Tessa Minshull
I enjoy creating playful pieces of work combining my love for illustration and graphic design whilst exploring themes of the natural world.
About
Throughout my four years at DJCAD and a series of given briefs, I have had the opportunity to undertake a range of design outcomes. As a result, I have developed a process of research and development aiming to explore all avenues of design, including branding and editorial, also, motion, and some through an industry-based structure. I have discovered, through these projects, that I have a passion for themes exploring nature and the environment. This passion is evident in my final year projects.
In my opinion, it is crucial for graphic designers to explore sustainable practices, as we produce such key visual communications. As such, sustainable practice is an important part of my work, especially in the research and planning stage. My drinks brand project ‘Pear Shaped’ aims to fight food waste by containing seasonal fruit which would otherwise be sent to landfill due to overproduction and supermarket’s high cosmetic standards. The labels are made with recycled paper and all the drink’s packaging is recyclable.
My ISTD entry is a publication exploring the relationship between and history of lighthouses and nature. Lighthouses have always benefited the study of birds and nature. However, when automation of lighthouses across the UK occurred, an opportunity arose for lighthouses to become home for the specialised study of birds and bird conservation.
I have a wide range of interests within design and am eager to continue learning and gaining experience within the industry.
ISTD
‘A Beacon for Nature’ is my solution to the ISTD brief - Lighthouses of the World. A publication that explores the history of lighthouses and their relationship with nature. It is perhaps not surprising that most lighthouses were built where there was often really good wildlife. This publication covers five lighthouses in Scotland that have a particularly strong relationship with birds and nature. Those being Bass Rock Lighthouse, Flannan Isle Lighthouse, Isle of May, Mull of Galloway Lighthouse and Sumburgh Head.
Pear Shaped
A scary amount of perfectly decent fruit in the UK gets wasted each year, especially wonky fruits. Farmers overproduce to ensure they will have enough ‘acceptable’ food for orders. This normalised part of the system is a huge factor causing food waste at farms. ‘Pear Shaped’ uses these fruits to help combat food waste in the UK by providing a little goodness for the planet and for you! By rescuing fruit from overproducing farms, ‘Pear Shaped’ finds a home for the odd, wonky, and tasty produce that supermarkets will not accept. Not just that, but in doing so, they are able to save the tonnes and tonnes of greenhouse gases and water that are required to grow each apple or grape you see in Pear Shaped can. The four different flavours contain local fruits of the seasons Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Every juice is a little bit different depending on the seasons harvest.
TURAS
Turas is a branding project that promotes the use of the outdoors as relief from our hectic daily lives now that COVID-19 restrictions are lessened and many return to their usual 9-5. Many people strengthened their relationship with nature during the pandemic but now as things return to normal we are quick to forget the benefits of taking a break outdoors and appreciating the natural world. This concept was realised through a rebrand of ‘WalkHighlands’. Their mission is to encourage the enjoyment of walking through being the best information source and social network for walkers in Scotland. In doing so they aim to help the small, local tourism businesses so vital to Scotland's rural economy. The website contains masses of valuable information on walking and hiking in Scotland, with thousands of free detailed OS maps and detailed descriptions for every walk. WalkHighlands currently is functional but out of date which can make the information shown seem less trustworthy. By developing a new modern image, ‘Turas’ allows for the audience to trust the information that is so beneficial to planning a trip in Scotland.