Role
Solo Graphic & UI/UX Designer
Timeline
February 2024, 1 Month (Research Phase)
March 2024 - May 2024, 3 Months (Design Phase)
March 2024 - May 2024, 3 Months (Design Phase)
Tools
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
Adobe After Effects
Clip Studio Paint
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
Adobe After Effects
Clip Studio Paint
Project Brief
Summary
soulm8s is a heartwarming, wholesome campaign revolving around the friendship of 5 characters - Shailoh, Ozzy, Uri, Leah, and Makai! Each character has a unique appearance, lovable personality, and different ways of handling their issues. Despite their differences, they are understanding and will always stay by each other's sides - that's what true soulm8s (friends) are for! The campaign encourages individuals to become better soulm8s to their friends and loved ones, fostering an environment of empathy and understanding. The campaign's goal is to ensure that no one feels alone in their struggles with mental illness by teaching it is okay to reach out when needed and that even the smallest validation message can help your soulm8 more than you can imagine. There is a variety of content to enjoy; Instagram posts, posters, figurine, stickers, and so much more. Let's learn to communicate feelings and support our soulm8s - we are #soulm8s4ever!
Task
Design a capstone project that solves our chosen problem. There is a minimum of 6 design pieces required for this project: 1 interactive (ex. website, app, book), 3 environmental, 2 "any" (choose 2 of the 3 - takeaways, motion graphics, packaging).
Problem
Mental health is a continuously growing issue worldwide.
Solution
Improve support systems from friends to alleviate all of the stress and issues caused by mental illnesses.
Thesis
My goal is to design a marketing campaign emphasizing social support's importance in helping people's mental health and strengthening relationships.
Target Audience
13 years old - 24 years old
Final Design Solutions
Infographic Poster
Z-Fold Brochure
Stickers
Postcards
Instagram Page & Posts
Mini Figurine Blind Box Packaging + Collectible Cards
Website
You can view my website prototype and Canva presentation using the buttons below! The website will help inform you about the campaign (mission, goals), characters, merch, and more. The Canva presentation is a simplified, summarized version of this project.
Project Timeline
I started this project in February 2024 with a final deadline of May 2, 2024, giving me approximately three months to complete my work. Capstone Day serves as both the final presentation and exhibition; I had to plan beyond the design process and consider allowing time for revisions, printing, assembling final assets, and preparing my table display.
Design Process
Research
To start, I chose and researched the topic, "Mental Health" to discover existing problems and statistics. Once I decided which problem I wanted to tackle, I continued ideation and proposed my design solution. During this research phase, I surveyed 50 respondents and interviewed 3 individuals.
Methods & Research Types Used
Secondary Research, Primary Research, Qualitative, and Quantitative.
Secondary Research, Primary Research, Qualitative, and Quantitative.
Ideating Brand
Initial Moodboard
Initial Color Palette
Initial Logo Drafts
Brand Identity
Name
The name "soulm8s" is based on the nickname my best friend and I gave each other. It is a shortened, fun take on the word "soulmate", emphasizing how we understand and support each other. The "8" represents an infinity sign, symbolizing how connections last longer with mutual effort and understanding.
The name "soulm8s" is based on the nickname my best friend and I gave each other. It is a shortened, fun take on the word "soulmate", emphasizing how we understand and support each other. The "8" represents an infinity sign, symbolizing how connections last longer with mutual effort and understanding.
Typefaces
My font selection aligns with the brand's playful and heartwarming tone. The logos and headers give a fun, lighthearted feel while being visually impactful. As a balance, the body text gives a clean, modern look.
My font selection aligns with the brand's playful and heartwarming tone. The logos and headers give a fun, lighthearted feel while being visually impactful. As a balance, the body text gives a clean, modern look.
Color Scheme
The color scheme centers around turquoise, a calming hue in the middle of the rainbow. Turquoise promotes emotional balance, self-acceptance, and relaxation—essential elements in addressing mental health. Complementing the main color, the campaign features pastel accents (purple, pink, orange, and yellow) to evoke positivity, happiness, and playfulness.
