Design Exploration

Zhang Wan Ru 0368214

20/04/2026—18/07/2026 (Week 1–Week 14)

Design Exploration / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media / Taylor's University

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Instructions

2. Lecture

3. Project Development

4. Feedback

5. Reflection

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Instructions

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Lecture

Week 2: Visual Information Culture

For the designer:

• How Visual Language Conveys Information
• How to Use Design Elements such as Color, Layout, and Icons to Enhance Expression and Persuasiveness

Visuals:

1. Visual content created or designed by humans
2. A form of expression used to convey meaning, culture, or information

Provocative visual elements can disrupt people's normal unconscious thought processes. Provocative visual elements can evoke four emotions:

1. Shock
2. Shame
3. Fear
4. Anger

As a designer, people’s perception of provocative visuals can be influenced by the following:

• Cultural Sensitivity

• Polarization and Division

• Economic Instability

• Social Justice Movements

Several dimensions of playful design:

1. Provide clear and appropriate functionality to help users achieve their goals.
2. Ensure good usability and reliability so that the "fun" experience continues repeatedly, rather than becoming tiresome after a single encounter.
3. Make users want to return through feedback and interaction (comments, responses, dynamic changes, etc.).

Week 4: Visual communication as a persuasive medium

Visual culture refers to everything created by humans that can be seen and used for communication. Nature itself is not considered culture unless humans attach meaning or representation to it.

I learned that visuals are powerful because they can reflect and shape cultural beliefs, values, and identities. Through media such as television, billboards, online platforms, and graffiti, visuals can spread messages to large audiences without direct communication. Visuals can be used by powerful groups to influence society, but they can also help nonprofit organizations and social movements raise awareness about important social issues.

Fig. Week 4 Lecture

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Project Development    

Entry 1 - Potential ideas so far

Week 1, I shared my project idea with Ms. Anis: to develop a tea brand that supports stress relief among young people. To build a strong foundation, I began by reviewing academic literature on youth mental health via Google Scholar. This early research phase allowed me to better understand the issue and informed the structure and direction of my initial interview design.

Fig. 1.1 Reference

According to the findings in the reference, a key point is that mental health is influenced by the environment. Tea drinks are not just beverages; they should also help create a calming and supportive atmosphere (e.g., through relaxing packaging). The product packaging should incorporate emotionally relevant categories (e.g., “Calm,” “Focus”) and be accompanied by positive daily slogans.

So I started searching online for inspiration for my design needs.

Fig. 1.2 Inspiration

In week 2, Ms. Anis suggested conveying feelings of "happiness/joy" through flavorful tea and packaging design. A complete brand needs to be created—name, flavor, and packaging all telling the same "emotional story." Every side of the packaging should contain information, clearly telling you what's inside; upon opening, even more information is revealed, creating a feeling of unwrapping a gift and being surprised.

Ms. Eunice insisted on first choosing a primary emotion (e.g., "happy and fun").

My idea is that the environment can influence emotions, and contemporary young people tend to prefer fun and interesting things. When people are under pressure, seeing something fun can help release that pressure. Therefore, I'm certain that my idea is to create a fun and interesting design.

This was actually my first time learning brand design, so I was a bit unclear about the entire process. Therefore, I asked Ms. Anis about the early development process. Then I started researching existing tea bag brands. I knew that CHAGEE, LIPTON, and HEYTEA all offered tea bags. I first studied the more popular brands on the market and conducted some analysis, mainly focusing on appearance and packaging.

Fig. 1.3 Brands

I conducted brand analysis and visual design analysis based on these well-known tea bag brands.

These three tea brands actually reflect different psychological needs: CHAGEE leans more towards a "healing" approach, helping people relax through quiet and elegant design; Heytea offers "emotional regulation," integrating into daily life in a relaxed and fashionable way, bringing small moments of joy; while Lipton is more like "functional support," fulfilling basic needs but offering less emotional connection.

Therefore, tea is not just a beverage but can also be a way to support mental health—influencing emotions through design, atmosphere, and experience, making people more relaxed and feeling more accompanied.

Fig. 1.4 CHAGEE Analysis

Fig. 1.5 HEYTEA Analysis

Fig. 1.6 LIPTON Analysis

Next, I used SWOT analysis to analyze these three popular brands. Through SWOT analysis of CHAGEE, HEYTEA, and Lipton, I found that CHAGEE emphasizes Eastern culture and a sense of healing; HEYTEA focuses more on youthfulness and daily routines, while Lipton leans towards functionality and mass consumption. These brands' strengths lie in clear brand recognition, convenient tea bag formats, and integration with the lifestyles of young people. However, they also face the problem of design homogenization and a lack of deeper emotional connection. This analysis also inspired my mental health tea project, making me realize that future tea products should not only meet functional needs but also provide psychological relaxation and emotional support for young people through visual design, emotional experiences, and a sense of daily ritual.

