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Ashley Rose Swick February 2nd, 2022
Ashley Rose Senior Project Book February 2nd, 2022 Bachelor of Technology in Visual Communications Visual Communications: Art & Graphic Design Farmingdale State College, State University of New York
Table of Contents Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................11-14 Chapter 2. Product ...................................................... 15-22 Chapter 3. Unique Value .............................................. 23-26 Chapter 4. Competition ................................................ 27-32 Chapter 5. Personas .................................................... 33-40
Chapter 6. Cultural Relevance ......................................41-46 Chapter 7. Visual Strategy ...........................................47-58 Chapter 8. Marketing ................................................... 59-72
1 12 Introduction
My Story Ashley Rose has been a strong believer of new age spirituality, astrology, gemstones, manifestation and meditation for the past five years of her life. Learning about spirituality has been a source of comfort and relief from stress, helping her to cope with the challenges in life. Throughout her spiritual journey, Ashley started to decorate her bedroom into a place that provided her with a sense of ease and relaxation. Crystals, plants, singing bowls, dream catchers, tapestries and scented candles fill her room to provide the ultimate comfort zone. However, Ashley soon realized that all but one of these products sufficed to provide ultimate relaxation; candles. Candles have been one of her favorite aspects of setting the moon for relaxation. They provide the suitable amount of lighting, and their aroma puts many people at ease. 13
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However, for a product whose goal is to provide comfort, candles cause multitudes of house fires every year. Ashley noticed that lighting a candle in her room was very necessary to achieve ultimate relaxation, but at the same time, she was not able to fully feel at ease due to having to consistently monitor the candle. Oftentimes, she would fall asleep with a candle lit and wake up hours later to realize she forgot to extinguish it, which could have potentially resulted in a dangerous situation. When it came time to develop an idea for her senior project, Ashley wondered if other individuals have been experiencing the same love/ hate relationship with their candles. The problem statement soon emerged: concerned candle users need to ensure safety in the home because it will prevent house fires. Ashley decided that a physical candle holder connected to an app would be here solution to this problem. 15
2 16 Our Product
Our Product Through research, Ashley realized that a physical product connected to an app would be the best solution to the problem. As Ashley researched her competitors, she noticed a few similar products on the market consisting of a glass container with a lid that closed automatically, and a timer that would close the lid and extinguish the candle in certain increments of time. However, all of these products were not very aesthetically pleasing, consisting of one plain design, no connection to an app, ultimately not allowing its users to have much personalization. In order to incorporate this into her product, Ashley’s candle holder will have options to change the light colors of the glass, and the ability to make the product into a fish bowl, moon, or soccer ball. The end product prototype was created using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Once the product connects to the app, it would provide the user with the ability to extinguish the candle away from home, as well as set a timer for how long they would like the candle to burn for. The app would be divided into four parts- the home page, customization page, motion alerts page, and article page. On the home page the user can see a preview of the candles that are currently burning in their home, with the duration of how long the timer is set for, and then previews of trending articles about burning candles. On the customization page, it shows a full view of the candles burning, with the option to click that candle, and customize settings such as setting a timer duration, the product light color, chimes, volume, and the ability to view motion alerts. The motion alerts page allows you to view all motion alerts from the past and present and the ability to clear them. Lastly, the article page allows the user access to read full trending articles from various blogs. 17
The Application Home Read Articles Alerts 18
Customize Live Camera 19
The Product Button Code On/Off Set color/ Theme Duration Set Timer Features Auto shut lid Motion sensor around opening Rubber grip base Ceramic heat resistent glass Holographic lights & themes Live camera 2:00 20
2:00 21
The Packaging 22
Unique Code Slip 23
3 24 Unique Value
Unique Value Concerned candle users need to ensure safety in the home because it will prevent house fires. Ashley’s goal was to create a unique solution to fix this problem. Products such as battery powered candles exist, however they are not scented and do not provide the authenticity of a real candle flame. Wax melts are a new, trendy product where the user heats the wax and it provides the aroma of a candle, but there is no flame, thus, no light. Lastly, candle toppers are open lids with holes and designs placed over a candle that are used to provide better air circulation so the candle burns more efficiently, however it does not extinguish the flame or provide safety. Ashley’s plan developed to create a physical product that could extinguish a candle without user interference in a potentially hazardous situation. The product would also connect to an app on the user’s phone where safety alerts and reminders would be sent to the app when needed. The app would also provide the user with the ability to extinguish the candle if they left the home and forgot to put it out, as well as set a timer for how long they would like the candle to burn for. By launching her senior project, Ashley hopes to create a product that can provide candle users with the security they need in order to prevent house fires. Burning a candle should provide ultimate relaxation, and having to worry about the dangers of burning one can ruin the purpose of the product. She hopes that Swick can relieve those worries and provide its users with ultimate security. 25
