Tag Archives: Poster design

Exercise: Poster and flyer

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Exercise: Poster and flyer (Graphic Design 1: pg. 116)

You have been asked to design an A3 poster and an accompanying double-sided A6 flyer to promote a singing course run by an organisation called SingOut. They have very little money so want to print these posters on their black and white photocopier. You can use coloured paper if you want.

They have provided the information to include, consider if you need anything more, and the information hierarchy. Critique your work and reflect on your design choices.

I was quite looking forward to the constraints of this exercise and working with a monochrome palette. Online research suggested that images associated with singing are quite gendered and tend to focus on women. They also quite often include microphones, particularly the old square, 1940s type mic.

I was concerned that a female focused poster might limit the audience so wanted to try something else. I sketched a few ideas on the tablet and then started experimenting in Illustrator. I find it much easier with text based work to play on the computer rather than hand sketching, mainly because of the ease that things can be moved around and occasionally happy accidents happen as something might crossover, or be dragged into a place that created an effect I hadn’t anticipated.

I started with two versions that were quite sketch based, I thought if they were going to print them on a photocopier I would play on the handcrafted look. The third version was quite different in that I went for simplicity. I wasn’t sure if it might sit counter to their point about not having to read music but I think the shape of a note is a reasonably well understood symbol. The final version did include a woman’s head as a stylised line drawing and I decided on headline typeface that echoed the old Jazz style posters.

Having printed all four versions I felt the simple grid layout worked best, it was still eye catching but easy to reproduce at low cost. From this one I developed the flyer. It was interesting, and probably not surprising, to note that in moving between the two sizes simply scaling the larger version down did not work.

On the side with the main details it simply made the text too small to read and I was conscious it had gone below the RNIB recommended 12pt. While I was using the same elements they had to be reworked for the design to be able to impart all the necessary information. I like the simplicity of the design and think it would be noticeable, it also photocopied without any problems.

 

Point of Sale feedback

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Love fruit poster with fruit heart in the middle

I am slightly conscious of working in my own bubble recently and although I have been getting feedback from friends and family it felt like I was at a point where I needed something more. I decided that with the point of sale exercise I would go to some of my fellow students and ask for their views.

I am not as confident in the graphic design field as I am with my photography so this was quite a big step. I felt comfortable approaching the Facebook Visual Communications group, partly because it is more visual platform and partly because I still seem to have tech gremlins logging into the OCA fora for some reason.

That aside I got some very generous responses and I am grateful to everyone that replied. Opinions naturally varied and some people preferred the backlit fruit whereas others liked the puppet warped fruit. Comments included:

…It reminds me of a stained glass window and I think would definitely work well from a distance. Using lots of different fruits too makes it versatile…

…this feels like 2 totally separate posters (the landscape version of sliced fruits) and not as coherent as the first image.

I like this, fresh and simple.

…it’s my favourite but I feel like the fruit blends into the background a bit. Perhaps a green or blue background would be punchier?

I really like the photographed fruit but the Heart + ‘Fruit’ in the middle is not as interesting to look at… I’d rather fill my eyes with all those translucent shapes! Why the typewriter font? Is there a reason for choosing it?

It was obviously great that people responded positively to the ideas but what was interesting was the questions that were raised:

  • The colour of the backgrounds
  • The choice of typeface
  • Whether there should be gap in the centre of the sliced fruit
  • The red heart being distracting

All the points were useful insights because they were not necessarily the things I had seen and/or they were a good test of whether I had made conscious choices about what I put where. Taking on the comments I played a little with the backgrounds, and the typeface and heart on the sliced fruit version. Thanks to Charlotte for suggesting what now seems obvious about combining the two ideas (if I were to rework it again I’d use a backlit orange slice too)! In the end my preference is still with the single fruit & veg on a white background but other people did seem to prefer the backlit versions.

While the process was a little nerve-wracking I’m glad I did it and it has given me confidence to ask for feedback again. It was particularly useful in highlighting the value of different iterations of a design and a good test of how willing I was to let go of some of the aspects of what I had produced. The exercise also highlighted the challenge of managing the seemingly infinite variety of solutions – colour, composition, typography etc.!

