TOOLS USED
Illustrator
InDesign
Photoshop
ROLE
Illustrator
Designer
Researcher
Problem
Students and desk workers live busy lives, and the demands of modern life can lead to burnout. This leads people to rely on reactive fixes rather than taking small, consistent pauses throughout the day.
Background
The demands of modern life often push students and desk workers toward reactive fixes rather than intentional rest. Research has confirmed that excessive phone use and burnout feed each other in a cycle: too much scrolling leads to burnout, and burnout leads to more scrolling. Phones mask the problem rather than relieve it.
Idea 1
For my original pitch, I created a mindfulness-based journal to give people a break from their phones. The idea didn't make the cut because it already existed; there are many of these on the market. I decided not to create another app because it felt overdone and contradictory.
Idea 2
I decided to focus on burnout itself to narrow down my topic. This idea involved a daily prompt end-of-day journal paired with a weighted grounding object to sit on your desk. I initially thought this was unique, but I learned it existed already. I decided to drop the journal concept and focus on refining the grounding object.
Idea 3
I combined the daily affirmation journal prompt with the desk object. After further ideating, I came up with something that actually doesn't exist: a small printer in the shape of a fortune cookie that prints affirmations on demand. This was the winner. The chosen name was Fortuno, a Latin verb meaning "to make happy." This seemed quite fitting, and it stuck right away, even after testing other names.
Prototyping
My first trial involved using AI, but the outcome was undesirable and felt uncanny. I then attempted to make the object out of clay, but it didn't turn out as I wished. My final effort was 3D printing, the most realistic and effective method. I found a model online that closely matched my vision, had it printed, then sanded and painted it off-white to give the object a more calming aura.
AI generated via Gemini
Attempt at Clay
3D print
Branding & Deliverables
With a real mockup, I could take photos and begin making the brand elements. The direction became bold and fun; I realized I had to lean into the product's gimmicky nature. I started with a thick wordmark in red and off-white, then created a fortune cookie mascot in three poses for various applications. The slogan "print, tear, keep!" in Jimmy Script gives it a subtle retro feel.
Photography with brand elements
Brand Guide
Fonts used
I created three Instagram ads and a website using product photography to make them appear like sellable products. For packaging, I used a cube-shaped box with a craft paper texture to make the red and white stand out.
Instagram Ads
Package Design
Solution
A fortune cookie-shaped printer designed to print affirmations as needed, bringing a moment of intentional pause and personalized encouragement to your everyday workspace.
Key Learnings
Sometimes the best answer to a problem requires a little playful ingenuity. It might not be a direct fix, but it could bring more positivity, a quality the world needs. Through prototyping, I learned that 3D printing was far more effective than digital or handmade alternatives for achieving a realistic, photogenic result. And when it came to branding, leaning into the product's gimmicky nature made the identity stronger.
