The Design Lab combines the functions of a design studio and a research laboratory at the HSE Art and Design School.
My responsibilities include developing design concepts for university materials: competition covers, certificates, presentations, physical merchandise, and social media posts.
The Art and Design School Merchandise Concept
It was necessary to develop a concept for the School of Design’s new merchandise. I approached the task from an illustrative standpoint and created several print variations for different products.
The first print is based on an updated font configuration from the School of Design. Characters and objects are integrated into the letters to form the university’s name. The narratives include references to the creative industries.
The second print was developed for the HSE Art and Design Kids School. Here, I assemble the name from images that resemble the letters in their shape. This approach adds playfulness and naivete, while also allowing each letter to function as an independent illustration-symbol.
The third print was created specifically for the shopper. I depicted the School’s portfolio homepage, leaving empty boxes where projects would normally be. The bag owner can draw or attach icons to these spaces. The concept of customization could be developed into a series of collectible themed patches or pins dedicated to the Design School.
Competition Covers and Banners
For the Design School’s competitions, cover designs are created to match the theme of each event. I developed some of these while completing my internship.
For the «Kitties and People: Comic Reportage» contest, launched in collaboration with «Crossover,» an imprint of Komilfo Publishing, I illustrated the piece with adaptations for both formats. The cover’s narrative reflects the contest’s theme: the relationship between humans and domestic animals.
For the packaging paper design contest for the «Subscription Publications» kids' program, I needed to create a cover using ready-made materials from the «Yaselki» OP Group.
I presented three variations, one of which was selected for placement on the platform along with a banner.
Digital Materials
I also worked on laying out electronic certificates for competition participants and winners, created graphics for social media posts, and designed other small images for university platforms.
Program Presentation
The course presentation had to be restructured to align with the standards of the School of Design.
Other Projects
In addition to the demonstrated material, I was also involved in other tasks: researching Nizhny Novgorod landmarks and developing a draft collage concept for a museum digest, and selecting student projects for course landing pages.
Currently, I am working on a new illustration project with other artists from the Design Lab. The project is still in the development phase, so it will be shown in subsequent reports.
