Hi, I'm Jaycie Kuczynski
I hesitate to minimize my skill set to just one area of design, so I refer to myself as a Digital Designer. Technology and art-making paired for me very early in life, when, even as far back as elementary school, I was sharing my character and fashion designs to communities of artists online. Then, as I got older, and abandoned my markers for a screen, I worked towards monetizing my creative work.
I have always found great joy in helping others bring their creative concepts to life, both because collaboration fuels the creative process, but also because it encourages me to work outside of my comfort zone. After completing my studies in graphic and web design and marketing myself as a freelance concept artist for 6+ years outside of school, I am chasing a career that will inspire me, challenge me, and leave me with the satisfaction of knowing my ideas had an impact on something great.
Main Goal
Improve the user experience of a healthcare-related website (Lotus Direct Care)
Sub Goals
- Improve text-to-image ratio and minimize word count
- Minimize navigation options and group similar information
- Rewrite headings to encourage user engagement
- Establish a cohesive design system between pages
Process
- 1) Researching typical user journeys/pain points and developing personas to inform the design
- 2) Reorganizing available information on LCD's website and wireframing new organization in Figma
- 3) Creating a lo-fi prototype and overseeing user testing
- 4) Developing a new branding system based on LDC's values, designing assets in Illustrator and collecting imagery online
- 5) Completing a hi-fi prototype and overseeing final user testing
Main Goal
Create a browser-based audio/visual experience centered around trans positivity
Sub Goals
- Work with the Web Audio API for the first time
- Talk to many trans and non-binary people about their identities
- Develop a branding system for the project
Process
- 1) Conducting interviews with trans/non-binary people and conceiving a project that would promote trans positivity
- 2) Naming the project (Phasing) and designing/animating a logomark for it in Illustrator
- 3) Recording inspirational phrases to be translated into waves by the Web Audio API
- 4) Designing a layout that will emulate a sea of waves with HTML and CSS
- 5) Programing interactivity with JavaScript
Main Goal
Create a pair of interactive banner ads for a relevant social issue (Food waste) in Halfpage and Leaderboard ratios
Sub Goals
- Maintain a consistent design system between both ratios
- Entice users to interact with the ads
- Animate using CSS exclusively
Process
- 1) Studying today's rhetoric on food waste
- 2) Wireframing ads with consideration for both layouts
- 3) Designing assets in Illustrator
- 4) Laying out ads with HTML
- 5) Animating and styling ads with CSS
Main Goal
Create a set of three posters, commemorative of a real or fake event (Collaborative concert between Lil Nas X and Ashnikko)
Sub Goals
- Maintain a consistent design system between all three posters
- Choose type and imagery that matches the aesthetic of the subject
- Minimize information used
Process
- 1) Conceiving a fictitious concert starring Lil Nas X and Ashnikko
- 2) Finding images of the musicians online
- 3) Adjusting their colors and applying a checker pattern over three different areas of each artists’ photos in Photoshop
- 4) Layering imagery and applying text in InDesign
Main Goal
Reskin a deck of cards, based on the rules of Magnate, in the theme of the Milwaukee Road train system
Sub Goals
- Remain true to the cards included in a Magnate card set and maintain a consistent design system
- Maintain historical accuracy
- Work in a minimal style, as opposed to the whimsical style of Magnate’s original card set
Process
- 1) Studying the function of each card in Magnate
- 2) Locating imagery for the cards from library archives, illustration books and online
- 3) Removing grain and cropping each image in Photoshop
- 4) Developing a design system for each kind of card in InDesign and sending them off for printing
- 5) Troubleshooting cropping after receiving physical cards and resubmitting files until it is corrected
Main Goal
Design a character to fit into the client’s story
Sub Goals
- Remain true to rules dictated by story lore
- Capture client’s vision and ensure their satisfaction
Process
- 1) Questioning the client about story lore to maintain accuracy while designing
- 2) Sketching the front view of a design in Procreate and contacting the client for approval or additional input
- 3) Lining and laying initial color palette, then contacting the client for approval or additional input
