ilan the intern
Brand, Product, & Packaging Design
In the spring of 2021, as I was applying to internships and writing my dozenth cover letter, I came to the realization that I could not describe everything I am and hope to be in a single print-size sheet of paper. It would be more apt to do something through the medium that I and others could experience. More importantly, something fun.
I have long been a fan of creating unique gifts through packaging for my close friends, partially for economic reasons but also because I genuinely enjoyed making them. From this little corner of my creative being came forth the idea for an intern gag advertisement. Using classic communication design strategy, with a humorful and personalized spin, I am figuratively and literally advertising my skills through designsuticals, a company specializing in intern productions. I trust that at the very least it will leave you chuckling intern-ally.
I began by working inside out, starting with the product and then making my way to the packaging. I wanted to hold onto the aesthetic of pharmaceutical products (Advil, Tylenol, Benadryl, etc) while also maintaining a childlike sense of amusement. Taking inspiration from Magic Grow Capsules, a toy from my own childhood that involved pills dissolving in water to release animal-shaped foam, I incorporated the same process into the interaction with the product.
For the branding of the product, I played with a few variations of my name, ultimately choosing to stick with the version that conveyed the humor behind the product.
Although I wanted to stay true to the classic dry design of pharmaceutical packaging I chose to go in a slightly bolder direction by injecting personal taste within the copyright confines of pharmaceutical design (i.e. small type, replicating drug facts, and warnings everywhere)