Paquetes
Senior Thesis
Think of Paquetes as a care package that your abuela sends you while you’re away from home. You know, that warm, fuzzy, excited feeling you get when you open a box full of regalitos that remind you of your childhood. That’s the feeling I want to create with this project.
Paquetes was created out of the desire to learn more about my family’s heritage. Growing up, I’ve always identified myself as a Hispanic, but I grew up heavily immersed in the American culture. But the rare visits we got from my abuelos from Tijuana, Mexico or the family trips we took to see them reminded me of where I come from. My curiosity for my culture wasn't fully ignited until I went to college and was away from home. That curiosity sparked the initial idea for Paquetes.
Paquetes is a monthly subscription box that helps people connect to the Mexican heritage. Each month's box focuses on a different town in Mexico. The contents include items that are unique to the town and contains an instructions booklet to help people make the items at home, all with the help of a curator who is familiar with the area.
The particular box that I created focuses on the town of Talpa de Allende in Jalisco, Mexico, the place my abuela grew up. It features a guava roll, a chicle art kit, and a booklet that tells the curator's story along with a little history about the town and instructions for the goodies inside.
Everything besides the glass jars, were made by me from scratch, turning flat sheets of cardboard and paper into the boxes and package you see. I illustrated all of the graphics using graphite pencils to give it a handmade feel, and edited them to make them bright and colorful to match the vibrant colors that reign in the Mexican culture.
Chicle art kit items include the chicle base, food coloring, and jars to melt the chicle.
There are jars for each food coloring color.
Paquetes display in the 2015 Graphic Design Senior Exhibition at St. Edward’s University.