Buried Treasure

Author/Artist Name

Maggie QuertermousFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Spring 2024

Artist Statement

One of my most cherished dreams as a child was to have a dog. This past year I was able to adopt a four legged friend that forever changed my life for the better. When walking into that shelter, I immediately wanted to take her home and away from that sad interior. Being able to rescue a dog that I so deeply connected with was something indescribable, but it was sad for the ones left behind. From that experience sprang the idea of Buried Treasure. A bright, exciting place that is full of possibilities for both dogs and people.

Brand design is creating a voice for a company without having to say a word. It has the ability to bring a community together just by existing. My designs are made to be colorful and unique that stand out in a world of bland advertisements while enhancing a business’ purpose. Organic shapes, unique color pallet, playful typography, and layout help to create a unique identity through branding. This was considered when designing Buried Treasure Shelter and Store. Over all, dogs are happy creatures, full of love and playfulness. But often, shelters are dark and depressing spaces that do not embody the feeling that one can get with a canine companion. Everyone needs an animal in their life to enrich it but choosing the right one can be difficult, especially when the shelter has muted colors, and a depressing interior. By designing a bright and fun business system for Buried Treasure, it brings excitement within the building, helping prospective dog owners envision the joys of adopting a dog.

Buried Treasure Shelter and Store envisions a dog shelter and pet store that stocks everything that a prospective owner would need to bring their new furry friend home. Within the store, the products, posters, and signage are designed to enhance excitement about bringing a dog home while the materials within the shelter provide the information needed to know about their current residents, and what to expect after bringing them home.

While designing the products and packages, Robot Food inspired more vibrant uses of color and unique designs, full of color with loud typography to help create a fun and welcoming environment. William Wegman's use of his own dogs within his photography provides personal touch and the unique ability to capture every canine’s unique personality. Jessica Jones’ designs use bold patterns and a fun, engaging design while bold typography helps to create a sense of urgency to the work. All three designers show excellence in fun, colorful design, something that I incorporate into my work by using clear and unique fonts, a cohesive color palette, and playful shapes that communicate a warm feeling to remind people how life is better by being the guardian of a shelter animal.

Advisor/Mentor

Jim Bryant; John Utgaard; Cintia Segovia Figueroa; T. Michael Martin

Description

Buried Treasure is an animal shelter with an attached store that has everything a new dog owner might need to make their new animal comfortable in their new home. The shelter includes adoption posters, informational brochures, adoption paperwork and social media posts. The store includes typographical posters, photographs, a pegboard with toys and necessities, dog food, treats, and shampoo. All of the designs are meant to be friendly and welcoming and something that either a new or experienced dog owner would want to pick up for their new pup.

The overall Buried Treasure is meant to be happy and create excitement for the potential of bringing home a new pet. I am hoping with this show that people get excited to go look for dogs at shelters instead of breeders as there are so many dogs in shelters. I want the viewer to leave my show feeling as though they have just played with a happy dog and maybe considering adopting one of their own. I want the products to feel as though it is something that you would actually want to give your dog if you already have one. Over all, I want the viewer to feel as though they have just left a shelter after having a wonderful experience visiting a shelter dog.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Quertermous, Maggie, "Buried Treasure" (2024). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 125.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/125