I was offered a design opportunity in 2025 to create new vector stamps for a local association that supports dementia patients and promotes awareness of dementia. The coordinator was interested in refurbishing stamps for her card kits. My work tools were Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for the branding project.
The coordinator ‘s key requirements had many limitations in design. There were specific parameters that had to be respected regarding the size of the stamps and the color scheme. In addition, font size options were restricted. This challenge was a great way for me to experiment, explore, and brainstorm within those limitations.
The process of creating new stamps, was to identify the type of stamp. In this case, the coordinator wanted stamps that symbolized the Dementia Society’s Logo (green/yellow daisy). The Dementia Society offers guidance and support for those living with Dementia. To promote that theme of support and guidance, a welcoming typography of elegant, script, and handwritten was chosen. In addition, the add-on stamps contained written salutations (for example: Your Welcome; Thank You; Love You; Happy Birthday). The ideation were various samples of each element as a sample.
The first stage of my design decisions were based on brainstorming with the limitations. I asked myself, is there a window of experimentation? How can I work with two colors? I explored different shades of the two colors and it helped me see that there was room to play with my ideas. I made groupings for each size shape, outlines, and fills into different options. From there, I decided to step back to gain a perspective for a couple of days, then took a new look at my designs with a fresh eye. I then experimented with my initial decisions especially with the font. I also did research on the logo itself, which helped in my design decisions in the final design stage.
The coordinator was impressed with every element of my design and every groupings. In my past milestones, she added a new font requirement and suggestions for new add-ons, like putting new vectors of additional symbols and pieces, and short sentences with welcoming statements. Getting feedback was extremely important in my final design especially since she changed her parameters a little and that allowed me more room to experiment. The end design was exactly what she wanted.
The limitations actually provided me the opportunity to see what I can create. I learned to accept that sometimes a person's initials need will change at each stage based on what I design and must be patient and open to feedback. I also learned more about the rules of design and respecting its limitations when designing. Most importantly, I discovered my communication skills are a work in progress, especially in getting the exact information from a client. Asking the right questions is the key and that takes practice and experience. In conclusion, this project provided me the amazing opportunity to gain experience about the stages of design, the needs of clients, and how to sell my skills in a competitive market.
