Maboroshi

There is magic in our world, but it is not what you might be thinking. This magic is inside everyone through four types of elements. As I grew up, I learned to be kind to individuals, to give and receive love, to believe in myself, and to take risks no matter how scary. This inspiration was from my parents, my friendships, and my romantic relationships. I want to show what I learned and spread it to the rest of the world. I was eight years old when I stumbled upon a set of trading cards. These cards showed me positive ways to see the world through beautiful illustrations of horses and positive quotes. These cards are no longer being created; therefore, I have created my own set of trading cards. A series of trading cards that express self-care displaying four elements given to each character. 

The trading card characters are inspired by animals, plants, and ocean life. I didn't want to look at ideas created by other artists, but to create something more from real life. Some more aspects of my research were to look for ways to make plastic-free products. Most trading cards use flimsy plastic to hold the cards in. If an individual opens sets of cards, they are producing trash that will hurt our planet. I also learned that most biodegradable materials do not biodegrade into the earth. Only certain materials are biodegradable, for example, paper, cardboard, and mushrooms.   

Some other aspects of the card series are coming up with a name-naming search by combining letters of words that relate to the overall theme. I started with Kawbi, and Yumeimo and landed on Maboroshi. The word kawbi is a tattoo shop, and Yumeimo means dream potato in Japanese. Maboroshi is a Japanese word for dream-like and phantasm. Maboroshi was not only an easy word to say but it fits with the aesthetic. A lot of inspiration for the packaging was from tarot cards. Designs like Mystic Monday and The Wizard’s Tarot had a simple yet graphic style that was a perfect example of where I wanted to go with the designs. I could create a simple card design and packaging having a comfy and mystical feel.   

The first step to start the card series is to put the whole project into one or two sentences. I can get the basic premise into a few sentences to help the audience understand the product. After that, I wanted to make four elements to represent the characters and the affirmations they would say. I chose four traits that I have learned in my life so far and want to continue learning. These elements are Hope, Love, Bravery, and Kindness. When writing down these traits and what they meant to me, I realized the icons all relate. Next, I started creating character designs for twelve cards. Each character had a symbol and was from a different part of the environment. I focused on looking at real animals, planets, and ocean life for inspiration. Some designs were straightforward, while others were complicated designs. The other characters continued to be tweaked as I went on. Once I put the characters altogether, I started their sketches for their illustrations. For inspiration, I decided on a graphical, simple style for the characters. After the sketched images, I began focusing on the packaging and logo. The logo was a simple and clean shape. I wish to create a series for eight-year-olds to 16-year-olds interested in collecting, fantasy, gaming, and self-care. The design style is mystical, comfortable, and playful. The goal is to inspire the audience to be better versions of themselves and be inspired by the characters to do better for the world. I came up with two options for the logo, an M connecting to a cloud or a moon. I believe the moon read better for the brand. I want the packaging to be simple and comfortable, similar to the logo. I created a bright and amusing color palette to fit with the characters and the elements. The card designs show the illustration and name on the front while giving more detail about the character's symbol, quote, and personality on the back. Each box with the set of cards will have an instruction card to give more information on the trading cards and the world that the characters come from. The box that will hold each set of trading cards is a sleek and adorable design of the colored logo surrounded by clouds. To the left and right side of the box is a pattern of the symbols from the series. The top and bottom of the box have the smaller logo in white. Lastly, I put every design together and mocked them up on products. I wanted a round edge on the cards, so I photoshopped the mocked-up cards. The background had colors that contrasted the products. 

What I learned along the way with trading cards is trying to bite more than you can chew. I want to create work that fits altogether instead of piling on a bunch of ideas. I am still learning more about packaging design, but the thesis opened a new door. The packaging design was a lot of fun, especially with my project! I also learned that managing time for a whole project is significant. Everyone struggles with time management, but I see how easily time can slip from you. Maboroshi is a wonderfully bright card series that expresses self-care with its characters. Each character spreads its bits of inspirational affirmations to others who may need it.