 

Exercise: Point of Sale display

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Exercise (pg.52 Graphic Design One): Your local greengrocer has asked you to produce a point of sale display to go above the fruit and vegetables in their shop. They want the display to be seen from the street through the shop window to attract passing shoppers to increase trade.

You can use photographs, illustrations or a combination to develop two images – one of fruit and one of vegetables. The posters will be seen from a distance and mainly in people’s peripheral vision so the visuals need to be clear and dynamic. Ask others for feedback.

The brief

The elements I took from the brief are:

  • Attractive
  • Seen from a distance
  • A call to action
  • Clear and dynamic
  • Format is open

Researching and developing ideas

I have worked on this exercise over a number of weeks; collecting images, looking at POS displays in the shops and making thumbnail sketches. While this was helpful there was also a moment where the ideas felt almost limitless – from bowls of fruit, saucepans of steaming vegetables, to piles of individual fruit or fruit/veg shaped layouts.

I decided that I would go for backlit slices of fruit, as they are both colourful and intriguing, they show the structures of the fruit and vegetables in a way that I thought might be unfamiliar and would encourage curiosity. I wanted to try something that was less obvious. I also wanted an approach that could showcase some of the variety of what might be available to buy.

Visualising ideas

Lots of slicing later I took a range of photographs that I thought my work using a lightbox to provide even backlighting. Having worked on the visual approach I then focused on the text, this posed a new dilemma, as arguably the right visuals might be able to stand without any text. Given the brief I decided I would add some text but it needed to be simple, easily recognisable and work at a distance.

I worked on a range of approaches:

  • Alliteration – Fabulous fruit, Various vegetables, Virtuous vegetables, Feel Fabulous, Feeling Fruity! …
  • Health benefits – 5 a day – ‘Don’t forget your five a day,’ ‘Fruit five ways,’ ‘Have you had your 5 today?’
  • Puns – ‘Take your pick,’ ‘Pick me! ’ ‘Peas on Earth,’ etc. I liked the idea of some fruit/veg related jokes which might appeal to children and encourage them to want fruit/veg but I wasn’t sure they would be easily seen from outside the shop
  • Simple recipes – illustrations of some quick and easy recipes, like Grilled Pink Grapefruit with honey, or a quick green smoothie

In working through the different approaches I thought some were too complicated. I wanted the display to focus on a positive message about eating fruit and veg, reminding me of the various ‘I heart…’ slogans, which I then discovered was created by Milton Glaser for the ‘I love NY’ campaign. This kept it very simple and I decided to use it for the text although I thought I would leave out the ‘I’ and make it a more general statement.

I played with placement of the text and having got some feedback I decided I preferred the version with the slogan to the right hand side, with some white space around it. I created these versions in Photoshop because I could mock them up quickly. If I were to develop them further I would use Illustrator to create a smooth vector version.

At this point I thought I had finished, but then! I decided to try and go for a font close to Glaser’s original so found ‘Another Typewriter’, which I really liked with the visuals.

But then…! I looked again at some of my earlier sketches that were based on an idea to make the fruit/veg in the shape of hearts. I had sketched there being four types on a poster but when I placed the orange slice I decided to go for one – given that the poster needs to be seen from a distance. Some puppet warp later and I had two new versions which I felt worked better than the other posters.

I liked their simplicity and I felt they worked with the brief to attract buyers into the shop. Although I have kept the text to single words there is space to add logos or other information if needed.

Critique

I found the process of working and reworking my ideas to be invaluable. This helps keep me open to different ideas and not become too wedded to an initial idea or solution. It also reinforced for me the value of mocking up early ideas however crude.

In all honesty I was a little disappointed with the first posters, as they didn’t have quite the crispness or clarity I was looking for. Although I like the effect of the backlit fruit and veg I think in the end it was too busy and complicated (I also forgot to include the celery which has irritated me ever since!).

