moments; hanisha amin_mfa portfolio

2

S E L E C T E D W O R K S O F H A N I S H A A M I N C H 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 0 9 1 0

HANISHA AMIN

MFA portfolio

hahanisha.com

defined as brief but meaningful,

signif icant or impactful periods

of t ime in one’s life

M O

M EN T S

006

S E L E C T E D W O R K S O F H A N I S H A A M I N M F A P O R T F O L I O

what

we

see and

do

can

evoke

and

inspire,

these simple

moments can

translate

into

new

ideas

007

M O M E N T S

TR ANSL AT ING

MOMENT S

A designer’s process always starts small. Maybe the lit t le voice

inside your head gives you the green light to begin something

amazing. From simply hearing a word, seeing a color or speak-

ing with someone new you can plant the seed of inspiration.

I’ve found that my own design process involves using personal

epiphanies to inspire unique solutions to design problems.

008


009MOM AND DAD —

I dedicate this compilation of experiences and expressions both of

you. Thank you for pushing me to escape the four walls in our small

southern home, for suppor t ing f inancia l ly, emotionally and last ly

and for a l lowing me to view the world in a creative, beautiful way.

Thank you both.

M O M E N T S

010

Confucius

“EVERYTHING HAS BEAUTY, BUT NOT EVERYONE SEES IT”


011

M O M E N T S

M O M E N T S

C O

T EN T S

01 URBANIZE

014–031

04 MURDER

078–093

07 REFLECT

122–135

02 E XPRES S

032–047

05 OBSERVE

094–107

08 EMPATHIZE

136–165

03 HUMANIZE

048–077

06 FRESHEN

108–121

09 CONQUER

166–189

10 CELEBR ATE

190–223

MFA Thesis

I

WATCHED

my dad

plant

seeds

in our

yard

in

south

Arkansas

U R

B A NI Z E

PROJEC T

01/10

HA MOMENTS

I

WATCHED

my dad

plant

seeds

in our

yard

in

south

Arkansas

ONE SEED —

OBJECT IVE To choose a problem and a conceptual design solution

that visually communicates through a hypothetical brand.

This brand is accompanied with a set of deliverables that

range from informational, retail and promotional materials.

APPROACH

The US Center for Disease Control says one in three Americans are

obese and only 25% of adults consume the recommended f ive servings

of fruits and vegetables a day. Growing up in Arkansas and now living

in San Francisco, I noticed the extreme lack of space. I created One

Seed—a brand that promotes indoor gardening to urban residents. The

company paves the way for a much healthier lifestyle for a fraction of

the cost compared with organic local farmers. Provided that the

right tools and education are given to start.

018


C O U R S E

Visual Thinking

I N S T R U C T O R

Hunter Wimmer

Y E A R

Summer 2013

T I M E F R A M E

Six Weeks

C AT E G O R Y

PrintIdentity

T Y P E F A C E

Archer Wisdom ScriptCitizen Slab

P H O T O G R A P H E R

Hanisha Amin

FROM FARML AND TO CIT Y;

When creating a mood board and color palette for this

project, I was inspired by terracotta pots, sweet yellow bell

peppers and mint leaves for something inviting and fresh.

One Seed is ideal for a college student who wants to step away

from ramen or a Grandmother looking for a new hobby.

019

M O M E N T S — U R B A N I Z E —

020


021


022


023


024


025


026


027

M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —

028


basilone seed

One Seed basil works well living in a mason jar on a very sunny window pane. The plant needs a good amount of water but avoid sogginess.

one seed basil

12 seeds, start planting april 5

029


030


031


I

LOVED

to

eat

my

mum's

home

made

cakes

HA MOMENTS

E X

P RE S S

PROJEC T

02/10

I

LOVED

to

eat

my

mum's

home

made

cakes

V INTAGE CAKES —

OBJECT IVE Choose a coffee-table book and redesign a few inside spreads based

on the subject of the book. Challenge yourself to better communicate

the essence of the publication and demonstrate how you can take

the concept and transform it.

APPROACH

Recipe books have always been my favorite genre in the book store.

