Victoria Maggay: Brand & Visual Designer

Self-directed campaign concept

Collected.
Not ordinary.

A tactile identity for a vintage jewelry drop, built so the release details stay easy to find.

The challenge

Vintage jewelry online is either overly formal or visually interchangeable. I wanted a distinctive atmosphere where each piece feels like it carries a story, without burying the drop date and price.

My contribution

Concept, visual direction, typography, composition, color, and iterative feedback. I used AI to explore imagery and directed which outputs fit the campaign. The visuals here are concept mockups.

Design rationale

Chose deep green and antique gold over conventional jewelry palettes (black, white, silver) because warm, tactile colors signal "collected" rather than "mass-produced." The torn paper label treatment gives each piece a handmade, archival feel, like a museum tag, while keeping the drop date and price in a consistent position so shoppers always know where to look.

Two directions, one system

The green direction sets the primary identity. The October orange variant explores how the same layout could shift seasonal mood without rebuilding the system. I wanted an identity that could grow beyond one announcement.

Orange October Edit direction — Orange, the October Edit. Burnt orange and larger imagery shift the same announcement toward an autumn editorial mood.

Deep green #2D4A3EOctober orange #C8783ACream #F5EDE0Ink #1A1A1A

Next: extend the green direction across a feed post, story, and product detail layout, then test with vintage shoppers which cues most raise perceived rarity and trust. Success looks like: shoppers can find the drop date and price within 3 seconds of seeing the post, and describe the pieces as "one-of-a-kind" rather than "listed."

Practice launch campaign

The launch moment.

A social launch for a limited run of sculptural silver jewelry.

The brief

An Instagram launch ad that says what is launching, when it drops, the 25-piece limit, and a clear waitlist action.

My approach

I pushed the brief into a museum after hours: a guarded display case, security lasers, moonlit architecture, and an object label for Nocturne 01. The goal was scarcity that feels cinematic, not promotional.

Design decisions

I chose a museum-after-hours setting to make the limited release feel cinematic rather than rely on a standard sales message. The date, piece count, and waitlist action sit together in the lower third so the practical details have their own place within the scene. Whether that hierarchy reads quickly is something I'd test.

What I'd test next

A/B the museum framing against a simpler "object in darkness" direction to see whether the narrative detail adds perceived value or slows the scroll.

After Hours Studio is a simulated client brief, not a commissioned campaign. Concept and creative direction by me, with AI-assisted visualization.

After Hours Studio launch ad: figures around a lit jewelry display case with red security lasers

SORE THUMB · Self-directed product & brand concept

Keep your place.

Attention moves. The task can stay visible.

SORE THUMB wall board with movable notes in Next Up, In Motion and Made It

It started with a brain dump

A lot of my projects start with problems I run into myself. This one started with a giant notepad next to my desk: a morning brain dump, followed by colored markers to sort the thoughts. With ADHD, I tend to task jump. I wanted a system that made room for that instead of asking me to work in a straight line.

Why a physical board?

I love stationery items, sticky notes included. Color helps me organize; moving a note makes the task feel tangible. “Made it” gives finished tasks a place and a little “Hey, you did this today,” before I clear them. Any movement is still progress.

My role

Product concept, task-flow rules, brand direction, material priorities, and creative direction for AI-assisted mockups. I explored many variations to get closer to the idea in my head.

The brand idea

I want the colors and thumbtack shape to become recognizable cues, a reminder of the board even when it's elsewhere. Portable formats and reminder stickers are directions to explore, not tested features.

Where it stands

A concept, not a manufactured or tested product. My experience started it; prototypes and feedback from other people need to tell me what to keep, change, or leave behind.

Saved for laterKeep the idea without making it today's obligation.

Up nextBring a task into view when it's ready to begin.

In motionKeep active work visible. More than one task can live here.

Made itRecognize what you finished, then clear notes when you're ready.

More about my process: the brain dump behind the board

I'm basically doing a brain dump, but physically.

When I'm cleaning my room, I'll start in one corner, see something that belongs somewhere else, go put it away, and suddenly I'm working on another corner. Eventually, I have a couple of little piles. But to me, those piles are already a kind of organization. Jumping around keeps me interested.

My morning brain dump works in a similar way. I get everything onto paper, then sort it: what I need to do, what's a priority, and what's just lingering in my head versus something I want to journal about later. I wanted SORE THUMB to give those thoughts somewhere to go, without having to hold them all in my head.

A little “Hey, you did this today.”

You know when someone asks what you did yesterday and you can barely remember what you had for breakfast? Sometimes I feel like I've done “nothing” all day, and then I can't even remember enough to prove myself wrong. That's part of why I want finished tasks to have a place, too.