Fig. 1.7 Competitive Analysis: SWOT

Then I summarized the first point: I need to first determine the style of my branding, as well as the color scheme.

Entry 2 - My final, confirmed idea

On Week 4, based on the previous analysis, I first designed my brand logo.

At the project's inception, I initially wanted to name the brand TeaJoy, hoping it would evoke feelings of friendliness, positivity, and joy in young people. However, after refining the concept, I realized this name was too ordinary and failed to fully capture the emotional experience I wanted the brand to create.

Since my project focuses on exploring the relaxing, stress-relieving, and emotionally healthy effects of tea, I wanted a name that better connected tea with emotions and feelings. That's when BrewMood came to mind, meaning "brewing your mood." The idea behind this name is that tea is not just a beverage but an emotional experience that can soothe the soul, offer comfort, and create moments of tranquility in everyday life.

For the logo design, I used a lively, rounded font to create a relaxed, youthful, and approachable feel. Each letter uses a different soft color, representing a different emotion, mood, and flavor of tea. The abstract yet colorful visual style also reflects the brand's philosophy of relaxation and stress relief.

In addition, I designed the two "o"s in "mood" to resemble eyes, with a smiling face below, making the logo more vivid and able to establish a stronger emotional connection with users. This gives the brand a cute and friendly personality, while also reinforcing BrewMood's philosophy of bringing joy, comfort, and relaxation through tea drinks.

Fig. 2.1 Logo Design

Fig. 2.2 Sharp Edge Contrast

I started looking for the size of my packaging design, as well as cutouts of my packaging. I looked a lot on Pinterest and ultimately decided to use a digital art style for the packaging design.

I found the size I wanted and the desired slicing image on PacDora.

Fig. 2.3 Package layout

Fig. 2.3 Digital drawing Example

Fig. 2.4 Package Decline

Based on Ms. Anis's feedback, I then started redesigning my package design, specifically the first version of the layout I created. I felt it was too empty and lacked some interesting elements.

Fig. 2.5 Package Decline

Mascot: (I used the Procreate app to draw my mascot.)

Fig. 2.6 Mascot

Teabag:

Fig. 2.7 Teabag Decline

Fig. 2.8 Proposal Presentation Slides

ENTRY 3: Project planning over 7 weeks

Week 7：

• Add brand guideline template

Week 8：

• Refine and finalize the package design. 
• Print the final packaging and check if the size is correct.

Week 9:

• Mascot and teabag development adjustment

Week 10:

• Blog entry 4
• Mockup adjustments

Week 11:

• Final mockup demonstration

Week 12:

• Blog entry 5
• Final production print

Week 13:

• Final presentation slide preparation

Week 14：

• Final submission and exhibition presentation

ENTRY 4: Deliverable Status So Far

Print Package 

This is the first time I've printed packaging. I confirmed the size with the print shop many times, but this time the size is a bit big.

Below are the decay and the finished product.

Fig. 2.9 AI Layout

Fig. 2.10 Package Prints （Frist)

Then I readjusted the packaging size again, this time using A2 paper. The packaging is now 100mm long, 100mm wide, and 110mm high.

Fig. 2.11 AI 

Fig. 2.12 Package Prints （Second)

But this time I encountered a new problem: I needed to readjust the size of the lid; it was a bit too long.

Fig. 2.13 Package Problem 

So I readjusted the length of my lid. So after debugging, I reprinted the package (thanks to my friend Guang Yan for printing my package for free).

Fig. 2.14 AI Change Update 

Fig. 2.15 Package 

So the teabag size is 90mm.

Fig. 2.16 Teabag Al 

Fig. 2.17 Teabag 

Showcases:

Fig. 2.18 Showcases

ENTRY 5: Final output status

Final Package:

Fig. 2.19 Package Decline

Final Outcome:

Fig. 2.20 Final Outcome

Brand Guidelines Template:

Fig. 2.21 Brand Guidelines Template 

Brand Guidelines 

Fig. 2.22 Brand Guidelines Slide

(Fig. 2.23 Presentation Photo)

Final Presentation:

Fig. 2.24 Final Presentation Slide

Final Project Development PDF:

Fig. 2.25 Final Project Development PDF

All File Links:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1x9hvudd-GO1_tZDmxuXP0XHpbnUvJ1uL?usp=sharing

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Reflection 

BrewMood has been one of the most meaningful experiences in my design journey. As my first complete branding and packaging project, I learned so much beyond just creating visuals. From developing the brand concept to refining the packaging through multiple revisions, I realized that good design takes time, patience, and constant improvement. This project helped me become more confident in my design skills and taught me to always think about the user's experience while bringing an idea to life.

I would like to sincerely thank Miss Anis for her patience, guidance, and continuous encouragement throughout this project. Thank you for always taking the time to give me constructive feedback and for motivating me to keep improving whenever I faced challenges. Your support has helped me grow not only as a designer but also as a learner. I am truly grateful for everything you have taught me, and I will always carry these lessons with me in my future design journey.