Jackson and Lunation Lab
I've always had parallel tracks in digital media and design. I have a degree in film production which has encompassed most of my career. But I've continuously pursued a broader array of work and personal projects involving many aspects of design. For me, design is just thoughtful planning, putting care into the human experience, utility, and effects of anything created.
Experiments in Design
In 2017, I created Lunation Lab as a project to make kits of iron-on vinyl patterns to upcycle clothes. Then I designed and prototyped a modular shoulder strap that could be adapted to carry things. Over the years, I've used the brand for different experiments.
My primary focus is on information design, an offshoot of graphic design that's focused on laying out things like maps, planners, data, UI, and anything to help visualize and parse information in an elegant way.
Lunation Lab creates stories around original and useful design projects.
So now in 2024, I am re-launching Lunation Lab as a design studio and blog. Our mission is to create stories around original and useful design projects. Some of those ideas will hopefully get built and solve real problems. There's work to be done, and it's worth being thoughtful.
Coverage to expect:
- Original design projects in any domain like products, interiors, stationery, graphics, and more.
- Sharing and analyzing great design discoveries from others.
- Downloadable templates and other interactive tools.
My Vision for the Website
The internet is only getting worse. Ads, AI, shopping, algorithms. As it becomes more extractive, the experience suffers for creators and viewers alike. The only real solution is to take back power and declare some independence from the platforms.
Therefore, I’m trying out this format: a free, but members-only blog and newsletter.
How does this work?
The blog is hosted here, at lunationlab.com. Subscribe and you'll get a verification email. Click that and it'll log you into the website, where you can access the members-only stories. That'll also subscribe you to the newsletter, which gets sent on the first Monday of the month.
Both are powered by Ghost, a really cool open source and independent platform.
Will you start charging for membership?
At some point when I’m happy with the content library and my posting frequency, I’ll add a paid tier that’s predominantly a donation. But I don't intend on charging for core stories. I’d like to avoid advertising. I might make products. I want to make this my job, but we'll see how far that gets us. If you'd like to contribute now, there's a button to buy me a coffee below.
Are you still posting on YouTube?
Right now I'm going to post videos on YouTube about a week after they go up on the website. I don't want the pressures of the platforms acting as an editor over my work, but I still want to grow and keep that as an option. Come here to watch videos ad-free with other companion content.
The Newsletter
I have a newsletter to compile recent posts and bonus quick stories. I really think newsletters can be a great place to actually house content, not just stuffed full of marketing and links. It's delivered the first Monday of the month for all members. Read the archives on the website here.
Contact
Email: hello@lunationlab.com
Chat: If you prefer to chat me, here are the best places to do that.
Signal (@lunation.11)
Instagram DM (@lunationlab)
Contribute
I'm not going to introduce a paid membership tier until I'm posting regularly. If you've found value in my work, I would greatly appreciate a one-time contribution. Your support would help keep Lunation free and ad-free for everyone.
$5 - Buy Me a Coffee
$15 - Buy Me Lunch
$40 - Cover a Month of Hosting Fees