The Art Of Gratitude
Greeting Card
For this assignment, I designed a thank-you card in InDesign using bleed, trim, and fold line settings to ensure a professional, print-ready layout. The concept was guided by three visual influences that have deeply shaped my artistic voice: Japanese design, Gothic aesthetics, and the expressive work of Vincent van Gogh. Each of these styles carries a strong emotional presence, and I am drawn to work that not only communicates visually but also evokes a feeling in the viewer.
I ultimately selected design number six, as it most effectively captured this intention. The final artwork was created digitally in Photoshop, where I combined stylized koi fish, textured backgrounds, and expressive typography. Through these elements, I aimed to create a piece that feels immersive and emotionally resonant, reflecting a style that moves both myself and the audience.
Concept Development & Thumbnail Exploration
Japanese Inspired Style
These early thumbnail sketches were created during the concept development phase of the gratitude card project. Inspired by Japanese visual culture, koi fish symbolism, florals, lucky cats, cranes, and handwritten typography, the sketches explore different ways gratitude could be communicated through composition, illustration, and visual storytelling. Each concept experiments with balance, texture, and typography placement while helping refine the final direction of the project.
Vincent Van Gogh Inspired Style
This series of thumbnail sketches explores gratitude card concepts inspired by the expressive textures, flowing movement, and line work often seen in Vincent van Gogh’s artwork. Using hand-drawn typography, organic patterns, and symbolic imagery such as sunflowers, stars, and swirling landscapes, the sketches experiment with composition, contrast, and emotional atmosphere while developing possible directions for the final card design. The exploration phase helped refine visual storytelling techniques and investigate how texture and illustration can communicate warmth, appreciation, and emotion through print design.
Gothic Inspired Style
This collection of thumbnail sketches explores gratitude card concepts inspired by gothic architecture, cathedral windows, ornamental patterns, ravens, roses, and medieval-inspired typography. The designs experiment with symmetry, decorative framing, texture, and symbolic imagery to create compositions that feel dramatic yet elegant. Through hand-drawn illustration and typography exploration, the sketches investigate how darker romantic aesthetics can still communicate warmth, appreciation, and emotional sincerity within print design.
Final Digital Design
Outside of the card featuring front cover design and contact information-print ready.
Tools: Photoshop & InDesign
Inside of the card featuring heartfelt words of gratitude-print ready.
Tools: Photoshop & InDesign
Final Digital Mockup
This digital mockup was provided by Adobe through GCU which allowed me to showcase my card in a professional mockup manner.
Tools: Photoshop & InDesign
