AJones – Step 2 – Define

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STEP 2 – DEFINE

Why do people sing in the shower?

There is solid scientific research that supports the benefits of singing in the shower. Researchers have discovered that singing leads to a stronger immune system (especially done in a group, such as a choir). Singers are less likely to catch any “bugs” that might be going around.

They also found out that people who sing in the shower have lower cortisol levels. Since cortisol is linked to stress levels, this ends up being connected to the heart.

Shower singing fights against sadness, chronic pain, and is even connected to longer life expectancy.

What does the experience of bathing bring?

The experience of bathing has been known to serve as a potent sleeping aid. Hot water combined with aromatics soothes us mentally AND physically.

What are the cultural, social and religious meanings of bathing?

In the days of the Roman Empire, the public baths were very important to the everyday social and cultural life of Roman citizens. There was no class system involved in the idea of baths – it was not unusual to see working class citizen bathing along with the wealthy. Public baths fell into disfavor with the Christianization of the Roman Empire and its ideas about morals.

Baths have been used in many different societies in ways that were as much therapeutic as for hygiene purposes. Soapmaking – as an industry – began in the late 18th century on a small scale. Pears and Lever are some of the oldest brands of mass produced soap in the world.

Due to personal bathing rooms now a standard in homes, bathing has gone from public ritual/ necessity to both ritual AND necessity, creating personal habit.

Chosen Consumer:

Young, 20- 40 something, Black professional, would listen to

  • Deep House/Soulful House
  • DownTempo/Chill
  • New Soul, Underground Soul

This person is active with friends, goes out for drinks occasionally. Likes exclusive events and music no one knows about. My consumer likes alt culture, is a bit of a fashionista (loves labels, but also loves boutique items that only THEY can find). The fragrances they like are strong, soapy, and ancient. Think: sandalwoods, patchoulis, frankincense

3 songs:

  1. Zo!, f. Nicholas Ryan Gant – A Choice Of Weapons
  2. Omar, Jaguar Skills – Loving Someone (Pt. 1)
  3. Isaac Birituro & The Rail Abandon – Bo Ma

AJones – Step 1 Discover

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Step 1 – Discover

The soap section is positioned horizontally (like many located in grocery store settings). The bars are vertically facing and piled up to simulate a wall of sorts. Some bars are stacked haphazardly in spaces that weren’t made for them, resulting in a sloppy, cheap look.

The brand “Dove” stands out in a very soft, understated way. It’s pink (typical Dove bar is pictured next to it in characteristic blue). The pink color theme helps it to stand out from the competitors. You’ll see that “Zest” really blends into the “soap scenario”. The packaging is blue (or a variation thereof) and is immediately (like Dove) recognizable from a distance.

In terms of recyclability, reusability, sustainability, and biodegradability nothing could be gleaned from these products except that none of these concerns was evident in the obvious packaging.

Upon further research, it was found that there was very little information from Zest regarding sustainable packaging, however they position themselves as the “sustainable choice” based on the following factors:

  • It uses less plastic compared to body wash
  • It uses les energy to manufacture than body wash
  • It uses less water than body wash

There are more, but all of them share one common characteristic: Zest bar soap positions itself as an environmentally desirable alternative to body wash (exclusively), but NOT against other bar soaps.

Jean-Alexander Lothian – Project 3 – Step 2 – Define

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Why do we sing in the shower?

We sing in the shower for a few different reasons. The bathroom walls don’t absorb sound well so the sound waves bounce off the wall making our voice sound more full and rich, producing a better sound. The combination of warm water rushing on our bodies away from distractions helps release dopamine as well. When we’re in the shower it is a private thing so we tend to feel more comfortable which in turn lets us sing that song that’s been stuck in our head out loud without judgment. Since we’re singing we also take deeper breaths and a lot more oxygen is entering the body which increases blood circulation and is almost like meditation. 

Short cultural history on bathing

Showering or more so bathing has been around since ancient times and although its purpose has been fairly consistent it has played different roles throughout cultures of the past and present. In an ancient civilization like Egypt, they placed high importance on showering and bathing because they believed the cleaner and more well-oiled a person was, the closer they are to the gods. In the Roman empire, the rich were the only ones to have private baths, but there were entire bathhouses for the public to use, and bathing even became a social event to partake in with family or friends. This is still the case in places like Japan where they have public bathhouses and hot springs.

My target audience is late teens to mid 20’s adults so 18 – 26. 

Consumer Profile

Ivy M. is 23, she’s a Leo and a child of immigrants. She is the life of the party, a social butterfly, loves talking to people and having new experiences, stubborn and prideful but kind, always doing something to try and better herself. Her style is chic and a little flashy. When she goes out to have fun she wears bright or nude colors, normally dresses or two-piece bodysuits that she buys from small brands. When it’s just to hang out she dresses a little more comfortably, more sweaters and blue jeans with a loud accessory like a bright purse or layered necklaces. She goes to the gym twice a week and when she’s not working as a paralegal for an immigration law firm she is out with her friends walking around and finding local food spots and partying. Once a week she has a self-care day where she turns on her chill playlist with RnB and smooth jazz, lights some candles, and enjoys her day free from work and social obligations. 

Songs and Scents

Pink + White by Frank Ocean ( Peach + Vanilla )

Do it  by Chloe x Halle ( Jasmine , Lemon Verbena )

Redbone by Childish Gambino ( Blue Lavender )

*For the sake of showing my thinking process here is a page from my notebook

Joseph Asimeng-project 3 sketches

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my sketches shown above
my sketches shown above

Just so you know, my sketches shown above, have everything shown here. That i can then use to put into illustrator just to show to the class, and to show my “client”(which is dial soap).

In each of the design sketches i drew the showerhead, the barcode, the product durability symbol, the water, the dial logo, the lines resembling the words or text.

I was going to have silhouettes of people singing with their (fake) microphones, but now i’m not goona have that, because i actually want the design to look simple and straight to the point, not wild and confusing.

I also was going to have a showerhead with raindrops. But i’m not goona have that either because i didn’t wanna make it too literal. That’s how design is supposed to be. So you can ignore those parts. Especially if you see that in my sketches.

With the blue spring water, green mountain fresh and the lavender and jasmine “flavors” shown in this picture. I put that there, in the image for more info. That’s now given.

P2- Step 2-Define

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Philip is a 25-year-old full-time college student. He’s majoring in computer science and entering his fourth year. Even though he’s a full-time student he makes time for a part-time job at a local grocery store. Philip is also fascinated with space. His love for space started when he was young, having dreams of being an astronaut. Though his desire for being an astronaut has faded, Philip still likes to be informed about NASA’s new discoveries. He receives emails about fundraisers, programs, and advancements in space technology. Philip truly believes worlds future is space exploration.

P2- Step 1 -Discover

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I chose two tea brands for this project. The BIGELOW French vanilla and the CELESTIAL Caramel Apple tea boxes. Both boxes have unique designs but they’re effective. The BIGELOW tea box has a very classic sleek design. It sticks to a very minimal color format which differentiates it from the other tea boxes. What I was most interested in is the design of the box. It has a latch opening with a closing tab making it very convenient. The CELESTIAL Caramel Apple uses a big well drawn image as an attention grabber but also uses a typography forward design on the rest of the box.