The Title Card Typography Project emphasized visual hierarchy and compositional principles. Most people are not even aware of these concepts, but I believe most would have a good idea that important information should be noticeable. This is evident in many grade school tri-fold projects. While their concept of how to guide the reader through the poster and achieve a strong visual hierarchy throughout the poster may not be developed, that can easily be improved by utilizing a compositional principle such as the Rule of Thirds or the Golden Ratio.
Visual hierarchy consists of using design elements to direct the viewer's eye from the most important information to the least important. Color, contrast, scale, alignment, repetition, proximity, and white space are elements that graphic designers use to make complex content easily understandable and engaging. Employing existing compositional principles can further enhance the work. A strong design should employ a combination of the following elements: balance, movement, symmetry, and/or asymmetry.
I was assigned the television genre of ‘dramedy.’ I immediately thought of Shameless and Weeds. I wanted to bring out comedy and conflict. Through a lot of brainstorming and research, I decided I wanted to create a family tree that had fruit that would serve as a frame for portraits of the main characters.
I examined this concept in many different ways. Firstly, by looking at title cards that I enjoyed.
I also looked for objects that could be represent fruit and might be able to serve as a frame for the family members.
I created a quick mock up to see if I was out of my depth. I decided to proceed even though the work load had the potential to get out of hand.
I spent a great deal of time trying to build my own tree that would fit the genre. I ended up abandoning it in the last hour. In hindsight, I can see that it was a bit too complex for this project and needed a great deal of adjustments to adhere to either of the compositional theories discussed in this class.
I was much happier with my first critique than I expected. The number one suggestion was to scale down the point size of the body copy. It was disrupting the hierarchal flow. The second most common suggestion was that my figure looked too happy; her eyes did not direct the viewer's through the content. The composition was strong, but the elements of the design needed some work.
I thought I would bring repetition into my title card; it is one of my favorite design elements. This time, I was much more purposeful in where each figure was placed and how that might affect what the viewer sees. The scale of the three women in Petri dishes had more weight than the title, so I still needed to make some adjustments.
I struggled with the choice to incude one figure instead of three, however, I scaled the figure up because it created a visual tension that I imagine would be present in "Life in Pieces." I also enjoyed using Photoshop to manipulate the bacteria and women. Photoshop was my first foray into the Adobe Creative Suite, it is were I feel most at home.
I chose different visual elements to symbolize sickness/germs such as the skin discoloring, the Petri dishes, the use of bacteria in the title. I also included a complementary color scheme of green and pink. Green is often associated with being ill, while one of the most recognizable shades of pink is Pepto Bismol. The visual hierarchy successfully carries the viewer's eye to the most important information. In this case, the figure, the title, the description and lastly the objects provided by the streaming company. The repetition of circular orbs reinforces visual interest.
I had never worked with The Golden Ratio so I wanted to give it a try. I still feel like I need more experience using this grid system, as it seems unconventional and maybe hasn't completely clicked. I feel composition is a strong suit of mine, probably from my background in photography. I appreciate having an additional tool in my tool belt.
I worked with the Golden Ratio and the Law of Thirds. Due to having only three elements, I feel my composition works well with each. I made small adjustments to the title and the figure to have each positioned closer to the crosshairs of the guides in the Rule of Thirds. I feel there is enough visual tension created by the bacteria in the Petri dish, her skin, and the commanding look of her eyes. I revisited my first iteration and decided to scale the image of the figure to create a focal point. Doing so helped balance the title. I made sure to have my body copy in seven-point font size.
I wanted the title typeface to have an element of fun in it as I see this dramady as a black comedy. It took a lot of experimentation, and I never really found one that fit. I am happy we included hand lettering.
The final digitized version of the letter is most successful iteration due to the analogous color scheme, texture, and the proximity of the letters.The letter forms visual quality fit the tone of the show.
When working up close, the hand-lettered title felt readable; however, once I saw it on the Miro critique board, I could see that I needed to add more contrast between the contour of the shapes and the background. Adjusting the kerning while maintaining the proximities of the letters would also improve the design.
I know that working with graphic design software is an ongoing, never ending experience of learning. I had some dread about working with brush and hand lettering, but once I got markers in my hand, I remembered I knew and understood this machine. In the end, I was able to create digitized hand lettering that was special because it was highly influenced by the colors I created on paper. I intend to utilize more hand-based practices as part of my graphic design process. It gave me a deeper connection with the piece.
I have learned that sometimes the process is strained and difficult. There is no final product in art or graphic design, just the point when you decide to no longer manipulate the work. Learning Adobe tools such as Image Trace, Camera Raw, Inflate, and new gradient structures has increased my ability to translate my vision.
One of my strongest suits is conceptualization. This is not emphasized strongly in graphic design. I imagine that is because the profession is creating for clients, so we will need the ability to abandon ideas we cherish. I will continue to learn new tools, as it is an essential part of being a designer, but I will also remember to play to my strengths in terms of concept and color. Thus allowing me to have a strong conviction about my designs.