User Journey Map The user finds Swick! User is excited to light a candle User buys a product, hoping to replace the essense of a candle The product doesn’t fill the void of lighting a real candle Candle starts a house fire when it is unnattended 26
Data 27
4 28 Competition
Competition Ashley created the brand Swick, a self-extinguishing candle holder, paired with an app that provides a user with awareness and control over their candle wherever and whenever. Her ultimate goal with this brand is to prevent house fires in homes, and to provide candle users with peace of mind. However, as unique as Swick is, the brand faces competition who are trying to solve a similar problem. One competitor in particular is ALEC, a company that has created an automatic lid that extinguishes candles based on a timer. Another competitor includes Candle Mate, who has created a candle holder that extinguishes candles on a timer, and assists with proper candle care. Lastly, Simply Collected created flameless candles that are battery powered fake candles that rid of potential house fires, soot, wick care, and other complications one has when burning a real candle. Although Swick has some intimidating competition, the brand has many aspects that makes it entirely different. Ashley designed Swick’s physical product to consist of a spherical bowl and lid made out of thick ceramic glass. This specific type of glass resists high heat levels and is often used for glass cook tops and fireplace doors. The lid is attached to the bowl on the outside by metal hinges. There are microscopic sensors embedded into the rim of the bowl to assist in detecting if something gets too close to the opening of the lid that could become ignited. If this were to happen, the product lid would shut and the candle would be extinguished immediately since there is no more oxygen to keep it burning. The base of the candle consists of 4 buttons: ON/OFF, timer (duration of candle burn time), set (setting the duration), and light color (changes the color of light of the glass bowl), and a screen that 29
displays the amount of time the timer is set to. Underneath the base is rubber so that the product does not move easily if bumped into. To make the product more individualized and aesthetically pleasing, there are variations of the product that have a pattern of the moon, a soccer ball, or a fishbowl that are etched into the glass, providing a product that not only functions but blends into its surroundings. The phone application for Swick is an important aspect to the candle holder that provides the user with more control over their candle. The app is free, and all it needs is the code found inside the product box in order to activate it. The Swick app provides the user with an overview of what candles are burning in their home and the ability to control how long they want their candle to burn for, a button to extinguish it wherever and whenever, the ability to receive alerts and change their volume and tones, and change the color of the light on the product. The app also provides the user with trending articles about candles. Having this app on one’s phone allows the consumer to move freely within their house without having to worry about supervising their candle constantly. In addition, in case the candle is forgotten about and the user leaves their home, there is the option to self extinguish the candle through the app. 30
The number one competition for Swick is the company ALEC’s product Candle Out, an automatic lid that extinguishes candles based on an hourly timer. “The product uses a digital timer that can be set in 30 minute increments. When the timer hits 0:00, the lid will gently close and extinguish the flame” (Amazon. com). Their goal is to provide candle lovers with peace of mind. This product consists of a stand, a cylindrical glass container, a timer, and an automatic lid. It comes in different colors such as black, silver, white, and gold, and comes in sizes small and large. Although ALEC’s Candle Out is similar to Swick in terms of its goal, automatic lid, and timer, Ashley’s brand provides the user with so much more control over their candle. First off, Swick’s product design is spherical and consists of the fish bowl, moon, and soccer ball designs in order to allow the product to camouflage itself into anyone’s aesthetic. ALEC’s product does come in different colors, however the glass has no patterns on it and it is a bit of a clunky eye sore when seen in a room. Their product does not provide individuality to its consumers. In addition, Swick’s product is paired with an app that provides its users with much needed accessibility to their candle when they are not in the room. One of the most vital aspects of Swick that ALEC’s product does not have is it’s motion sensors around the rim; when something comes too close to the candle, the lid shuts and extinguishes the flame. 31