- 4) Making final changes to the front view and repeating steps for any additional angles
Main Goal
Design one of a group of a specific kind of tiny homes (Tower houses), for a specific kind of character (Wizards in the early 2000s)
Sub Goals
- Communicate information about the character to the viewer without ever revealing the character
- Maintain believable two-point perspective
Process
- 1) Deciding on an aesthetic that abides by all the rules of the challenge (Bohemian style, plant magic, tiny home, pointed roof)
- 2) Collecting images of bohemian-style and tiny home interiors to study by drawing in Procreate
- 3) Digitally sketching, lining, coloring and rendering a tiny home using inspiration from my studies and with consideration to the style and details necessary to communicate information about my wizard
Main Goal
Design a vehicle that physically communicates its speed, in any chosen theme (Futuristic)
Sub Goals
- Communicate color through value
- Maintain believable two-point perspective
Process
- 1) Collecting images of race cars from magazines to study by drawing in Procreate
- 2) Completing sketch iterations of potential designs in orthographic view
- 3) Translating the best candidate to ¾ perspective, lining it, and rendering it in black and white
Main Goal
Design a scrolling vector-based platformer world, in any chosen theme (Sweet treats)
Sub Goals
- Maintain a distinct background, midground and foreground
- Design objects and buildings to fit the chosen aesthetic
- Work exclusively with vector graphics
Process
- 1) Creating all assets in Illustrator
- 2) Layering background, midground and foreground in Unity to create parallax effect while scrolling
- 3) Adding leftmost, rightmost and floor player boundaries, as well as hitboxes for some items on the screen
Main Goal
Design pixel assets for an isometric platformer, in any chosen theme (Deep sea)
Sub Goals
- Design a theme-appropriate character and animate its walk-cycles and idle state
- Create a home for the character and items to populate the stage
- Maintain realistic proportion between items
- Work exclusively with pixel graphics and in isometric perspective
Process
- 1) Creating a set of floor tiles and related items
- 2) Designing and animating character in Procreate
- 3) Setting up a stage with floor tiles and items, then rigging character animations to keystrokes in Unity
Main Goal
Create a browser-based dress-up game
Sub Goals
- Develop a cohesive color palette
- Design articles of clothing that will work together in any combination
- Work exclusively with pixel graphics
Process
- 1) Searching online for outfit ideas
- 2) Designing a character for the clothing to be applied to
- 3) Sketching and refining articles of clothing in Procreate
- 4) Layering items so they will be applied in the right order
Main Goal
Create cartoon versions of prospective clients (Realtors) for advertising on social media
Sub Goals
- Maintain integrity of intended style
- Stylize people accurately in a simplified way
Process
- 1) Studying the style I am emulating at the request of the client and collecting photos of realtors I will be drawing
- 2) Completing sketches of all chosen realtors and contacting client for feedback
- 3) Making any changes then lining and coloring drawings in Procreate
- 4) Contacting client for final feedback, making changes and uploading files for client
Main Goal
Produce a potential style for a graphic novel’s (Black Legacy) promotional material
Sub Goals
- Interpret another artist’s sketch
- Develop a consistent lining/coloring style throughout panels
- Portray black features accurately
- Define five distinct characters and maintain their proportions in each panel
Process
- 1) Studying a range of black hairstyles and facial structures to ensure each characters’ individuality
- 2) Lining over sketch artist’s initial compositions and making anatomical corrections in Procreate
- 3) Defining a coloring system and finishing the panels
- 4) Uploading files to be passed on to other artists
Main Goal
Propose two potential styles for a children’s book series
Sub Goals
- Interpret another artist’s sketch
- Stylize real people accurately based on photographs
- Produce two distinctly different styles
- Remain true to client’s style preferences
Process
- 1) Deciding which styles to work in based on client’s preferences and study available photographs
- 2) Redefining what characters will look like and contacting client for feedback
- 3) Making changes and correcting initial sketch for composition, then contacting client for feedback
- 4) Completing two different rendered versions of composition based on approved choices
- 5) Uploading files among styles proposed by other artists for client’s consideration