Overview
This product was created for the World Design Capital. The WDC is a title awarded to a city that is recognized for its good use in design. The title was jointly awarded to Tijuana and San Diego for 2024. This achievement is an important opportunity for the region's designers to improve their cities and inspire the people that live in them. It can help to better link the two cities together, and help and raise each other up.
As both Tijuana and San Diego have a lot of Mexican history and culture I wanted a product that would reflect that. What I came up with was a box that could be used for street art. You would take the box to where you want to create art, and rip each side of the box apart to be used as a stencil. This kit is used to encourage everyone to create art and inspire others with it.
Sketches + Research
During my research, I found that there is a huge abundance of street art in San Diego and Tijuana. This form of art is especially important in Mexico. It was used to reunify the country following the Mexican Revolution in the 1920’s. Today, it has had a huge impact on Mexico and the rest of the art world.
Though street art has some negative connotations, it is actually good for many reasons. This includes beautification, boosting tourism and economic development, touching on social commentary and awareness, and it increases community engagement.
After researching this, I knew I wanted to base my product around street art. I wanted something that could be useful for experienced street artists as well as new ones. I decided to base my stencils off of Talavera Tiles, a popular form of Mexican art which is often seen in San Diego as well.
Type + Stencil Patterns
Process + Development
At first I was going to use permanent spray paint for my kit, but I learned that street art has a negative connotation for some people. Additionally, if this product went on shelves, then it would have also been locked behind glass, making it hard to see the full product.
With this in mind I decided to include temporary chalk paint instead. This way people will focus on beautiful art work rather than the permanence of it, and interested customers could easily pick up the product and see each side of it. It also makes it friendlier for younger consumers, allowing for more people to purchase the kit as well.