I came across Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson and as I was f lipping

through, I saw great opportunity for change. I wondered to myself

why the name of this book is called Vintage Cakes because none of the

existing design choices acted on it. The recipes were the only part of

the book that was considered classical; ranging from red velvet to

grandmother’s classic white. I chose to take the beautiful photography

and implement a new style that creates a feeling of nostalgia yet

still remains contemporary.

036


C O U R S E

Type Composition

I N S T R U C T O R

David Hake

Y E A R

Spring 2013

T I M E F R A M E

Five Weeks

C AT E G O R Y

Print

T Y P E F A C E

Bebas Chaparral Pro


Hanisha Amin

C L A S S I C & N O S TA L G I C ;

An 8x8 coffee-table book —good enough to give your mother

on her birthday or if you ever feel like baking classic cakes,

for your husband. With my redesign, I wanted to keep it taste-

ful, and compelling but also yummy.

037

M O M E N T S — E X P R E S S —

038


039


040


041


042


043


044


045


046


047


I

READ

General

Electric's

2012

annual

report;

it put

me to

sleep

right

away

HA MOMENTS

H U

M A NI Z E

PROJEC T

03/10

I

READ

General

Electric's

2012

annual

report;

it put

me to

sleep

right

away

GE: HELLO THERE —

OBJECT IVE to design an annual report for a given corporation using

a strong concept and visual language system.

APPROACH

My corporation is General Electric. For the report, I wanted to focus

on giving the brand a modern look but still remaining true to the ideals

and ethos of GE. I purposefully wanted to stay away from showing

machinery, instead, I used empowering black and white photography to

elegantly present what GE does at a large scale. Via this strategy I was

able to present GE as a modern, t imeless, company.

052


POWERING THE PEOPLE ;

Apple's new iOS 7 inspired the visual style of this report.

I wanted to act upon a design trend that was popular at the

moment while also using elements that help minimize

the exhaustion of trying to comprehend lots of extensive

charts and graphs.

C O U R S E

Type Systems

I N S T R U C T O R

Tim Carpenter

Y E A R

Fall 2013

T I M E F R A M E

Fifteen Weeks

C AT E G O R Y

PrintDigital Publishing

T Y P E F A C E

Gotham Sentinel


Hanisha Amin

053

M O M E N T S — H U M A N I Z E —

054


055


056


057


058


059


060


061


062


063


064


065


066


067


068


069


070

GE IN THE DIG ITAL RE ALM;

The General Electric 2013 annual report is also available

for iPad. One can download the report as an e-magazine for

free and view it at their leisure. The digital publication

offers interactive elements which allow the user to quickly

and eff iciently swipe through content.


071


072


073


074


075


076


077


I

BEGAN

to tear

petal

by petal,

only

to

realize

what

I've

done

HA MOMENTS

M U

R DE R

PROJEC T

04/10

A BEAUTIFUL HOMICIDE —

OBJECT IVE Choose a subject of choice and express it conceptually through

experimental typography. Final deliverable is in the form of posters.

APPROACH

Nature has always been something that makes me love life; I swoon

over grand views, bright f lower bouquets on Valentines day and serene

bodies of water that make you think about l ife and all it ’s wonders.

Through this project, I chose to focus on the freshness of life countered

by the slow transition to death. Through plucking f lowers from their

original state and letting them go through a natural process of wilting,

I was able to show that everything comes to an end, and when one life

ends, another begins.

I

BEGAN

to tear

petal

by petal,

only

to

realize

what

I've

done

082

L IFE AND DE ATH;

Since I have never had the expertise to create beautiful typography by

hand like that of Jessica Hiche, I saw this as a great opportunity to cre-

ate thought provoking work, behind which, a powerful story existed. It

wasn’t until I let a bag of f lowers die in my apartment, that I f igured out

what I was trying to convey. By allowing myself to escape my desk and

explore the outdoors, I came to appreciate the briefness of life.