Another competitor for Swick is the product Candle Mate. Similar to ALEC’s Candle Out, this device is a self-extinguishing rectangular candle holder that runs on a 1-4 hour timer, and will extinguish the candle once that time is up. Candle Mate’s goal is to provide its customers with peace of mind, and to simplify their day with no more stressing over forgotten burning candles. In addition to the timer feature, the product claims it makes candles burn better, enhances their smell, and minimizes the production of soot. Ashley’s product, Swick, provides these same features and more. Ashley’s product provides its customers with the ability to customize their candle holder to their personal aesthetic; whether that is sports, astronomy, or marine life. Swick’s product design is spherical and consists of the fish bowl, moon, and soccer ball designs in order to allow the product to camouflage itself into anyone’s space. In addition, as explained before, the app that connects to the candle holder provides users with more accessibility and control over their candles no matter where they are. Swick’s motion sensors around the rim alerts the user through their app when something comes too close to the candle, and the lid automatically shuts and extinguishes the flame. 32
Electric candles have been around for years, and became one of the first inventions created for candle lovers who were concerned about the upkeep of a real candle. Simply Collected created realistic looking battery powered flameless candles that rid of potential house fires, soot, wick care, and other complications of a real candle. Since electric candles do not have a real flame or wax, they are not scented and their glow does not compare to the ambient light a real candle gives off. Products like Simply Collected fake candles are also quite outdated, as the batteries have to be changed frequently and the user has to switch them on and off manually. Swick’s candle holder and app utilize the most up to date technology available in order to make their product accessible and easy to use. The candle holder allows for the user to continue to enjoy the benefits of a real candle while eliminating the worry of a house fire. It also provides easy access to extinguish the flame if they leave the room, or perhaps are too comfortable to leave their bed. With Swick, outdated products like electric candles are long in the past. 33
5 34 Personas
Personas A target audience is the group of people a brand aims to sell its products to. Having a specific target audience is very important to have as a designer, as they aid in the development and design of a product. The target audience determines what the product looks like, how it functions, where and when it would be used, and its accessibility. Without a target audience, there is no problem to solve, thus no purpose for creating a product. For her senior project, Ashley did a lot of research on who uses candles, and those who are interested in fire safety products in order to accurately determine her three target audiences. After conducting research and interviews, she narrowed her audience down to three personas; The Pet Lover, The Independent, and The Hero. The Pet lover is the secondary persona, who avoids burning candles due to the fear of their pets interfering with the open flame. The Independent consists of hard working young adults in careers such as doctors or nurses who are often on call and rushing out of their homes for emergencies. This target group often forgets to blow out their candles as it is the last thing on their mind in the time of an emergency. Lastly, The Hero consists of firefighters who have a deep interest in protecting themselves and their community from fire. They are some of the top consumers and advocaters of fire safety products. As Ashley conducted this research, she felt less alone knowing that others shared her worries. 35
The Pet Lover “I want to light candles, but avoid them because I worry my pets will knock them over when I am not watching.” 36
Primary Persona The primary persona, The Pet Lover, consists of college students of ages 18-22 who have a love for animals, and own either dogs, cats, birds, or other pets. This persona is the primary audience because candles are quite popular within their age group. This persona is aware of the popularity of scented candles within their age group, and wants to use candles, however their fear of their animals interfering with the open flame prevents them from doing so. Through extensive research Ashley found that “every year, in the United States alone, over 500,000 pets experience house fires, and 40,000 of those pets tragically lose their lives. Both cats and dogs have an innate interest in open flames, which can quickly result in a candle being knocked over and harming your pet or your property” (“Fire Safety: 3 Easy Ways You Can Help Protect Your Pets”). Having a product like Swick would provide this target group with relaxation and peace of mind that them and their precious pets are safe. 37
The Independent “I have fallen asleep with a candle lit, and left it burning all night!” 38
Secondary Persona The secondary persona, The Independent, represents hard working young adults ages 25-35, in careers such as doctors or nurses who are often on call and rushing out of their homes for emergencies. This persona is relatively new in their career, and they are working long, hard hours in order to make the money they need to live and save for the future. They often live in small apartments alone or with a significant other or roommate. When these people finally get home, the little time they have to relax is important to them. Oftentimes, they light candles before bed, and they fall asleep with the candle lit. In her research, Ashley discovered that 54% of candle users fall victim to leaving their candles unattended. “Roughly one-third (36%) of home candle fires started in bedrooms. These fires caused 32% of the associated deaths and 47% of the associated injuries. Falling asleep was a factor in 11% percent of the home candle fires and 30% of the associated deaths” (“Candle Fires by the Numbers”). Due to these statistics, Swick would be a perfect option for the secondary audience because they would not have to worry about candle fires in the home if they fall asleep with one lit. 39
