YOLO Face Spray-Paint (Student Project)

Design Agency: Alija Sule
Project Type: Student Project
School: The University of Texas at Austin
Course: MFA in Design
Tutor: James Walker
Location: Austin, USA
Packaging Contents: Face Spray Paint

The following packaging was made in response to a class assignment. The purpose of the assignment was to study, question and respond to subcultures, countercultures and fixations. Consideration was also to be given to how our work might influence an existing or create a new sub/counter/fixation.

The counter culture in question here was that of the juggalos. The juggalos are fans of the American rap group Insane Clown Posse. This group has transformed from music fans into a unique group with distinct attitudes, language, appearance and rituals. The task at hand was to do some research the ICP and Juggalos and consider how their introduction into mainstream society would affect outward social appearance.

The most distinctive aspect of the juggalos was the clown like manner in which they spray-painted their faces. If the juggalo culture were to become mainstream, I imagine spray-painting the face would actually become an art like tattoo making. Face spray paints would be sold in the market along with other cosmetic products.

I designed a hypothetical face spray paint packaging. The brand name 'YOLO (you only live once) stems from the juggalo approach of living every moment to the fullest.
For the design, I wanted to borrow from the quirky and unique aesthetics of the juggalos and yet present them in a way that the mainstream audience would come to love and accept. The main motive here was to create an aesthetic link or a visual bridge between the sub culture of the juggalos and the mainstream society as it is today.