26/09/2025- 23/10/2025 (Week 6-Week 10)
Lizzie Tanaka (0362065)
Collaborative Design Practice | BDCM | Taylor's University
Task 2: Project Ideation Prototype
PROGRESS
Week 6 onwards, we started executing our project based on the feedback that we were given on the presentation.
Digital Progress
Mascot
Our mascot kept on being refined by Jessie and on week 7 we finalized our mascot.
Fig 0.0 Week 6 mascot
Based on the feedback, the mascot silhouette explored more on the sugar cube shape in a square. We decided on the 6th mascot with the sugar grains on top.
Fig 0.0 Week 7 mascot
Then Jessie explored more on the mascot's expression and facial features. We had a few more refining until we end up with the final chosen one. The finalized mascot was also rendered by Jessie.
Fig 0.0 Week 7 - Final Mascot
Cards
While the mascot was still being finalized, Pricillia and Jessie continued sketching the illustration for the cards since a lot of it included our mascot, thus she had to wait for the mascot to be finalized. The card shape and layout are already settled in the previous weeks and cards that did not require mascots to be in the illustration have also been sketched.
Fig 0.0 Card sketches
On week 7, the card sketches were done and the digitization was done by Pricillia, Jessie, and Tracy.
Fig 0.0 Card digitization
After the cards were done, we could proceed to the printing process of this.
Booklet
I was in charge of designing the booklet so based on the size Edita gave, I started designing on week 9. The game designers had sent us the Canva file of the game booklet which left me to rearrange the layout of the content and categorizing it.
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Fig 0.0 First draft progress
Below is the compiled first draft booklet with the sketch cards as placeholder as the guide booklet provided by the gamemakers had the card picture inside the book. I had to wait for the cards to be finished and finalized. However, the layout is already finalized.
The booklet had simple and straightforward layout because we all felt like the rules were quite complicated to understand and to ease the understanding process, I made the layout simple and utilized colors, different sizes, and our fonts to establish hierarchy in arranging the hierarchy.
For the heading, I used our Pure Misty typeface as it is set as our heading typeface. It's a display font so I did not use it even for subheadings and smaller texts so that it's readable. For the content of the information, I used our body text typeface, 'Hoss Round' and utilized its different weights to create hierarchy.
I also utilized shapes such as the rectangles to categorize the contents.
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Fig 0.0 Draft booklet
In the following week, I designed the cover of the booklet and put in the finalized card design. Due to the printing requirement, the amount of pages had to be multiples of four and mine was at fourteen with the cover included. To solve this, I added the logo page in the beginning to make it sixteen pages.
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Fig 0.0 First draft booklet
The cover design was loosely reusing the elements from the packaging such as the star burst element behind. I used a subtle pattern of the logo to keep it consistent with the packaging design, even though, eventually the pattern we used didn't end up appearing in the printed box packaging. After a few adjustments like colors and checking typo, I sent it over to Mummy to be printed.
The book was printed with stapler binding in around A6 size. We chose Art Card 260gsm for the cover and had it laminated matte. For the inside, we chose a thinner material, Art Paper 157gsm. These materials are a bit thick to make the book durable, especially we considered the younger age audience that will play the game.
Resource Counters
Edita designed the resource counter, which is essentially an improved version of the paper prototype the gamemakers provided. The number tabs will be folded on the left and right ends to be glued on the pink paper.
Fig 0.0 Resource counter - digital
Packaging Design
The packaging design was initially Edita's main job but because of our really tight deadline with the printing schedule, I ended up helping her in finalizing the packaging design and file for printing.
For our first packaging draft, we did plan on doing a rigid box with a lid that comes off by pulling it up. We were a bit struggling on the packaging design as we didn't want it to be too empty but also too crowded that it feels too much with the whole pink and pattern color of the components.
Fig 0.0 First packaging draft
We also considered the double-folded cardboard box, where we print the design on a sticker and stick it to a cardboard box instead of a rigid box in case the rigid box costed too much for us. Edita designed the base of these two packaging designs.
Fig 0.0 First packaging draft
Printing Progress
A week before the deadline, we were rushing through printing. Edita was in charge of the printing but due to schedule issues, she couldn't come to Mummy printing sooner so me and Pricillia volunteered to visit Mummy printing on Friday, only to be sent away to return on Saturday morning.
Even then, we had asked the estimate prices and materials and how we should be preparing the files of our design to be printed. After consultation, as a group, we decided to leave the rigid box idea as it was double the price and was out of our budget constraints we agreed on.
Card Design
Mummy printing told us to set up our card file with each design and each of the back design side by side. Me and Pricillia divided the job between us to set these up.
Fig 0.0 Card Set Up File
Fig 0.0 Card Set Up File
We did all these, only to be served by a different admin the next day and was told we only needed one backside design instead of one for each card. So we deleted all hundred something backside design which slowed down my AI.
Then I set up the file for printing as requested by the printing.
Fig 0.0 Card Set Up File Final
Packaging Design
I also ended up exploring the packaging design because I personally thought it could use a bit more refining. I added the star patterns as it had appeared on the initial draft. The third draft ended up becoming the printed one.
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Fig 0.0 Packaging design drafts
After I finished exploring, I asked the group if we're okay to proceed with the design. With the green light, I set up the AI file to be handed over to Mummy printing.
Fig 0.0 Final file set up
We initially planned to use foam insert for our packaging but we couldn't find a vendor online that was responsive. We decided to order foam online and Edita cut them manually as it arrived after the lasercut studio was closed.
Resource Counter
For the resource counter, we had nothing to be changed so I just set up the files with bleed, cut, and crease lines to be handed over to the printer.
Fig 0.0 Resource counter file set up
Booklet
As for the booklet, after editing the page count, I saved it as a PDF file with bleed and handed it over to the printer.
Stars and Dice
For the stars, we ended up ordering a yellow acrylic and lasercut the star shapes to make the star tokens. For the dice, we ended up ordering it online.
Final Printed Prototype
Fig 0.0 Physical Prototype Final
FEEDBACKS
Week 6:
- The design should be suited for the target audiences (14-21 yo). Try to not make it too cute.
- Not everyone know the sugar structure, instead it can be more simple like a cube shape.
Week 7:
- Mascot got approval
- Think about card shape and try to print it for testing.
- Began to sketch the card illustration.
Week 8:
- logo (s,a,b,s) is too small and we need to think on the layout of it.
Week 9:
- Card shapes is unique
- Add the icon title to the card. Not all people would know the meaning of the icon.
REFLECTIONS:
Overall, the ideation and execution was quite stressful. There were a lot of iterations and a lot of changes made. Truthfully, I felt like I didn't contribute as much to the progress in the beginning but when I became in charge of the printing process, it had become so stressful because it was a really tight deadline. When reflecting back, I thought that we could have done much better with our time management. There was a few weeks where we were idly waiting for the mascot to be approved while we could've done something.
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