I did keep to the ‘love’ notion as it gave me the simplicity I thought the design needed and was easily seen at a distance. It is also in keeping with advice around enjoying fruit and veg, and encouraging more balanced diets.

The final design choice might be regarded as too simplistic but in looking at fruit & veg points of sales in local supermarkets there is a tendency towards pictures of the fruit/veg with very simple slogans. Few have logos or wider information.

 

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Exercise: Too much or not enough information

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Exercise (p.46 Graphic Design One): Look around locally and identify an upcoming event. Design two posters to promote it. Make the first poster full of details and descriptions about the event; include all the details you think your audience might need.

For the second poster apply Occam’s Razor to pare back the information to a bare minimum – be extreme: how little information can you get away with and how few words can you use?

Which design works best? What is the key information you need to include?

The brief: From the above information I took the focus as being –

  • The audience
  • Communication – devising the right messages to promote the event
  • Determining the optimal information

Researching & developing ideas:

I wasn’t really looking forward to this exercise, as I know my own preference is for less information presented in an attractive and eye-catching form. It made it feel like a bit of an effort to go through the activity but I also knew I might be surprised and should keep an open mind. Walking through the local town (which I will keep anonymous so as not to offend the event organisers!) I came across a poster that caught my eye because it was the antithesis of my view of an effective event poster.

It was promoting a forthcoming fireworks night and apart from a few symbols (based on the organiser’s logo) it had thirty lines of text, which ranged from the title through to the fact that photographs would be taken of the event. I was amazed about how text heavy it was and it made me think it looked like something that had probably evolved via a committee. Anyway, I thought it was a prime opportunity for me to see what I would do for a similar event.

I did some online research and given that it was nearly bonfire night also looked locally at other event posters. I then worked on a number of thumbnails and experimented with layouts.

Visualising ideas:

It seemed obvious but I wanted to include really attractive fireworks, which made me think that for at least part of the poster the background would be very dark or black. I also wanted to promote the notion of it being a spectator event so some sense of people attending needed to be included.

I found some suitable stock photos and using Photoshop started to experiment with layouts. For the more detailed poster I decided to go landscape because I thought it might be easier to include more text. I used a shot of three large bright coloured fireworks because I though it might work roughly around the rule of thirds. I then used shaded panels and reversed out text for the written information. I used an orange tint to the text because white looked too harsh and I thought it echoed the fireworks and the orange of a bonfire.

In the meantime I had been researching poster design and had started a new Pinterest board to collect ideas. A few things had started emerging based notionally on a Swiss style and this informed the second design, which was pared back. I decided on what I thought was the key information: title; date; venue; opening times; prices; website and sponsor.

I liked the idea of using circles to echo the shape of the fireworks, like a ‘sneak peak’ on the action. I then decided to use dark and light to bring out the fireworks and the text. Feedback from family suggested they preferred the less text version it was also noticeable that they were looking at the visuals first and then looking at the text. Something needed to attract their attention before they moved on to worrying about the information the poster included.

I had downloaded some fireworks brushes for Photoshop and decided to play with them. I kept the circle element of the second design and just ‘painted’ in some fireworks. I pulled out a colour from the fireworks for the background and decided on a simple san serif typeface. I was concerned it was a bit too simple and obvious but this was the poster that everyone then seemed to prefer. Occam’s Razor in action! The feedback suggested it was bright, colourful, eye catching and easy to read.

Critiquing:

In terms of the brief I think the final poster probably fits the requirements best it is easy to see from a distance and in my opinion has the key information. It does rely on a potential audience having access to the Internet to check ticket prices or additional information, which may be a weakness. The event offered tickets in advance and tickets on the gate and I thought there wasn’t an easy half way point, if I started adding more information it would grow and grow.

My personal preference is the second version because it feels a little more stylish. This highlighted for me the importance of working to the brief problem solving and attending to the client. It is clear that my personal taste may not be the best solution for the client. In the end I decided what was probably needed was something easily seen, attractive and identifiable from a distance.