The Hero “I have seen many people lose their lives and possessions from poor fire safety, and am interested in any product that prevents house fires.” 40
Tertiary Persona Lastly, the tertiary persona, The Hero, represents a specific target audiencefirefighters ages 35-40 who have a deep interest in protecting themselves and their community from house fires. This persona has a family and kids they are very protective of, and they enjoy teaching younger generations about fire safety. They are some of the top consumers of fire safety products for their home such as fire proof safes, fire extinguishers, and smoke alarms. As Ashley interviewed a few different firefighters, 100% of them expressed great interest in buying Swick’s product. This is a product that not only would they buy for their own homes, but as a gift for friends and family members as well in order to keep them safe. This consumer would not only buy the product, but they would advertise it by word of mouth, or even hand flyers around schools or office spaces. Their enthusiasm for this product would greatly help boost Swick’s sales and bring recognition to the brand, along with providing them and their loved ones with protection while burning a candle. 41
6 42 Culture
Our Culture Ashley began to conduct over 50 interviews with a wide variety of people through phone calls, Facetime, in person, and google forms. The data showed that 54% of people have left a candle unattended in their home and expressed worry of one causing a house fire. 90% of those people would buy a product that relieved this worry. The concerned candle users need to ensure safety in the home because it will prevent house fires. “An estimated 358,500 home fires occur every year. 50% of these fires start in the kitchen, 7% begin in the bedroom, and 6% are chimney fires, 4% of all residential home fires start in the living room, while 3% start from the laundry room” (Covington). One of the most common causes of house fires are candles. Many people disregard candles as being a huge fire hazard, since it is only a small flame, and most candles are marketed for the purpose of relaxation through aromatherapy. However, throughout Ashley’s research and interviews, she learned that 54% of candle users have left a candle unattended in their home, and 30% have experienced ignition of a personal item due to this carelessness. 3/4 people interviewed would be interested in a product that extinguished the candle by itself. 43
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7 48 Visual Strategy
Visual Strategy With a solution to the problem developed, Ashley started the process of creating a brand name and the company’s branding and overall aesthetic. The process for coming up with a brand name started with how Ashley wanted her brand to make people feel. The brand’s goal was to make people feel safe and have peace of mind as they burned their candles. The brand needed to appear trustworthy and secure for people to consider using its product. In total, Ashley came up with 40 names for the brand, and narrowed it down until she settled with the name “Swick”, the “S” representing safety or security, and the “wick” being the part of a candle that is lit. Many fonts were played with in order to decide on the final font for the logo. It came to a decision between a blocky sans serif typeface, or a more flowy script font. Ultimately with feedback from peers’ Ashley chose the final font of the logo as a blocky, sans serif typeface to represent stability, and the dot of the “i” is a blue flame. The goal of the logo is to portray that Swick provides the safety one needs when burning a candle. The next step in the design process was developing the branding and color schemes that would be used throughout Swick’s products. When conducting research, Ashley learned about color symbolism, and how one’s mood can be reflected from certain colors. Since she wanted the brand to provide security, safety, ease of mind, and trustworthiness, she chose shades of blue, orange, gray, and brown. In terms of the minimum size of the logo, it should be at least 1.5” horizontally, and the height of the flame represents the amount of clear space around the logo. 49
Colorized Logo & Mark 50
Reversed Color 51
B&W Logo & Mark 52
Reversed B&W 53
Logo Clear Space & Minimum Size 1.5in 1in X X X X X X X 54
Logo Misuse Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. 55
Illustrations & Icons 56
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Header & Body Copy Cocogoose Title Aa ABCDEFGHIJKLNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 58 Arial Rounded MT Bold Body Aa ABCDEFGHIJKLNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Color Scheme HEX 3560ac RGB 53, 96, 172 CMYK 86, 67, 0, 0 HEX 71ccee RGB 115, 204, 238 CMYK 50, 1, 3, 0 HEX d98e04 RGB 217, 142, 4 CMYK 0, 34, 98, 15 HEX 868787 RGB 139, 135, 135 CMYK 50, 41, 41, 5 HEX 593a15 RGB 89, 58, 21 CMYK 0, 35, 77, 65 59
8 60 Marketing
Marketing Ashley’s goal in marketing is to strategically market in places where the target audiences are, such as print ads consisting of billboards in the city, subway, bus shelters, wild postings, Bed Bath & Beyond magazine, and web ads such as landing pages, banner ads, along with social media ads, and a trade booth demonstrating the usage of the product. Ashley’s target audience consists of three personas, the primary being The Pet Lover, who avoids burning candles due to the fear of their pets interfering with the open flame. The secondary is The Independent, consisting of hardworking young adults in careers such as doctors or nurses who are often on call and rushing out of their homes for emergencies. This target group often forgets to blow out their candles as it is the last thing on their mind in the time of an emergency. Lastly, The Hero, consisting of firefighters who have a deep interest in protecting themselves and their community from fire. They are some of the top consumers of fire safety products. The Hero persona and The Independent are constantly on the go, and travel to work each day, so the billboards in the city, subway, bus shelters, wild postings, Bed Bath & Beyond magazine, trade booth and Facebook ads would be geared towards them. The magazine ads, instagram ads, pinterest ads, and web based ads are aimed towards The Pet Lover, since they are a younger generation and spend most of their time consuming media online. Marketing is important because it allows for the target audience to see the product in the places they exist in every day. 61
