BLUM’S MEAT & MORE SUPERSTORE, 2016
ROLES: ILLUSTRATOR, DESIGNER, PRODUCER, WRITER
PROJECT TYPE: BFA THESIS
My senior thesis project at the University of Iowa was quite an undertaking! I designed, branded, and built an absurd, dream-like grocery store in the Porch Gallery of Studio Arts. There were 5 brands, each with a personality and a variety of products, both bizarre and believable. The brands ranged from the healthy option, to the store brand, to the generic knock-off. In total, there were 85 products designed, printed and assembled. Additionally, I created signage, advertisements, and shelf tags to bring the store to life.
BLUM'S Meat and More Superstore became more than a graphic design project, it expanded into a designed experience. Viewers were immersed into a world where the lines between reality and hallucination became blurred. Other facets of the project included video, radio, and performance. The BLUM'S universe developed a narrative and is populated by 4 of my alter egos: The Gunderson family and Stin, The Janitor.
In August of 2016, I was selected by Adobe to be a part of a campaign centered around student work made with Creative Cloud. They chose to feature Blum’s as one of nine projects made by students from around the world. The videos are featured on Adobe’s social media channels and as the splash page on their Creative Cloud website. Watch the video below!
A selection of photos from the store.
Check out all 5 brands and their product images. Each brand focused on a different area of my design skill set: illustration, typography, color, etc.