C O U R S E

Experimental Type

I N S T R U C T O R

Irina Blok

Y E A R

Spring 2014

T I M E F R A M E

Five Weeks

C AT E G O R Y

PrintHand-Made Process

T Y P E F A C E

Orator


Hanisha Amin


083

M O M E N T S — M U R D E R —

084


085


086

S E L E C T E D W O R K S O F H A N I S H A A M I N C H 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 0 9 1 0S E L E C T E D W O R K S O F H A N I S H A A M I N C H 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 0 9 1 0

087

M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —M O M E N T S — M U R D E R —


088


089

090


091


092

— C L A S S I C C Y C L E


093

O F M O R TA L I T Y—


I

BOUGHT

a

magazine,

it

was

the

worst

f ive

dollars

ever

spent

HA MOMENTS

O B

S ER V E

PROJEC T

05/10

I

BOUGHT

a

magazine,

it

was

the

worst

f ive

dollars

ever

spent

THE DENIM ISSUE —

OBJECT IVE Choose an existing magazine and develop a concept of re-design

with expression through experimental typography.

APPROACH

As I was waiting for my f light to Houston, I bought a magazine to pass

some time. While f lipping through, I became frustrated because every

other page was an advertisement. Was this the worst f ive dollars ever

spent? I chose to re-design Nylon magazine and focus on articles as well

as fashion advertisements to draw in my chosen audience. My demo-

graphic was young millennials with short attention spans. In order to

get them to engage with every page of the magazine, I decided to

eliminate any type of grid system to spark interest. Through various

type treatments and an Instagram photo style, I was able to create

interesting layouts that allowed teens spend more than ten minutes

with their f ive dollar magazine.

098


B R E A K I N G T H E R U L E S ;

A typographic mess all composed into a 8.5 x 11 magazine.

This project allowed me to escape my comfort zone, play with

sideways type, and experiment with leading and kerning.

Ultimately, it taught me to appreciate traditional typesetting

and it 's usefulness in regards to readability.

C O U R S E

Experimental Type

I N S T R U C T O R

Irina Blok

Y E A R

Spring 2014

T I M E F R A M E

Five Weeks

C AT E G O R Y

Print

T Y P E F A C E

Orator Courier NewUnivers 59Facunda


Hanisha Amin

099

M O M E N T S — O B S E R V E —

100


101


102


103

M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —M O M E N T S — O B S E R V E —

104


105


106


107


I

SPENT

Sunday

afternoon

in a

cafe,

writing

ideas

for

class

while

I sipped

an almond

latte

HA MOMENTS

F R

E SH E N

PROJEC T

06/10

I

SPENT

Sunday

afternoon

in a

cafe,

writing

ideas

for

class

while

I sipped

an almond

latte

THE SUGARLUMP S TORY —

OBJECT IVE Choose a small business in San Francisco and create a re-design of their

current website accompanied with a responsive mobile experience.

APPROACH

As I was sit t ing in Sugarlump Cafe on 24th and Mission, I was

brainstorming businesses that had websites in need of refreshment.

I pondered over Sugarlump’s website and noticed that the site did

not ref lect the ambiance of the coffee shop I was sit t ing in. I took my

personal experience as an opportunity to market Sugarlump online

and show what they are best at: organic coffee and the supporting of

local artists. Through friendly photography and a coffee-esque

color palette, I revamped Sugarlump to stay true to who they are

and what they offer.

112

N O T Y O U R A V E R A G E C U P O F J O E ;

Many independent coffee shops have no marketing or

design budgets. They thrive via word of mouth advertising

and a craftsmans passion for the product. An engaging

web presence is not typically sought after and as a result, I

took this opportunity to lif t Sugarlump out of the analog

age, and drive them into the digital realm.

C O U R S E

Digital Design

I N S T R U C T O R

Lloyd Mitchell

Y E A R

Fall 2014

T I M E F R A M E

Seven Weeks

C AT E G O R Y

WebMobile UI

T Y P E F A C E

Whitney ITC Sentinel


Hanisha Amin


113

M O M E N T S — F R E S H E N —

114


115


116


117


118


119


120


121


I

R A IDED

mom's

closet

and

found

her

vintage

sweater;

looks

great

with my

denim

HA MOMENTS

R E

F LE C T

PROJEC T

07/10

I

R A IDED

mom's

closet

and

found

her

vintage

sweater;

looks

great

with my

denim

PIECES OF THE PA S T —

OBJECT IVE To select a subject and explore it for a total of thirteen weeks.