Ashley’s marketing strategy consists of digital drawings depicting situations where Swick would prevent a house fire. The drawings would be different according to the type of advertising; either print or digital. The digital ads consist of an image of a girl sleeping in her bedroom and a candle lit while utilizing Swick. The print ads show a cat pawing at the product, and an alert being displayed on the user’s iPhone as Swick’s product self-extinguishes the flame. The slogan on all the ads is “Peace of mind starts here”, reiterating that by having this product, one does not have to worry about their candle causing a fire. With Ashley’s branding and marketing collateral in place, she hopes to gain the attention of her audiences whenever they are. Swick is a product unlike any other who’s goal of preventing house fires will change the way Ashley’s target audiences feel the next time they light a candle. 62
Print Ads 63
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Social Media Ads 66
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Web Ads 68
Customer Interaction 69
Merchandise 70
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Bibliography 74
1. “Fire safety & candles.” National Candle Association, 2021, March 1, https://candles.org/fire-safety-candles/. This article from the National Candle Association discusses fire safety with candles. Candles are beautiful and relaxing items for the home, but they are also a dangerous open flame and can be a potential fire hazard if left unattended. In fact, an estimated 8,200 home fires are started by candles each year according to the National Fire Protection Association. The article discusses the top three ways to keep the home safe when lighting a candle and how to prevent fires in the home. It gives detailed tips for before a person burns a candle, while it is burning, and safe ways to extinguish it. This article can be used to justify the necessity of my project. 2. “Candles.” NFPA, https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Top-fire-causes/Candles. This article provided useful statistics on the number of candle fires in the U.S. From 2014-2018, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 7,610 home structure fires per year that were started by candles. These fires caused an annual average of 81 deaths, 677 injuries and $278 million in direct property damage. I discovered that roughly onethird (37%) of home candle fires started in bedrooms. It is very common for people to fall asleep while the candle is lit, resulting in injuries and death. I learned that December is the most popular month for house fires due to candles because people tend to light candles during the holiday season. These statistics reinforce the need for candle safety and support on my project. 3. “View of the Safer Candle Project: Preventing fires from Fallen Candles.” https://journals.uct.ac.za/index.php/GHI/ article/view/731/616. This article discusses an ongoing public health crisis that has been going on for years throughout the world; burns. Specifically in South Africa, burn injuries contribute significantly to the annual disease burden across all ages, with an overall burn mortality rate of 4.2 per 100,000. As a result, Childsafe South Africa created the Safer Candle Project in 2005. It was inspired by the frequent observation of household fires in the housing districts surrounding Cape Town. 75
The primary objective of the Safer Candle Project is to provide an inexpensive, safe alternative to home candle use in homes with limited electricity access. The article goes on to discuss their solution to this problem, along with photographs to demonstrate how to make any candle safer. The safety solutions while using candles discussed throughout this article may assist me when developing a prototype. 4.Shreffler, K. M., Meadows, M. P., & Davis, K. D, 2009, “FIREFIGHTING AND FATHERING: WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT, PARENTING STRESS, AND SATISFACTION WITH PARENTING AND CHILD BEHAVIOR.” Fatherhood, https://www. fatherhood.gov/sites/default/files/resource_files/e000002403.pdf. This study focuses on father’s who are firefighter’s and how the stresses of their job impacts their family life. It was interesting to me to find that occupational stress, working over 60 hours per week, and lack of sleep were associated with greater family conflict, and conflict with children. Due to family conflict, fathers experienced higher parenting stress and lower parenting satisfaction. Working more than 60 hours per week significantly predicted lower satisfaction with children’s behavior. Learning about firefighter fathers and how they interact with their families due to their jobs can help me learn about what kind of safety their families need, and the father would invest in. 5. “Fire safety and The Elderly.” Bouse volunteer fire district, https://bouseazfd.com/fire-prevention-and-public-education/fire-safety-and-the-elderly/. Bouse Volunteer fire district reveals how older adults run a 2.7 times higher rate of dying in a fire than people in younger age groups. They also have a higher risk of injury from preventable accidental house fires caused by candles, cigarettes, and stoves. Most people suffer from physical and/or mental decline as they age. The elderly often are afflicted with illnesses or disabilities that limit their mobility to varying degrees, making escape from a fire more difficult. The elderly often can experience memory loss, and many develop diseases such as Alzheimer’s, a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. This makes it more likely for them to forget to attend to common household duties such as turning off the faucet, shutting a window, or blowing out a candle. This information will help me in nar76