The color scheme centers around turquoise, a calming hue in the middle of the rainbow. Turquoise promotes emotional balance, self-acceptance, and relaxation—essential elements in addressing mental health. Complementing the main color, the campaign features pastel accents (purple, pink, orange, and yellow) to evoke positivity, happiness, and playfulness.
Each color corresponds to a specific character that reflects their personality. To maintain a warm, welcoming aesthetic, I used dark brown for illustration outlines and text.
Keywords
Comfy, happy, optimistic, cute, welcoming, soothing, educational
Comfy, happy, optimistic, cute, welcoming, soothing, educational
Character Designs & Bio
The way the characters look and act were essential before starting any design pieces. Their designs set the tone and direction. Character designs can improve marketing by helping the campaign stand out and be memorable.
It would also be a great opportunity to create representation. For people struggling with mental health, having a character they can relate to will help them feel less alone.
All characters have a turquoise "X" motif that connects to the main mascot, Shailoh. Meanwhile, Shailoh has "X" motifs in the colors of the other characters, representing how she carries their support and how much they mean to her.
Typefaces
Sanrio, BT21, LineFriends, Maplestory, Carebears, My Little Pony, Kind Words, and most importantly, all of my friends!
Motion Graphics - Character Animations
Time Piece
Program: Adobe After Effects
Time Spent: 1 Week (about 1-2 days per character)
Program: Adobe After Effects
Time Spent: 1 Week (about 1-2 days per character)
The website's character pages feature an animation of each character. The purpose of my motion graphics is to visually show their personality. New viewers get a glimpse into who they are and how they act before reading. This is important for the brand since each character needs to be unique, eye-catching, and relatable to somebody.
My process for creating these animations was illustrating each part I wanted to move individually and taking it into Adobe After Effects. All animations are about 10 seconds and designed to loop smoothly infinitely. My prior experience animating Maplestory assets made planning & deconstructing characters come naturally.
Sticker Designs
Takeaway Piece
After finalizing the characters, I immediately designed the stickers so I didn't stress about potential printing issues near the event date. I made a group sticker and a sticker of each character with the brand's slogan, "support your soulm8s <3", in their associated color.
The main idea for the stickers was for attendees to get their favorite characters, as well as get their own soulm8s (friends/loved ones) the characters they would enjoy! It would be a way for them to connect by showing their love and appreciation!
Sticker Display Shelf & Bags
I designed a small 4-tier shelf to display all stickers, making it easy for attendees to see and grab. I also premade about 100 bags; each had stickers (1 of each character, group, logo) and my business card. This was extremely helpful for people who were passing by quickly, indecisive, or wanted to get them all. It'll also help them remember the creator of soulm8s. It was worth investing 2 hours in making these bags since I received positive comments about it!
I designed a small 4-tier shelf to display all stickers, making it easy for attendees to see and grab. I also premade about 100 bags; each had stickers (1 of each character, group, logo) and my business card. This was extremely helpful for people who were passing by quickly, indecisive, or wanted to get them all. It'll also help them remember the creator of soulm8s. It was worth investing 2 hours in making these bags since I received positive comments about it!
Infographic Poster Design
Environmental Piece
The infographic went through many revisions in the layout and visual direction. After developing the other campaign materials, I had a better understanding of the brand, which helped me return and complete the poster. It is designed to summarize the project through key statistics, characters, and related links, while also serving as an accessible introduction for Capstone attendees. During the event, I noticed people reading the poster, and that helped them think of what they could ask once they got to me!
Final Design
Inspiration & Rough Drafts
Z-Fold Brochure
Environmental Piece
I designed a brochure to introduce and explain the campaign while providing additional information about its concept. The brochure features a custom-shaped top that creates two distinct composition when opened and closed. When closed, the illustrated characters come together to form a group hug, reinforcing the campaign's playful and community-focused theme.
Because the top portion is illustration-heavy, I kept the remaining layout simple, using subtle graphic elements to maintain brand consistency and not compete with illustrations. The brochure was not part of my original project plan and was added in mid-April after developing the group-hug concept. I felt that concept was essential to showcase, and despite the late addition, I completed the illustrations and design within three days!
