Introduction
I was selected as a Pensole alum to participate in a Pensole x PepsiCo Design mentorship program that lasted 4 weeks. There were 12 students total and we created unique graphics, logos, and stories for a collection of apparel merchandise. We experienced what it was like working at a brand while developing time management, professionalism, and leadership skills. Through guidance and mentorship from PLC and Pepsi, we built the skills we needed to excel in the design space.
Project Statement
Create a capsule collection that honors the legacy of Pensole, while making the garments stylish beyond the campus, and fit them seamlessly within students' closets.
Research
Consumer
Material Palette
Color Story Exercise
Revised PLC Color Palette
I did some color palette exploration to expand the core monochromatic purple palette that Pensole currently uses. I ended up landing on switching out the dark purple with the desaturated gold from the Echo color palette. It works with the other purples well and acts as a refreshing complimentary accent color.
Graphic Ideation
The development of the main heron graphic, I ended up combining a few styles to create the style of the final graphic. The heron symbolizes abundance, opportunity, and strength -- all of which I associate with what it means to be part of the Pensole community. The gestures of the bird are confident, determined, and proud adding to the context of the symbolism.
I created a more simple iconographic version of the heron for smaller scale usage on the garments.
I took the time to rethink the traditional PLC wordmark/typography so that it would flow with my visual language, which led me to designing three versions: a handwritten, a collegiate, and an organic style icon. My first iteration is on top and the final version is below where the arrow is pointing.
I wanted to honor the legacy of PLC, so I thought a fitting way to do so is to create a graphic that shouts out Dr. Violet Temple Lewis who started Lewis Business College for black/brown secretaries in 1928. Another remarkable person to call out is Dr. D'Wayne Edwards who purchased the closed down HBCU and reinstated it as Pensole Lewis Detroit, Detroit's only HBCU and the only design-focused HBCU in the country.
I was also interested in involving HBCU culture somehow when ideating. I looked at battle of the bands videos/photos and was inspired by the extravagant uniforms. I particularly loved the flourishes and rope appliques, and that led me to designing a repeatable pattern that resembles that but fits besides my other graphics.
Social Posts
Instagram Reel Process Video
I had 10 seconds to promote my work so I wanted to break the 4th wall and allow people to see a preview of my creative process. You get a glimpse of the process, the ideation, the graphics, and the final collection.
Photography and Modeling
Presentation Deck