But I don't want to keep every note forever. That feels like a bit much. “Made it” gives me a moment to recognize what I finished, and then I can clear it when I'm ready. The point isn't to give myself another pile of things to manage.

When a task just isn't moving

I haven't figured out exactly how I'd build this into the board yet, but I've thought about a corner for tasks that have been difficult to finish. And no, not as punishment, lol. Just somewhere to come back and look at what's making them difficult.

Maybe the task needs to become two or more smaller tasks. Maybe the first step is just looking up a question I don't understand. Kind of dissecting the task instead of expecting myself to tackle the whole thing at once.

A reminder of the reminder

I remembered a Visible ad before I even knew what the product was. That made me wonder whether SORE THUMB's colors and thumbtack shape could have that kind of recognition. Could a sticker somewhere I pass every day remind me of the board? What about a gritty texture on a phone sticker as a touch cue?

These are questions I want to explore, not benefits I can promise. I know what catches my attention; I still need to find out what helps other people.

One problem, several visual languages

Earlier direction studies for adult, family, and playful expressions. Not one final brand system.

The same task, a new place

Book and folio format — The book closes around the notes and opens into a working surface. Does the task stay intact during travel?

Easel format — The easel raises the board on a desk. Next tests: stability, writing access, note grip, effort to pack.

Design boundary. A missing note is not automatically complete, and color should not be the only way to read status. I want to test labels, contrast, and how comfortably someone can write on and move the notes. The app has not been built and is outside this physical concept's current scope.

Next step. Make low-fidelity physical prototypes and try them with people who have different planning styles. Can they understand the stages, move tasks comfortably, and clear finished notes? For the portable version, do the notes stay in place during travel? These are questions, not completed test results.

Product concept in development, AI-assisted visualization. Physical prototypes and user testing are next.

Product direction

Made. Kept. Lived-in.

An everyday carry concept shaped around the things a full day asks us to bring.

One bag instead of several: dedicated zones for laptop, bottle, keys, phone, sunglasses, and small essentials, plus a separate wet or flower sleeve. The final direction is a worn-in, utility-heavy carryall with a soft slouch, visible hardware, layered pockets, and a topographic-style lining. This is the bag I want to take into manufacturer sampling.

My contribution: product concept, feature priorities, material and color direction, naming, identity, and art direction.

Made by Kiln distressed brown leather carryall

Interior organization — Interior: zones for tech, bottle, small essentials, detachable pieces.

Six colorways — One silhouette in black, cognac, mustard, taupe, olive, oxblood.

Design rationale

Every feature has to earn its space. Useful organization must justify its bulk. The worn-in aesthetic was chosen over a pristine, tech-forward look because the bag is meant to be lived with daily, not babied.

The details

The separate wet/flower sleeve came from noticing that the things we carry don't fit neatly into "tech" or "personal" categories. The topographic lining is a quiet detail that rewards the person who opens the bag: brand presence without advertising.

A maker's mark, at different scales.

A serif wordmark gives the brand an editorial presence. A hand-drawn K works as a signature for tags, charms, and discreet details. Legibility at small sizes is the next test.

Every feature has to earn its space. Useful organization must justify its bulk. The next milestone is a functional sample, not another feature list.

AI-assisted visualization. The bag has not been manufactured; fit, construction, material performance, measurements, and protection claims need sampling and testing.

LASH BABY · Self-directed character & brand exploration

A face for every style.

I like a natural lash. But I know people who love a big, bold moment.

Where the idea started

I don't wear lashes that often because I prefer a more natural look. But I know people who love big, bold lashes. For some reason, Bratz dolls came to mind, and that's where the character direction started. I wanted to see where that visual idea could go.

From a look to a collection

The character studies explore different expressions and hairstyles. A shared frame and wordmark tie the collection together, leaving room for different looks without each design feeling like a completely separate brand.

My role, including the hands-on part

Concept, character direction, and iterative feedback on AI-assisted artwork. I also hand-cut each character myself. So yes, a Cricut would definitely be nice, haha. My contribution spans the creative direction and the hands-on cutting.

Four character labels with style codes — A repeatable label format with style codes.

Fictional studio promo — A fictional studio promotion. Booking details are sample copy.

What I'd refine next

Check which details stay readable at the intended sticker size, tighten consistency across the characters, and compare hand-cut edges with a more repeatable cutting method. I want the physical finish to get as much attention as the image.

Where it stands

A self-directed character and brand exploration with hand-cut pieces. The label and promotional examples show possible applications of the visual direction. Promotional booking details are sample copy; print and production refinements are next steps.

Creative direction and hand-cutting by me. Character artwork developed with AI assistance. Not a paid client project.

Victoria Maggay

I start by noticing.

Collected.
Not ordinary.

The launch moment.

Keep your place.