The Art of Gratitude
Background
The purpose of this project was to create a thank you card with a design that is memorable, attractive, and unique while effectively applying the principles of design. The typography has to be artfully aligned to the marketing objectives, and the color application should be harmonious and attractive.
Research
Before I began sketching designs, I had to do research on the subject. I looked at various examples of thank you cards and analyzed the art and design choice as well as the placement of the text on the front and the inside. Once I felt that I had seen enough examples for inspiration, I moved on to the next phase.
Sketches
I was conflicted when it came to the art direction. I didn't know if I wanted to do abstract, landscape, or animal art, so I ended up sketching a little of everything, totaling twenty sketches. I roughly sketched the typography just to get a feel of where the text would be placed in the design. As for the message, I was undecided on what it should say. I knew what I wanted on the inside but I had no clue for the front. I didn't want it to outright state "Thank You"; I wanted it to look unique and stand out from the typical thank you card. I then got the idea to have the message reflect the artwork. A phrase that mentions the subject of the artwork; a clever pun, or a compliment to the person the card is addressed to. Some of the sketches do use the standard thank you on the front because either I couldn't think of an appropriate message to go along with the artwork or I thought the simple message could work with the simple artwork.
Digital Rough
Next was to do a digital rough of one of my designs. Looking over my designs, I found myself drawn to the fourth design. I loved the way the fox's brush was swept across the canvas and how your eye would travel from the head to the tail, creating a nice sense of flow. I also really loved the message for that design, as I felt it was one of the more stronger ones, as well as being a pun (I'm a sucker for puns). Using Illustrator, I created the design, making sure to size the artboard the actual size of a thank you card. I refined the design and added more details, such as stars to the night sky and shading to the fox's fur and tail. The text I kept in the same position as the initial sketch and chose a font that I thought would go well with the artwork. Here's the end result:
After getting feedback on the digital rough, I went and made changes to the design. First I changed out the font for something more contemporary and instead of leaving the text hanging out in space all lonesome, I made the text travel along the curve of the tail. It not only made the message easier to read, but it also added flow. The eyes travel across the fox and to the message. I made the fox smaller so as not to feel cramped, and I made the stars more "star-like". After a little more touchups here and there, I had my final artwork.
Setting Up the File
Now that the artwork is done, it was time to bring my concept into reality. First, I had to set up the Indesign file, making sure the document has the correct bleed and crop marks. It was imperative for me to set up the guides where the fold lien will be, so when the card is printed out, everything is in the right place. Once the document was set up, I placed the artwork in it and then added the inside text and the contact information on the back, making sure that everything was typeset correctly. After double checking the settings, the file was ready for printing.
Mockup
All that was left to do was print out my final result. I printed the card out double-sided and trimmed it, making sure that I stuck to the crop marks. I folded the card carefully, making sure it was along the fold line. Then I photographed all three surfaces of the mockup.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this project. It allowed me to experiment a lot in Illustrator and it allowed me to become more comfortable with vector art. I really love how the end result looks and I'm glad I took the feedback into consideration. When I look at the first rendition of the artwork compared to the end result, it becomes apparent how much the changes improved it.