By implementing a variety of design elements such as hand-written

typography and photo-collage, the process turns into the primary

content for a f inal book.

APPROACH

I chose to explore the subject of fashion because I was interested in

how it ref lects through the ages. My process involved visit ing magazine

stores in San Francisco and reaching back to the 60’s and 70’s to collect

vintage catalogs that can then be incorporated into the present to create

something new. Fashion is expressive and boundless. I deliberately

designed my book to show how today’s fashion is both creative and

unique, while still remaining a ref lection of the past.

126


THIRTEEN WEEKS OF MINDLES S PROCES S ;

This was the f irst project in which I approached design

outside the computer. I came to realize that true creativity

involves your hand and your brain working in sync.

C O U R S E

Making Ideas Visible

I N S T R U C T O R

Scott Rankin

Y E A R

Fall 2012

T I M E F R A M E

Fifteen Weeks

C AT E G O R Y

Print

T Y P E F A C E

Din Bodoni


Hanisha Amin

127


128


129

M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —

130


131


132


133


134


M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —

I

FIND

myself

feeling

lonely

and

I

just

want

someone

to

talk

to

HA MOMENTS

E M

P A TH I Z E

PROJEC T

08/10

SHIF T ING S TATES —

OBJECT IVE Design all features of a f ilm festival dedicated to a f ilm director of your

choice. Discover a common thread that appears in each of the director’s

f ilms and conceptualize a design aesthetic that brings it to life. Develop

a system of deliverables that include: a catalog, a poster, DVD’S, t ickets,

schedule and promotional materials such as website and advertisements

which all capture the essence of your f ilm festival.

APPROACH

I admire Sofia Coppola’s f ilms because I can relate directly to the

protagonists of her f ilms; the young and the privileged. I choose to

pursue Coppola as my director because I'm intrigued by the way

she conveys loneliness and the lack of empathy for others. Through

watching her f ilms, I noticed that the main characters are at a cross-

roads in their lives; whereby a moment of pure human connection

creates a shift in their attitudes toward life. I chose to communicate

this idea of shifting states; through a particular photo style that shows

young teenagers lost in wonder. By living as if I were the characters

and placing myself in their shoes, I visually captured the soul of

Coppola’s f ilms.

I

FIND

myself

feeling

lonely

and

I

just

want

someone

to

talk

to

140


THE MOMENT OF F INDING ONESELF ;

On the outside, the privileged young adult lives a desirable

lifestyle. However, when we look inwards we f ind that a bleak

existential outlook keeps them perpetually adrift. Yearning

to f ind purpose— a momentary exchange of empathy from

pure human connection sparks an epiphany that shifts their

stance on life and opens up their world.

C O U R S E

Integrated Communications

I N S T R U C T O R

Christopher Morlan

Y E A R

Spring 2014

T I M E F R A M E

Fifteen Weeks

C AT E G O R Y

Print

Packaging

Web

T Y P E F A C E

Orator

Archer

Gotham


Hanisha Amin

141

M O M E N T S — E M P A T H I Z E —

142


143


144


145


146

Am

eric

an Z

oetr

ope

Stud

io

San

Fran

cisc

o

www.shifting-states.co

m

featuring

MAY12–14

/ a

sofia

coppol

a film

festival

the

/mom

ent/

of

finding

oneself

_the virgin suicides

_lost in translation

_marie antoinette

_somewhere


147

Am

eric

an Z

oetr

ope

Stud

io

San

Fran

cisc

o

www.shifting-states.co

m

featuring

MAY12–14

/ a

sofia

coppol

a film

festival

the

/mom

ent/

of

finding

oneself

_the virgin suicides

_lost in translation

_marie antoinette

_somewhere


148


149

what we have here is a dreamer; someone completely out of touch with reality


150


151


152


153


154


155


156


/fil

m sc

reen

ings/

10 a.m.

1 p.m.

3 p.m.

5 p.m.

