Okra Experimentation2024
Knoxville, TN
2024This semester-long project challenged my cohort to experiment with fruits and vegetables by exploring how many different ways we could represent our chosen produce. My class was assigned vegetables, and I chose okra. I began by creating a poster featuring 50 different interpretations of okra through drawing, photography, image editing, and other visual techniques. I also researched its origins and cultural significance, exploring ways to represent the vegetable through historical, personal, and abstract perspectives.
Building on this research, I designed a sensory-inspired toy called Flokra Stew, inspired by the dishes in which okra is commonly used. The toy features a pot-shaped top with a flowing liquid design, while the inside combines oil and water to create a visually satisfying movement when shaken. I sculpted the stew’s ingredients, including okra, garlic, and tomatoes, out of clay and added glitter to represent seasoning. I then designed band packaging featuring water droplets and a side cutout that reveals the contrasting green water and yellow oil, allowing customers to see the contents before shaking and mixing the toy.
For the final project, I collaborated with classmates to develop the exhibition branding for Galactic Gardens, an exhibition exploring how vegetables could contribute to the future of sustaining life in space. Together, we created the visual identity, an informational storytelling carousel, and a poster to communicate the exhibition’s concept. This experimentation with okra allowed me to explore a single subject through research, product design, packaging, and collaborative exhibition branding.