Hi, hello! My name is Courtney. I use design to explore identity, story tell, and (most importantly) connect with my surroundings. Currently, my practise centres around Illustration and Motion Graphics, but as I’ve learnt through my undergrad years, my skillset is always expanding. My final studio project, We Can, confronts the ongoing conflict between traditional and modern parenting. In a world where we are always chasing the clock, my animation redirects the focus back towards parent/child dynamics and the importance of open communication.
We Can - Advertisement Application
Considering the application of this project in a real world setting, I wanted my animation to be accessible and inexpensive in an attempt to reach as many as possible. YouTube’s advertising formats met these requirements exactly. In particular, the “skippable” ads had the most appeal, ensuring that for at least the first 5 seconds, I had the viewers attention.
We Can - The First Five Seconds
The reality of our fast paced world, unfortunately, results in a lack of time and interest in matters outside of our day to day. That’s why the first five seconds (the No Skip portion) of my video is so important. I had to make these first moments bold, attention grabbing, and leave the viewer curious for more. With this in mind, I chose to reflect a child's imaginative response to a stressful situation, like visiting the dentist.
We Can - Fears from Bad to Worse
Young children - between ages 3 to 4 - have rapid behavioural development, often times this is when imaginary friends/foes start to appear. This is not the age where emotions can be regulated or necessarily explained, however, and often times their fears can seem erratic to rational adults. Combing common fears (like spiders and the dentist) in a nightmare-ish dreamscape aimed to illustrate how fears can escalate in a child’s mind.
We Can - Parent Perspective
Appointments, deadlines, pressure from peers - although common events, these stresses can become all consuming for some adults, parents included. In this project it was important for me to represent the parents perspective, because, really, at the end of the day, most parents want the best for their children. Phone notifications reflected this pattern accurately and served as the point of tension for the animation.
The Tipsy Artist - Logo Reveal
A Motion project exploring brand identity and logo design. In this project, I created a hypothetical paint and sip company, The Tipsy Artist, designing a memorable and representative logo that stood out from the crowd. I took a lot of inspiration the 1920’s Jazz era, making use of negative space, bold colours, and highly stylized type and form.
The Tipsy Artist - Additional Animation
Continuing this project, I created an advertisement for The Tipsy Artist, making sure to maintain the jazzy tone. The animation showcases the stages of painting during a regular paint and sip class, accompanied by upbeat jazz music to reflect the light-hearted spirit of the company. I had a clear direction for this project, given my background in hosting paint and sip events, and made sure it was an accurate representation.
Courtney Robertson, We Can - Advertisement Application
Courtney Robertson, We Can - The First Five Seconds
Courtney Robertson, We Can - Fears from Bad to Worse
Courtney Robertson, We Can - Parent Perspective
Courtney Robertson, The Tipsy Artist - Logo Reveal
Courtney Robertson, The Tipsy Artist - Additional Animation
