Mother Lotus
The Concept
Leading up to my senior thesis presentation, I had re-listened to a podcast episode from “Feel Better, Live More with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee,” with guest speaker, Dr. Gabor Maté, a Canadian doctor specialized in trauma, childhood development, and stress. Within their conversation, topics over lack of self-compassion, the rise of “me-focused culture eroding the need for community,” and utilizing successful work as self-validation aroused my curiosity. All have become so impactful on individuals today. Reflecting on this, I felt as though the topic of self-compassion is something that many of us sideline– especially those of us in the creative field. We heavily emphasize the need to help others and to be kind to others in campaigns and product messages, but often forget about ourselves.
Apr. 2025, Conceptual Branding and Illustration; Senior Thesis
The Concept cont.
Thus, I decided to base my senior thesis on encouraging and recognizing the imperative need of self-compassion for not only the individual’s well-being, but for the need of a community basis, as well.
I wanted viewers, or in this case, the target audience, to take away from my project the tools (mentally and physically) to not only continue their own compassion journeys after the show, but to do so with finding their own ways of putting themselves back into communities to aid our crippling need of self and peer validation. These have Band-Aided our need of importance.
The design choices are heavily inspired from Thai culture, the importance of water in Thai traditions, and Loy Krathong– the floating lotus festival celebrating renewal and the river goddess.
Creative Direction
Brand Identity
Packaging