A bracelet craft designed for Carnival Cruise Line to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.
To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Carnival Cruise Line wanted a festive make-and-take craft guests could enjoy onboard. I developed a bracelet kit featuring sustainable packaging and clear visual instructions, creating an engaging activity that was easy for guests of all ages to assemble.
Role: Product Developer, Illustrator, Product Photographer
Client: Pulsar Products, Carnival Cruise Line
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Key Skills: Product Sourcing, Instructional Illustration, Packaging DesignÂ
Carnival Cruise Line wanted a Lunar New Year-themed craft that guests could assemble onboard to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Timing for this project was critical because the craft was tied to a zodiac animal that wouldn’t return for another twelve years, leaving virtually no room for production delays or missed deadlines. After presenting several craft concepts to stakeholders, bracelet featuring a gold dragon charm was selected for development.
At the same time, Carnival had launched a fleet-wide initiative to reduce single-use plastics onboard. The packaging for this new craft needed to align with their sustainability goals and stay within the limited budget for complimentary onboard activities. This required a thoughtful packaging solution that met sustainability goals while preserving the quality of the craft and guest experience.
Research
Multiple types of bracelet concepts were researched and priced with overseas suppliers. After comparing options, a stretch bracelet featuring red and gold beads with a gold dragon charm provided the best balance of cost and perceived value. Pre-production samples were requested to evaluate materials and begin packaging development.
Sketch
While waiting for production samples to arrive, I sketched out different packaging solutions and layouts for the craft instructions. These early concepts helped determine the clearest way to organize assembly steps on the limited packaging space.
Prototype
When the preproduction samples arrived, the beads were the wrong color and only intended to verify size and material, and while the gold dragon charm was delayed. I created simplified vector illustrations for the craft instructions and composited product photography in Photoshop using the available materials. This kept the packaging artwork on schedule without delaying manufacturing.
Initial testing showed participants couldn’t complete the original pattern within class time. I simplified the design in the instructions, reduced thread colors from three to one, and sourced blue Aida cloth to preserve perceived value. This significantly reduced stitching time.
Outcome
Takeaways
Designing physical products like this taught me that success is measured by whether users can confidently achieve their goal within real-world constraints. That mindset continues to guide my approach to product design.
Good design removes unnecessary complexity from the user's experience rather than expecting the user to manage it.
