Designed a poster for a local event using a range of typographic variables to define hierarchy. This project aims to apply the variables effectively to draw attention to specific pieces of information and content groups. The goal is to engage an audience and enhance content clarity.
Graphic Design | Branding
Research
ReelAbilities is an organization dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of artists and filmmakers with disabilities. They host several festivals around the country.
The Pittsburgh festival (September 7–11, 2022) was located at the Highmark Theatre at Point Park University. Due to several showcases occurring at different times and days, the dates and times of each event were emphasized to notify the audience.
The audience I designed for is diverse, opening up many things to consider—attendees consist of people with disabilities and abilities alike, those who are passionate about promoting awareness, and those who are interested in being educated.
Experimenting
I went through a process of experimenting with scale, stroke weight, proximity, color, and imagery to see how each variable would affect the readability and overall mood of the design.
Adding Imagery
I experimented with a variety of images, ranging from direct representations of filmmaking (using images of televisions and projectors) to abstract representations of expression, ability, and pride.
An important concept I learned in class was using the image as a tool to enhance the text—its' purpose is to assist the idea rather than challenge it.
Narrowing Concept
To find a balance between literal and abstract Images, I settled with hands to emphasize the idea of ability.
Reflection
This project pushed me to think about hierarchy in creative ways. My initial experimentations enabled me to orient and adjust text utilizing scale, stroke weight, proximity, and color, to prioritize different categories of information. Tweaking minor details, like having the text run off the page, adding a shape to the background, or changing the tone of colors, changes the dynamic of the poster drastically. Printing and stepping back to view the poster helped illuminate details that I became accustomed to seeing on screen.
The most challenging part was finding an image that best represented ReelAbilities. Since the festival is very diverse in the types of films shown and the people who created the films, it was hard to consider all of these factors in just a single image. With external help, I found it helpful to focus on a single idea and communicate it through an image that found a balance between direct representation and abstraction.