rowing down my target audience of my product. 6. Gootman, E, 2000, November 23, “Student killed in fire started by candles.” The New York Times, https://www. nytimes.com/2000/11/23/nyregion/student-killed-in-fire-started-by-candles.ht. In this article, Gootman from New York Times reports on a 25 year old student who was killed by burning candles in her New York apartment. The woman, Helen Carnegie, was the 13th person to die that year from a fire started by candles. This is a growing issue as the years go on. Young students have decorative candles near their bed, fall asleep, and their sheets get engulfed in flames causing injuries and many fatalities. I have learned from this article that young college students who are overworked look to candles to relax and often end up in life threatening circumstances. They are often alone in their room when this happens. This information will help me in narrowing down my target audience of my product. 7. Taylor, D, 2020, November 2, “A Chilton County man dies after candles he was using for light set the house on fire.” CBS 42, https://www.cbs42.com/news/chilton-county-man-dies-after-candles-he-was-using-for-lig ht-set-house-onfire/. Taylor reports on the death of a 66 year old man who died in a house fire started by a candle. The fire was on Halloween night, and he was using the candle to light the home in absence of electricity. Due to the candle being unattended, it lit his house on fire and unfortunately took him with it. I learned that house fires often occur when there is no electricity, and the person is home alone and the candle is unattended for long periods of time. This information will be considered when I come up with a solution to the problem, and who in particular will benefit from it. 77
8. Catherine Loveday, 2021, April 27, “Memory loss isn’t just an old person’s problem – here’s how Young People Can Stay mentally fit.” The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/memory-loss-isnt-just-an-old-persons-problemheres-how-you ng-people-can-stay-mentally-fit-102352. In this article, Catherine Loveday reports that memory loss is not just a problem older people deal with. In today’s society, many young people worry about their memory being not so up to par. This article talks about memory loss in young people, and why technology had something to do with it. It claims that because any information is at our fingertips with smartphones, tablets, and computers, the younger generation can not retain information due to pure laziness. Young people are forgetting simple things like shutting a window, or where they last left their wallet, but can ace a pop quiz. This research will aid my decisions on the target audience for my project. 9. “Keeps pets safe from causing, being victims of fire mishaps” Joint Base San Antonio, 2017, April 26, https://www. jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/1163760/keeps-pets-safe-from-causing-being-victims-of-fire-mishaps/. When people leave the home, one of the top worries they have is that their pets are okay. In this article, I discovered a few simple tips on how to prevent your cherished pet from starting a fire and also how to keep your pets safe. I learned that cats are often victims of house fires because they climb up on counters and knock down things such as candles. This information opens up a new target audience, pet lovers, who would buy my product. 10. Ayers, Laurie, 2017, December 2, “Candle Industry Statistics: Join & Buy Scentsy. Join & Buy Scentsy” https:// www.thrivingcandlebusiness.com/enlightening-candle-industry-statistics/. In this article, Ayers provided me with important statistical information about candles; who buys them, why they buy them, and when they buy them. U.S. retail sales of candles are estimated at approximately $3.2 billion annually, excluding sales of candle accessories. In 2008 it was 2 billion. I discovered that 90% of candle buyers are women, which is not surprising, but an incredibly high percentage. Most people buy candles for the fragrance during the win78
ter holiday time. This information is helpful to me because it determines when my product may be the most successful on the market. 11. “Candle Safety.” Campus FireWatch, http://www.campus-firewatch.com/candles. According to this article, 85% of fatal fires have happened in off-campus housing where a vast majority of the students live. Roughly one-third (37%) of home candle fires started in bedrooms. These fires caused 36% of the associated deaths and 51% of the associated injuries. About 11% of candle fires happened because the student fell asleep and forgot to blow out the candle. It seems like candle fires are more common amongst young female students in their teens and twenties who live alone or with a roommate in an off campus apartment. This research will aid my decisions on the target audience for my project. 12. Baker, J. E, 2019, August 8, “Cat knocks over candle, sparking fire in duplex with 6 residents, 13 cats, 2 dogs, snake.” Cincinnati, https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/08/08/cat-knocks-over-candle-sparking-fire-residentsdogs-some-cats-safe-snake-status-unknown/1952573001/. This article reports on a fire that was ignited by a candle in an apartment. The fire was started when a cat knocked over a lit candle in a Pleasant Ridge duplex overnight, displacing six residents. The residents made it out safely, however several cats died and two dogs and a snake were injured. The fire was hard to fight because it spread to all floors of the building and was in the walls and small spaces. I learned from this report that it is common for candle fires to be started by pets because they can knock into it. It seems like pets are also a common victim of fires because firemen save the people first and sometimes there is not enough time to save the pets. This information opens up a new target audience, pet lovers, who would buy my product. 79
