Freehand
Components: Accessible Design, UX, User Research, Branding, Packaging, Web Design, Illustration
Overview
Freehand is a line of adaptive tools for artists with hand and wrist pain and mobility issues. I developed the branding, packaging, website, and product designs for Freehand as a research project on accessible design during my final semester of graduate school. Inspired by my own journey with chronic pain, this company aims to fill a gap in the market: existing adaptive art supplies are mostly made for children, and are rarely of professional quality. Freehand imagines an approach to art-making tools based on the understanding that accessibility benefits everyone, and that people of all abilities can be serious artists who need quality supplies. My goal was to expand my understanding of accessible design beyond the basics of web accessibility, and challenge myself to create adaptive solutions for physical products and packaging. I performed research across a wide range of disciplines, consulting occupational therapists, industrial designers, and artists with a variety of disabilities affecting the use of their hands. Based on my research findings, I created a line of adaptive drawing tools, accessible packaging designed for ease of opening, and a website that presents both the products and research that set Freehand apart in the art supplies market.
“I learned more from you than you did from me on this project.”
Logo
The logo and tagline utilize two different typefaces: Roca, a friendly, humanist serif, and Lexend, a clean sans serif designed to be accessible for people with dyslexia. Both the full and responsive logos incorporate hand-drawn marks, tying the logo conceptually to Freehand’s products.
Patterns
The primary brand pattern for Freehand highlights the diversity of human hands and abilities. It includes hands wearing assistive devices, and shows differences in shape, range of motion, and dexterity. The illustrations in this pattern demonstrate Freehand’s mission of accommodating every artist, regardless of ability. The secondary pattern is composed of Freehand’s responsive logo with a variety of brush strokes applied, referencing diversity in artistic practices and materials.
User Research
In addition to research on competitors and accessibility standards, I conducted a research survey for artists with hand and wrist issues to share about their needs and experiences.
Products
Inspired by responses to my research survey and existing adaptive writing tools, I created 3D renderings of five types of assistive fine liner pens.
Packaging
To design the packaging for these products, I did extensive research into best practices for accessibility regarding ease of opening and manipulation.
Website
The website includes three pages: a Home page with an overview of Freehand’s products and mission, an About page that explains the need for adaptive art supplies and summarizes my user research, and an accessible packaging guide that serves as an educational resource for companies and designers who want to make their products more inclusive.
The product designs for this project incorporate open-source 3D models by 3DPMAMSIH, PrintLab, Fleischkuchen, djdelorie, and Milbat NGO.