/thevirginsuicides

/lostintranslation

/marieantoinette

/somewhere

American Zoetrope Studio916 kearny street, sf

all day pass

the

/moment/

of

finding

oneself

a sofia coppola film festival

admit onemay 13, 2014

157

a sofia coppola film festival


the

/moment/

of

finding

oneself


/pol

aroids

& re

cord

s/

9–11 a.m.

2–8 p.m.

/photoexhibit

/rock-on Air: 2 p.m.

Phoenix: 4 p.m.

The Police: 6 p.m.

The Strokes: 8 p.m.

all day pass

American Zoetrope Studio916 kearny street, sf

/a c

oppo

labirt

hday/

2 p.m. & on /coppola meet & greet

/tea party

/photobooth

all day pass


158


159


160

film screenings /

view each of coppola’s films

starting at 10 a.m.

The Virgin Suicides: 10 a.m.

Lost in Translation: 1 p.m.

intermission

Marie Antoinette: 3 p.m.

Somewhere: 5 p.m.

mondaymay 12 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.


161


162


163


164


165


I

MOVED

to

San

Francisco

with

no

clue

on

how

the

world

works

HA MOMENTS

C O

N QU E R

PROJEC T

09/10

I

MOVED

to

San

Francisco

with

no

clue

on

how

the

world

works

THE BEAUT Y WITHIN YOU —

OBJECT IVE Choose a brand that is dead, dying or defunct and identify its essence.

Revive the brand by developing a new brand identity and by creating

brand extensions that open the company to a whole new audience while

still remaining true to it ’s original purpose.

APPROACH

I chose to re-brand Avon— the largest supplier of women's beauty

products in the world. The challenge was to take the brand to a new

realm and push its boundaries beyond it 's original purpose. The

old Avon caters to middle-aged women and offers them entrepreneurial

opportunities via connecting to other women in their area. The new

Avon seeks to guide young girls into adulthood—to a point in life where

they can f ind themselves. I successfully revived Avon from a catalog

on Grandmother’s stool to a service that guides millennial females to

a successful, bright future. Through a new logotype, a chic color system

and physical brand extensions, I was able to communicate Avon as a

trustworthy, friendly and helpful brand for young girls.

170


A BR IGHT, INDEPENDENT FUTURE ;

We don't disassociate from pink but instead we help steer

young girls on to a bright path for a successful, independent

future. We encourage them to embrace natural beauty and

help their feminine side shine, and to build connections with

others based on similarities not differences.

C O U R S E

Nature of Identity

I N S T R U C T O R

Hunter Wimmer

Y E A R

Fall 2014

T I M E F R A M E

Fifteen Weeks

C AT E G O R Y

IdentityPrint

T Y P E F A C E

Elido Ibis Text


Hanisha Amin

171

M O M E N T S — C O N Q U E R —

172


173


174


175


176


177


178


179


180


181


182


183

M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —M O M E N T S — C O N Q U E R —

184


185


186


187


188


189


190


Wa lt Disney

"OUR CUSTOMS, THE THINGS WE LIVE BY AND TEACH OUR CHILDREN ARE PRESERVED BY HOW WE FREELY EXCHANGE IDEAS AND FEELINGS

191

A CHANCE TO PL AY MANY DIFFERENT POSIT IONS AND ROLES ;

This thesis is a chance for a designer to take on multiple roles within a single project.

It is their chance to be a art director, a junior designer, a production manager and a

UX/UI designer all in one. It starts out by choosing a problem to solve through design,

followed by conducting extensive research and then f inally delivering a robust solu-

tion that is both conceptually and visually proficient. This project should demon-

strate a range of design skills including: conceptual thinking, audience analysis with

user testing, and tackling a real world problem via execution of effective design.

T H

E SI S

M O M E N T S — C E L E B R A T E —

I

HAVE

lost

touch

with

my

Indian

identity

HA MOMENTS

C E

L EB R AT E

PROJEC T

10/10

PART I —

OBJECT IVE Around 3 million Indian people now reside in America and make

up the second largest Asian population. Hinduism is the third largest

religion and India possesses some of the oldest traditions in the

world. Growing up in America and through research by observation

and conversation, I’ve found that young second generation Indians

are losing touch with their heritage. Given that America is known for

its diversity, Indian culture doesn’t receive much recognition like

other cultures do. For example— the Chinese and Chinese New Year.