13. Kyle, S. B, “Primary Report on In Depth Investigations of Incidents Involving Candles.” 2002 In this journal, Kyle discusses one of the most common ways candles start fires. The candle fires had one or more of the following patterns; candle flare up, candle exploded, wax was low, container shattered, container caught fire, candle reignited, and candle tipped over. By discovering the specific way the candle caught fire aside from the interference of an outside source, I could come up with an effective solution that would work for any scenario. 14. Carl, 2021, June 28, “Is it safe to sleep with a candle lit?” https://www.candleers.com/is-it-safe-to-sleep-with-acandle-lit/. I found this article very interesting because I am aware it is not good to sleep with a candle on, however I did not know about any disasters that have resulted from it. In this article, I discovered that a woman from the United Kingdom fell asleep with a candle on as she took a nap for work. When she woke up, the candle burnt out and there was smoke in her room and she was coughing up black soot. The soot got into her lungs and she had to go to the hospital. If she had not, she could have died. This information mentions a new safety hazard with candles, and stresses the importance of having a product that will alert you when you have forgotten it is lit. 15. “Mom shares a warning about scented candles after discovering black dots in her baby’s nose.” Tip Hero, https:// tiphero.com/scented-candle-time-limit. I was interested in seeing the dangers of soot produced by scented candles. In this article, a mother from Hoboken who casually lit two large, scented candles and went about her day while at home with her was her newborn child. When she went to feed the baby, Megan noticed that the inside of his nostrils were covered in a black substance. Even after swabbing and cleaning out his nose with saline, there were still remnants of the black substance. Panicked, she took her baby to the doctor. Scented Candles have a three hour warning on them not as a suggestion. If left on for more than three hours, wax can build up enough to form dangerous soot. This information mentions a new safety haz80
ard with candles, and stresses the importance of having a product that will alert you when you have forgotten it is lit. 16. Painter, S, “5 cleanest burning candles you can buy.” Love to know, https://candles.lovetoknow.com/aboutcandles/5-cleanest-burning-candles-you-can-buy. As I researched more about the harmful qualities of soot, I found that Soy candles, beeswax candles, and vegetablewax based candles that are 100% (not blended with paraffin) are soot-free. Candles with all natural ingredients are better for your health and often are not advertised. Many people don’t know the true dangers of many common candle makers such as DW Home, Yankee Candle, and Bath & Body Works. 17. Timmons, J, 2021, January 22, “6 best nontoxic candles - and why you may want to make the Switch.” Health Line, https://www.healthline.com/health/nontoxic-candles#nontoxic-candle-brands. This article provides more information regarding cleaning burning, non toxic candles. To be on the safe side, look for phthalate-free candles that are derived from 100 percent essential oil. Any synthetic ingredients should be certified nontoxic. Also, transparency is key, so prioritize candlemakers that are willing to list ingredients in full. This article also provided brands that make clean burning candles. 18. W., Joycasinoofficial, —, Lori, —, Je, 2016, December 22, “What are wax melts and how do I use them?” One Fur All Pets, https://www.onefurallpets.com/blogs/news/what-are-wax-melts-and-how-do-i-use-them. This article provides a new and trending alternative to candle; wax melts. Wax melts are pieces of scenes wax without a wick that you can combine with other scents. They are slowly warmed on a wax melter and since there is no flame, they are much safer than candles with a wick. Learning about this competitor will help me determine the values of still being about to use a normal candle, while adding safety features to it. 81
19. Worst, E. R, 2021, August 27, “16 candle alternatives that still provide relaxing scents & great light.” Worst Room, https://worstroom.com/candle-alternatives/ This article provides candle alternatives that are not fire hazards and are non-toxic. Some of these alternatives include fairy lights, lava lamps, and electric candles. If you buy candles for the scent, alternatives include wax melts, reed diffusers, oil diffusers, fresh flowers, air fresheners, and incense. Learning about this competitor will help me determine the values of still being about to use a normal candle, while adding safety features to it. 20. “History. National Candle Association.” Candles, 2020, July 2, https://candles.org/history/. This article discusses the history of candles. Candles have been used as a source of light and to illuminate celebrations for more than 5,000 years, yet little is known about their origin. The earliest use of candles is often attributed to the Ancient Egyptians, who made rushlights or torches by soaking the pithy core of reeds in melted animal fat. However, the rushlights had