.
three paths, each following the history of a world instrument, lead to a booth at the famous Bell-
ingham Farmer’s Market, where participants can listen to the instrument they learned about, as well
as those of the other two paths. Here they can also learn about featured acts involving these three
instruments, pick up a complete festival schedule, and take home a card for mp3 downloads.
glanz
glanz is a small line of luxury car care prod-
ucts aimed at the classic automobile enthusi-
ast. the difference with glanz, however, is the
distinction toward the classic european car
market rather than the overused and slightly
cheapened american muscle car imagery.
the brand identifies with being clean and
modern, while emphasizing the heritage be-
hind the brand and adopting the joy of driving
philosophy. it is influenced by the refined de-
sign aesthetic of classic european automobiles
such as the BMW 2002 and Volvo P1800. the
project involved development of an identity,
business collateral, website design, packaging,
and creation of a custom typeface.
Business Collateral Car WaX anD sHaMPoo PaCKaging
WeBsite
Crinoline
Crinoline is a personal project, and my alter-
nate reality if i chose to be more fashion de-
signer than graphic designer. it’s a concept for
a small boutique selling my own handmade
dresses, using original sewing patterns from
the 40s-60s with modern materials. Basically,
the philosophy of the brand blends mid-cen-
tury design influence with modern tastes.
all dressmaking, photography, design and
copywriting were done by yours truly.
WeBsite
the web presence is meant as a tool to understand the brand and everything connected to it. the
blog, which is the main feature of the website, would serve as a platform to talk about what i’m
doing in the shop and in my community, as well as educate people about historical styles of the
mid-century era and modern reinterpretations similar to what i’m doing.
so WHat Do you tHinK?
Do you like what you see? i hope you do, because
i’m passionate about design and proud of my
work, and i would love to learn and experience
more by working with you. With the advent of
social networking, there are about a million ways
to get a hold of me, but here are the best:
eMail [email protected]
Cell 425.281.1675
WeB melwoodard.com