As a junior graphic designer, I constantly search for new ways to spark creativity. In this Photoshop project, I picked a simple everyday item. And composed it into 6 creative strategies: combination/juxtaposition, isolation, metaphor/simile, change of context or environment, physical shape or similarity, material change, swap, and focus.

Combination/Juxtaposition: This strategy combines two different or unrelated objects to create a new object. I picked a lighthouse since the body of the house is similar to a Chapstick tube, which made it blend well together in Photoshop. I multiplied the Chapstick layer to do this.

Isolation: This strategy focuses the viewer on an element in a composition by separating it visually from its surroundings or other objects. To isolate my object I blurred my background and changed the image to be black and white. I wanted my Chapstick tube to be the only object focused and colored. Bringing the viewer's eye to the center. 

Metaphor/ Simile: This strategy is focused on the meaning of the image created with your object as it relates to something else. When I think of lip balm I think of much-needed hydration. I liked the idea of the waterfall since it helped exaggerate my title. “Uncapped hydration”.

Change of Context or Environment: This strategy contrasts objects with unnatural or uncommon environments to highlight a concept or communicate an idea. I wanted to highlight the concept that this lip balm is made with a natural ingredient, beeswax. I decided later in my project to use Illustrator to make the lip balm look like a bee. Making it comical but effective at communicating my idea.

Physical/ Shape Similarity: This strategy uses physical similarities to showcase connections between objects that normally don’t connect. For this strategy, I wanted to combine a person instead of another object. I was a little ambitious with this project and almost threw it out. After some advice from my classmates and professor, I kept with it and worked on it until I came to this final result.

Material Change, Swap, or Focus: This strategy swaps a material property that we are accustomed to with another. I wanted to use a soda can since it could already visualize the swap. I was excited to see how it came together with the labels and colors.