Dosukoiju

Art Direction
Design
3D
Motion Design  

A case study and exploration in where AI can fit into my creative process; with a dash of childhood dream fulfillment. 
This ongoing project was about creating a line of toys that are straight out of the golden age of childrens-tv-as-advertising.


when i was a kid

I wasn’t content to just draw characters. I had to create a team of characters for an imagined game, design their world, craft intricate levels, layout instruction manuals for how they fought, illustrate box art and posters. So, when AI starting rearing it’s  robot head into the world I thought it might be an opportunity to give myself a little assignment, explore the ethical conflict, and make something creatively enriching at a fidelity that my inner-child could have only dreamed of.





dosukoi

a rhythmic lyric from an Edo-period folk song performed before sumo matches. It has become known as the sumo shout when exerting themselves in combat, despite the fact they never do.

kaiju

a giant monster famously featured in effects-driven Japanese fantasy/science fiction movies and television programs known as tokusatsu. The term “kaiju” itself is a combination of the words for mystery (kai) and beast (ju).





start with the playing



This project started with just that; playing around with a new tool. As I kept playing I started noticing patterns and connections between what I was creating. Teams and themes started forming as I flipped through my folder full of these images.





making my own
“i had that” toy

the first big challenge was taking this collection of toys and crafting collateral around it. Using my favorite toys as a guiding light I started developing additional collateral starting with the logo. Then there was a cornucopia of support graphics, logos, icons, and other elements that go into a mini world building experience on the packaging.





bringing it all together

After some swirl on the design. I focused on one key purpose for the design that defined all my favorite childhood toys; share the mythology of the toy’s world. Heros, villains, struggles, should all be clear just by looking at the packaging. This offered a chance to tease all the connections I was drawing between characters in my head. Factions, allegiances, strengths, backstory; all starts to be unvieled on the packaging. Before the cartoon even airs kid’s should know who they are cheering for.





continuing to grow

I hope it goes without saying that this little personal exploration was a lot of fun. If you want to see this collection of beasts grow, check it out on Instagram.


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