Inspiration & Sketches
Moodboard
Postcard Designs
Environmental Piece
These would be sent to people's mail to spread the word about the campaign, gaining more interest and recognition.
Rough Drafts
Social Media Posts
Environmental Piece
For the Instagram account, I imagined how a company like soulm8s could use social media to build anticipation and introduce its brand and characters. The campaign was structured as two nine-post phases. The first set teased the upcoming launch through characters, color palette, grid system, and logo. The second set was designed for the official launch and individual introductions, highlighting their personality and the role social support played in their stories! Conceptually, the account would post short comics and videos throughout the campaign's duration, educating social support and mental health.
Figurine Blind Boxes & Figurine (3D Model)
Packaging Piece
Inspired by collectible character brands (Sanrio, BT21, and LINE FRIENDS), I imagined soulm8s merchandise that would allow people to collect their favorite characters while extending beyond its core materials. I chose a blind box format because of its fun, social nature, creating an opportunity for friends to open together and trade figurines.
To further develop the concept, I independently learned how to use Womp and designed a 3D model of Shailoh. This allowed me to explore how the character translates from 2D into a physical collectible.
Inspiration & Rough Drafts
UNLV Graphic Design Capstone Exhibition 2024
The event website showcases all designers, their highlighted works from throughout their years and capstone.
I was the leader for the event's Asset Team, where I helped organize and prepare colleagues' files for the book, website, and social media teams. As leader, I set up deadlines and sent reminders to keep everyone on track.
I was the leader for the event's Asset Team, where I helped organize and prepare colleagues' files for the book, website, and social media teams. As leader, I set up deadlines and sent reminders to keep everyone on track.
Table Set-up for Capstone Event
Environmental Piece
Designing my table was suuuuper fun! All of my inspiration was from other artists' convention booths. I enjoyed designing my table to match the branding of soulm8s. There are small details here and there that elevate the whole experience for any attendees.
Final Set-up
Inspiration & Sketch
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges was figuring out the research at the beginning, since the instructions were broad and sometimes unclear. The project also had a tight, fast-paced timeline, which made it challenging to balance research, design, revisions, and printing on top of my other college coursework.
Insights
Despite the challenges, this project gave me valuable experience in research, creative problem-solving, and incorporating feedback throughout the design process. It was also one of my first experiences preparing design files for professional printing and managing physical deliverables. Most importantly, Capstone was an amazing opportunity to meet my design colleagues in person, make new friends, and support one another throughout the semester!
Citations
[1] Holmes, Emily A., et al. The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Psychological Treatments Research in Tomorrow's Science. The Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 5, no. 3, 2018, pp. 237–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30513-8.
[2] Ng, Anthony. Warning Signs of Mental Illness. American Psychiatric Association, 2022. www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/warning-signs-of-mental-illness#:~:text=50%25%20of%20mental%20illness%20begins.
[3] Latha, K, et al. Effective Use of Social Media Platforms for Promotion of Mental Health Awareness. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, vol. 9, no. 1, 28 May 2020, p. 124. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_90_20.
[4] Webster, G. D., & Campbell, J. T. Personality Perception in Game of Thrones: Character Consensus and Assumed Similarity. Psychology of Popular Media, vol. 12, no. 2, 2023, pp. 207–218. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000398.
Final Thoughts
I improved my multitasking and time management through this project. It required a lot of planning and learning what to prioritize. At the start, I underestimated the workload and time constraints. Even up to the Capstone event, I was still working on final details to make sure everything was perfect. I invested so much time while working nonstop alongside my other college projects, but seeing the final results made it worth it. I'm incredibly proud of what I accomplished and soulm8s reflected all my skills/knowledge up to that point.
Soulm8s also gave me a deeper understanding of the connection between design and marketing. While I had always approached my work with research and intention, this project challenged me to build a brand from the ground up—defining its tone, message, audience, and goals before creating the designs. Each piece then had its own purpose while still contributing to the larger campaign and brand identity. With soulm8s, I got to shine as a designer and see just how fluid my skills could be for different challenges. This project made my design passion stronger and solidified that this is what I truly want to do as a career.
— Jenel Jyl Braza