I don’t think the full information version worked very well, which may be a combination of design and content. It feels fussy and cluttered and I think the design is not well balanced. I could have worked on it more but I’m not sure where I would have gone with it because it just felt like it included too much as a promotional poster (even though it was slightly pared back from the original I saw!).

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The joy of eclecticism

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Yesterday, I was being opportunistic and with hindsight a little optimistic about getting to a number of exhibitions in between meetings while I was in London.  I have read somewhere about keeping my influences broad and staying in touch with culture in its widest sense to improve my graphic design sensibility. So, I had lined up in my head:

  • The V&A Illustration awards 2016
  • William Eggleston at the National Portrait Gallery
  • Dutch flower painting at the National Gallery
  • Georgia O’Keefe at Tate Modern

Inevitably travel across London took longer than anticipated and in the end I managed two of the four. I thought I might just squeeze in the O’Keefe but the queue for tickets was just too long. In the case of Eggleston and O’Keefe, although I didn’t get to see the work, it was interesting to see the graphic design involved in their promotion.

The Illustration awards were a bit of a disappointment, not in terms of the work but in their display and presentation. They were tucked away in front of the National Art Library in brightly lit cases with a lot of red in the background. I’m afraid I felt it just didn’t do the work justice. You get a better sense of all the work online as well as being able to see all the entries.

Display case with text a red background and a small figure in the middle of menacing shadows

V&A Illustration Awards 2016: Bill Bragg’s ‘Now I’m Afraid’

The illustration that stood out for me was Bill Bragg’s ‘Now I’m Afraid,’ I found it incredibly powerful and liked its simplicity. It worked so well with the text and completely captured the sense of menace Masuma Rahim conveyed. The quality of all the work was very high and it was interesting for me to think about how I analysed illustrations as opposed to the more familiar photography or painting. I found I was considering them in the light of not just the quality of the art but whether they fulfilled their purpose in illuminating the text or the point being made.

Of those that didn’t make the finalists I really liked Lesley Barnes, Jill & the Dragon. It is lively and engaging, and looks to me like it has some historical references in its Bayeux tapestry type form. Let’s face it what’s not to love about dragons!

 

Banner for Duth Flowers exhibition at National Gallery August 2016

Dutch Flower Exhibition banner

From the V&A I went to the National Gallery to indulge my recent preoccupation with Vanitas Still Life, I particularly wanted to see if any of the women I had researched for my last photography assignment were included.  Although these were specifically flower paintings rather than Vanitas you could see elements of the genre in a number of the paintings – the cycle of life and death.

I was interested in the graphic design incorporated in the promotion of the exhibition that not surprisingly focused on the beauty of the flowers.

It was also fascinating to see the mass of merchandising the exhibition had generated in the shop, everything from notelets to a glasses cleaning cloth. Perhaps surprisingly there wasn’t a catalogue but there was pretty much everything else. Most of the heading font was serif combined with san serif body text. I could understand the use of the serif header text because it looks in keeping with the historic nature of the work.

By this point I knew there wasn’t time to fit in both Eggleston and Georgia O’Keefe so I headed off to Tate Modern, sadly by the time I got there was not enough time left to get a ticket and do justice to the show so that will have to wait for another day.

Banne for Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition outside Tate Modern with St Pauls in the background

Georgia O’Keeffe Exhibition banner

As with the Dutch flower paintings it was interesting to see how Tate Modern was presenting the show, something I might only have shown a passing interest in before now.  Would I have used the white flower as the main image? Possibly not. It gives a sense of her fluid style but I don’t think it conveys the vibrancy of much of her work. The font used seemed to be very much in keeping with the Tate house style and very clear and clean.  Apparently the brand identity was designed by Marina Willer of Wolff Olins in the late nineties.

It was really about finding the balance between making Tate much more democratic and accessible to lots of people, without taking away any of the things that they’ve built over the years in terms of respect and authority.

Willer, 2011, Creative Review ‘Branding the Art World’

Surprisingly, during my visit to London the piece that most caught my eye was the poster showing the changing design of the London Underground Roundel – it was fascinating!

Large poster showing the change designs of the London Underground roundel

100 years of the London Underground Roundel

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