Preserve Our Future 🌏


Phase 1️⃣  / Original Design

My original idea was to replicate the WCP art movement for my stamps, and I decided to incorporate propaganda posters because they had prominent influences in American history.

Then, I started to carry out ideas and brought them to life in Illustrator, but after working on them for a while, I realized that there was too much going on with no focus.

Research

After the crit session, I got the suggestion to research the rubber hose animation, an art style popular in the 1920s. Originally done as a time-saver for animating, it became the hallmark of cartoons produced in the USA during the 1920s and early 1930s

Characteristics of Rubber Hose Animation

  1. Arms, legs and even necks can bend, stretch
  2. Flex with no regard for anatomy or physics
  3. Cutesy and childlike
  4. Characters need to be visually distinctive
  5. Ellipses, blocks, and rubber-hose style tubes

Examples

Phase 2️⃣ / Design Outline

I started to look more into the distinct characteristics. Then, I tried to incorporate them into my design, avoiding the characters from feeling stiff and lifeless. I focused on making the energy of the design exciting and contagious.

Phase 3️⃣ / Final Design

For the final design, I added pie-eyes consisting of only a pupil, this look earned its name because each eye looks like a pie with one slice eaten.

I gave the characters four fingers with gloves to highlight the most expressive parts of each character and make them feel more human.

[Instagram Mockups]

Check out the stamp mockups inspired by the classic rubber hose animation style! 🌍💌 These stamps aim to raise awareness about environmental conservation in a fun, nostalgic way—because preserving our planet is something we all have a part in.

#EcoDesign #RubberHoseAnimation #SaveThePlanet #StampArt #DesignForGood

Lessons and Opportunities

This project changed me as a designer by helping me better grasp how design can effectively and engagingly convey pressing global topics, such as environmental conservation.

Working with rubber hose animation style taught me to balance playful visual storytelling with serious themes, showing that even whimsical designs can carry a meaningful message.