Featured Item: Client Project - Itsu

Here is the more traditional style assignment - where one is given a brief from a client to understand, investigate and eventually realise to. In this case the client is Itsu - an established chain of sushi bars with a western interpretation to key Japanese dishes.

Itsu wanted a fresh approach to the the packaging of their products, to enhance the shelf presence of very healthy food on sale in their stores, and for the brand to be seen as environmentally-friendly.

My reply to the brief was to exploit Itsu's nature of being fairly upmarket and exclusive (the locations of the bars' sites and customer audiences determine this). I came up with packaging foodstuffs with a tactile texture that reflects Itsu's image. Made of biodegradable materials shows the eco-awareness of the company, meanwhile simply placing windows that entice to see the highly nutritious content ticks the box of showcasing truly healthy food.

Featured Project - Paul Smith Television

For the final year of the product design course students were given total control over their major project - this is known as the "Self-Initiated Brief" (SIP). I saw this as an ideal time to expose my deep infatuation for electrical home entertainment products.

My project was centered on the most favoured of such artefacts - the television set. With over a billion sets sold to date, TV is enjoyed worldwide. Despite the wide scope of content television delivers to satisfy everyone's taste, the same cannot be said of the sets themselves. The current range of mid to high-end models have such a similar look and appeal. Upon identifying this observation, my aim was to add a fashion element to increase the appreciation for the look of the actual set.

Paul Smith was the brand chosen to embellish the concept. With the synonymous "classic with a twist" motto, I took the archetypal visuals of a current television (ie widescreen, slimline depth with LCD technology, main unit upon a tabletop stand etc.) and embellished it with features seen in abundance from the 70s era of sets; clunky buttons and switches, dials that slide along to adjust volume levels/ change channel and so on. The trademark Paul Smith stripe was incorporated in a subtle way by using zebrano wood all around the frame of the main unit and base stand.

Introduction - Me!

Hi, I'm Alex - a young Brit aspiring to be a successful product/industrial designer. I've always had a passion for drawing; in my childhood I would always try to copy the illustrations of my favourite cartoon characters and video game heroes from magazines. I didn't trace ever, I wanted to faithfully emulate the images directly from eye. Entering my teens my interests fine-tuned. My fascination for say Sonic the Hedgehog for example, was being overpowered by the hardware that I'd be controlling him with. I just loved my TV and my Walkman amongst other gadgets. Interacting with such items was such a pleasure for me, but it wasn't until entering sixth form that it clicked that drawing electrical goods could be a realistic career path. My journey in becoming a designer had begun.

I'm currently in my final year at Central Saint Martins art college studying BA Product Design. Within this blog I'd like to show you selected pieces of work stemming from projects on this course; and various other works outside of my studies. With my degree coming to an end, I'm taking this opportunity to promote my designs in the hope of professionally entering the creative industries. Please do not hesitate in leaving comments, or contacting me if you'd like any additional information regarding my work.

Enjoy your stay,
Alex Boakye