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Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Instructor: Professor Kate Catterall
Course: Objects and Spaces
Timeline: 3 weeks
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Why do we spend time shuffling through our bags for that phone charger at the bottom of the bag? Why do we restock medication prior to its completion? Why do we dig through box inside of box inside of box to receive a package we’ve ordered? We desire and depend on these items, for either present or future reasons.
Dependence on items fuels a desire for them, thus often forcing a user to struggle if they are not able to instantly gratify their dependence.
I was able to choose the item I wanted to critically examine with the packaging, as I was sick on the day of class where we were assigned items. This gave me the opportunity to select a topic that I wanted to discuss. I chose a lighter I found within my residence as my item to package and critically examine. I aimed to explore dependence through the packaging of a lighter, a tool commonly advertised and sold to fuel dependence to cigarettes.
I knew I wanted to tackle the topic of smoking for two main reasons.
The first, because tobacco companies specifically target both LGBTQ+ and low-income people. Tobacco companies tend to direct their advertising towards LGBTQ+ people at a higher rate than heterosexual/cis-gender people, as they recognize that many of these communities tend to smoke at higher rates (often due to mental distress from homophobia/transphobia) than those who are heterosexual/cis-gender. Additionally, tobacco companies target low-income individuals, constructing their stores in low-income neighborhoods, due to ease of access for buying property and to exploit populations in the area due to their economic stressors. Stress ultimately turns many people to smoking; the tobacco industry profits from those under increased stress.
The second, because I have a personal connection to smoking. I grew up watching my dad smoke, always telling him off as I hated the smell and health damages it could do to him. Because of me, he did end up quitting, but later in life due to stress, I followed his footsteps, falling into similar patterns. I have a chronic condition, Cardiomyopathy, which has already caused me many issues with eating and fatigue. Due to stressors, I had a complicated relationship with smoking, placing additional stress onto my body. I stopped eating as much. I felt fatigued non-stop, though I was still driven back to smoking to find some form of relief in a body/mind that felt as if it was eating away at me.
This September, I was diagnosed with a more extreme level of heart failure than I have previously been classified with, and I was told that if I did not stop smoking, I would not be able to be a potential candidate for a heart transplant. Smoking also harmed my appetite in addition to the medication I was taking for my heart. My body felt like it was destroying itself; I found myself fainting while walking back from classes, and contemplating going in-patient.
I knew I wanted to challenge my relationship with smoking more through this project, reflecting on what messages helped me in recognizing that I should quit. I wanted to create a project that could create conversation around smoking; rather than shaming people for smoking or grossing them out, I wanted people to use my packaging as a reflective tool to contemplate their relationship with smoking, and decide whether or not they want to quit. I truly believe one can only quit if they are determined to do so, and that tends to come from some internal realization as to why one should not continue smoking. For my dad, his main driver was his kid getting angry at him, and crying each time they smelt the smoke. For myself, my driver is loving myself more, fighting against succumbing to addiction as means to “cure my issues,” and instead understanding that smoking ultimately will do more harm than good for me.
I decided to further examine the lighter, conducting research on what a lighter was, and it’s potential routes for critical exploration. The paragraph below details my research.
“A lighter is a portable device which uses mechanical or electrical means to create a controlled flame. The Clipper Lighter is unique in that they advertise itself as reusable –users are able to replace gas, flint and the spark wheel– and thus much more sustainable than other brands. Clipper also advertises that their lighter specifically can help smokers, as the replaceable spark wheel can pop out and serve as a tool to “pack” items to smoke into a pipe. Lighters can be used to ignite a variety of flammable items, such as cigarettes, butane gas, fireworks, candles, or campfires. Butane gas and campfires are both tools that can be used to cook, to stay warm –and in more serious cases– to be sustained and kept alive. Fireworks and candles are fires of joy, intended to be utilized to create spectacles or celebrate traditions. However, fireworks also cause many issues for those with PTSD, and unmonitored candle usage can cause larger spread fires causing damage to surroundings. The USFA for Parents states that “Lighters and other heat sources are the leading causes of fire deaths for children.” and to “never underestimate your child's curiosity about fire, nor their ability to strike matches or start a lighter.” Cigarettes are tools of joy as well, but also create complicated relationships with their user through addiction. Without a lighter, these addictions cannot be as easily fueled. “
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Main Takeaways from Research
Lighters can be used to ignite items that create joy, create sustenance, but also fuel dependence and harm.
I aim to highlight this complicated relationship of dependence and harm with lighters through my packaging design of choice.
Since this lighter boasts a tool for smoking and has ease of re-fill ability & reusability, it is evident it is a tool for smoking that fuels smoking.
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I examined some critical and ordinary packaging designs for lighters (and other smoking paraphernalia) in order to see both the style of packaging, as well as methods on how to critic the item effectively.