Designing six different posters allowed me the opportunity to create a visual identity for four different campaigns. Each of the campaigns focused on a specific subject matter, which allowed me to experiment with various fonts, colors and shapes. The end result came in the form of a steady progression of design that evolved through each poster. As I look through the designs I notice a pattern of confidence that exudes from the fact that each poster has its own unique identity.
While designing the first poster I was focused primarily on exuding a vibe that is synonyms with designer Saul Bass. Bass is known for his edgy fonts and bold colors, which I incorporated into the layout. Additionally it was important for me to integrate the visual presence of Bass into the poster. To achieve this look I used a transparency layer of thirty percent and overlaid a solid color. Finally, I titled the museum logo on an angle and applied a clipping mask to ensure a smooth cut. On this poster I used Photoshop for image adjustments and Illustrator for the text layout.
The second poster campaign involved creating an event poster. For the event I reimagined a dream concert of my two favorite bands: Foo Fighters and Weezer. I chose to use the art style of modernism for the theme of the posters. Focusing on modernism I kept the design to strictly shapes and flat colors. Diving into this design I knew right away that vector art would allow for the greatest flexibility. Using the pen tool in Illustrator I carefully drew ambiguous shapes on the page. Finally, to tie it all together I assigned each poster a vivid color palette with a smooth sans-serif typeface.
My creative juices were really flowing by the time I hit the third and final poster campaign. This campaign called for a theme that dealt with a social injustice or cause. After studying the art of Chris Jordon I knew right away that my posters would deal with pollution and the disastrous effects on wildlife. To capture the magnitude of the issue I decided to use an ordinary plastic bag that you often see in gift shops. From there I overlaid text in Illustrator and meticulously recreated the thank you bag on a white background. The simple text that states “Thank You For Killing Wildlife” illustrates the bold point of carelessly using plastic bags.
For the second iteration of the poster campaign I went with a more visual approach. This time I painted a sad picture of a sea turtle with its head caught in a plastic bag. For consistency I used the thank you bag floating in the water as a reminder of the danger from plastic bags. Once the background was complete I moved over to Illustrator for text placement. Inside Illustrator I drew a set of skull and cross bones around a myriad of eye-catching fonts to grab the readers attention. Overall both posters conveyed a sense of urgency through the use of stunning text and graphics. The viewer can easily identify and understand the significance of this message by quickly glancing at the poster.
In closing I feel as though I saw a visual progression in design from the first poster in the series to the last. When I started the first poster lesson I had a difficult time dealing with the thought of a blank canvas. As time progressed my designs became clearer and I started to open up to new ideas. Once the wheels started turning I have a hard time slowing down, which lead to the breakthrough design of the plastic bags series. All the posters assignments complimented each other and allowed me to try new techniques and tools. I am very satisfied with my progression as a graphic designer and look forward to adding these posters to my portfolio.
