The Tales Within Us
Brand Identity, Book, UX/UI & Packaging Design
About
The Tales Within Us is part of the Rutgers University Newark, Rooted Here, Graphic Design Senior Capstone Exhibition 2023. The exhibition is a survey of legacy, landscape, memory, and mapping. It reimagines chronicles and honors our intersectional histories and our trace in a given space.
The Tales Within Us discusses the tales and superstitions told by our family and ancestors that speak of histories, values and traditions. These have all influenced the perceptions and belief systems that we have today. The Tales Within Us explores the relationship that these stories have with our conscious and subconscious mind through an interactive journal, mobile app and package design.
Design
Process
The visual elements help usher the individual into their subconscious. The subconscious has typically been explored through activities such as the Rorschach Test (also known as the ink blot test) and exquisite corpse. This inspired the use of pen and ink AI generated illustrations and a dark eerie aesthetic within the project. The typeface reflects fonts typically seen in old storybooks we've been read to as children.
Journal
The Tales Within Us Journal encourages the reader to participate by answering a series of questions and prompts. Individuals will be able to view others answers along with 3 other tales provided inside the journal to help reflect into the tale within themself.
Tea Light Candle Holder Packaging
Shadows have always served as a device to tell stories and tales. Whether that’s around a campfire, flashlight or candle, the characters created add to the tale. The Tales Within Us Candle Holder lets users participate in storytelling by casting shadows through the candle holder. The package design depicts 3 stories we may have grown up with that can be read around the candle light.
Mobile App
The Tales Within Us App is a story sharing application where users can create a tale, like, repost, and view different tales. Each tale explores how it may have influenced your values and morals.
Moodboard
Research
Research based off of academic articles and books were conducted to supply evidence of folklore and superstitions having an influence within religions and cultures morals/values which ultimately ties into the exhibition's theme, Rooted Here. Screen grabs of Choctaw Storytelling discusses how "oral tradition includes history as well as life lessons or moral teachings". Aesop's Fables is particularly a popular oral tradition amongst parents and their children. These fables, such as The Hare and the Tortoise, are read and taught to children that slow and steady wins the race. These tales and stories often stick with us as life lessons and influence our beliefs.