How can you help preserve culture and incorporate it into your

daily life if you are not surrounded by it or have a community to

join in with? Young adults like to do things in groups.

APPROACH

I wanted to reconnect with who I am and where I come from using

my thesis. The outcome of this masters thesis is to help young Indians

preserve Indian culture in America and to keep traditions alive for

future generations. For me, my siblings, my friends and other second

generation Indians; I want to build appreciation, excitement, and

pride for a beautiful heritage in a fun and engaging way. I want to teach

young Indians our culture in a fun yet informative way; a visual party.

I successfully reached my audience by developing a series of delivera-

bles that function on many platforms to suit their needs.

I

HAVE

lost

touch

with

my

Indian

identity

196


PART I—BRING OUT YOUR INDIAN S IDE ;

I had just come back from India. While I was there, I noticed how vibrant

the country was despite it 's destitute population. The tasty chicken masala, the

aroma of spice market, bright tradit ional clothing and the tasteful hand-done

typography was something I became ecstatic about. What I saw in the motherland

became the inspirat ion for my visual design. I used the notion of taking my

audience on a visual trip to India via bright colors, vivid photography, and graphic

elements reminiscent of Indian culture. Parti is an organization that helps them

remember why being Indian is great.

C O U R S E

Visual Communications Lab, Thesis:

Concept, Exploration and Refinement

I N S T R U C T O R

Phil Hamlett, Jeremy Stout,

Dave Gottwald and Hunter Wimmer

Y E A R

Fall 2013—August 2015

T I M E F R A M E

Two Years

C AT E G O R Y

Identity

Print

Web / App UI

T Y P E F A C E

Brandon Grotesque Filosofia


Hanisha Amin

197


198


199

M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —M O M E N T S — C E L E B R A T E —

200


201


202


203

PART I IN HINDI TR ANSL ATES TO PART Y IN ENGLISH .


204


205


207


208


HINDU TEMPLE ; GUJAR AT, INDIA

209

M O M E N T S — R E F L E C T —M O M E N T S — C E L E B R A T E —

210


211


212


J O I N T H E P A R T I . C O M ;

This website caters to young adults with short attention spans because

through research I've found that many get information through social media

and the web in general. Jointheparti.com displays interactive media that

teaches and excites one about Indian heritage. You can f ind a gallery of India's

beauty, recipes to different cuisine and videos of many fun celebrations and

customs. This website also provides details for upcoming Parti events which

can all be accessed via the Parti Facebook page.

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224

Anonymous

“IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES, YOU MAY MISS SOME-THING GOOD”


225

M O M E N T S

226

T I TLE —

Moments

HANISHA AMIN —

870.814.9348

hahanisha.com

[email protected]

SCHOOL OF GR APHIC DES IGN —

Academy of Art University

79 New Montgomery,

San Francisco, CA 94105

Inst: Mary Scott and Phil Hamlett

PR INT ING —

Graphic Imagery- South San Francisco, CA

BINDING —

The Key Printing and Binding- Oakland, CA

PAPER —

Cover Stock: Arrestox, White

Text Stock: Mohawk Uncoated 100#

End Paper: Frosted Gold, Flax Art and Design

T YPEFACES —

Cogito

Source-Serif

SOF T WARE —

Adobe Creative Suite CC: Photoshop,

Illustrator and InDesign

PHOTOGR APHY —

Hanisha Amin

Canon T3i

© 20 15 ALL R IGHT S RESERVED —

No part of this publication can be reproduced

without express permission from Hanisha Amin


227

TR ANSL AT ING

MOMENT S IN THE SELECTED WORKS

OF HANISHA AMIN

A G R E AT B I G T H A N K Y O U —

To my professors, family, friends and husband— thank you for being the

support I need to succeed in this profession. I could not have found my passion

for design without your help, your kind words and your belief in me.

Thank you all.

M O M E N T S

moments; hanisha amin_mfa portfolio

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