no wick like a true candle. It is interesting to see how far candles have come considering the alternatives that were made to capture their essence while being safe. 21. Mikko, “Brand Identity Style Guide Documents.” Logo Design Love, 22 Apr. 2018, https://www.logodesignlove.com/ brand-identity-style-guides. As I looked through other identity style guides, I recognized that other companies brand themselves successfully by maintaining consistent typefaces, colors, grids, sizes, ect. They also brand themselves by researching how their competitors advertise themselves, and poking fun at them with their own brand. The logos the companies use remain consistent in their sizes, however, when they are used in certain ads or commercials elements such as bars and varying colors come into play. For example, the Animal Planet logo is portrayed in ten different colors according to the background image the logo is presented on. In terms of specifications, many logos have exclusion lines where other types should not interfere within a certain amount of space from the logo. The logo is also combined with a slogan 82
or website that can only be in a specific typeface. These brands present their colors by stating the specific Pantone number value they are. The fonts are presented in a chart portraying all the symbols and characters that are included in the typeface. They ask for fonts to be a specific point size. Brands also give examples of specific print and web examples of how the logo should be used, for example, the print examples for Animal planet. 22. “World Leaders in Research-Based User Experience”, director. Nielsen Norman Group, https://www.nngroup.com/ videos/prototypes-vs-wireframes-ux-projects/. This video allowed me to learn the differences between wireframes and prototypes and in what situations each should be used. Wire frames are simplified representations of a site or app. They can be hand drawn or digital. They do not contain any visual design or color. Prototypes are more flexible, they may contain images and design and are responsive. A high fidelity prototype can look exactly like a screenshot of the screen of the final product but just doesn’t function the same way as the final. Wire frames are used to get quick feedback on a design decision and prototypes are used when you are further along in the design process. I will be sure to use this information when I create my app for senior project. It will first start out with a wire frame and then make its way to a low fidelity and then high fidelity prototype. 23. Dam, Rikke Friis, and Teo Yu Siang. “Design Thinking: Get Started with Prototyping.” The Interaction Design Foundation, https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-thinking-get-started-with-prototyping. This article provided me with information on why it is important to create prototypes. A prototype is a simple experimental model of a proposed solution used to test or validate ideas, design assumptions and other aspects of its conceptualisation quickly and cheaply, so that the designer/s involved can make appropriate refinements or possible changes in direction. Many designers get carried away in the research of their topic, and overlook creating prototypes and testing them out on the focus group to see how successful the product is, By prototyping and then testing those prototypes, you can reveal assumptions and biases you have towards your ideas, and uncover insights about your 83
users that you can use to improve your solutions or create new ones. I will keep this in mind when I am working on my app for senior project- to make sure that I am having people in my focus group testing out the product so I can work out any kinks and make it the best it can be. 24. “How to Make a Prototype.” Gembah, 19 May 2021, https://gembah.com/blog/how-to-make-a-prototype. This article taught me about how to start creating a physical product prototype. My one product for senior project is a mechanism that will extinguish the candle by itself without the aid of a user having to blow it out. This will be helpful in emergencies when the user is not home or unable to physically blow the candle out themself. I found out from this article that prototypes for a physical product can be done digitally with a 3D modeling program, or from clay or a 3D printer. 25. Scott-Leslie, Devon, et al. “How to Make a Prototype for Your New Product Design.” Cad Crowd, https://www.cadcrowd.com/blog/how-to-make-a-prototype-for-your-new-product-design/. This article talks about the steps in creating a product prototype. To start with, it’s usually a good idea to check how other similar products are made. It might be a good idea to buy an existing product and disassemble it. The next step is to create a sketch of the new product design. Transfer the idea on a paper or CAD. Writing a verbal description is very useful too, especially if you aren’t too artistically inclined. The sketch will also help you think through the physicality of the design. Most people are not particularly good at visualizing three-dimensional objects accurately in our minds. When we start sketching and modeling things, we’re forced to confront some of the physical realities. This, of course, is the lead up to the actual physical prototypes. After reading this article, I have a new interest in CAD and how that works. I will probably only do a 3D mockup in photoshop of my product since I am not an inventor or engineer, but it was interesting to learn about the possibilities out there. 84
26. Covington, Taylor. House Fire Statistics and Facts (Data from 2022) - the Zebra. https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/house-fire-statistics/. 27. Amazon.com: Volnyus Black Decorative Candle Holder Set of ... https://www.amazon.com/volnyus-Black-Decorative-Candle-Holder/dp/B0923TJ4LW. 85
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