Project learning outcomes:
- Developing conceptual thinking skills
- Developing systems of visual organization
- Communicating ideas visually
- Researching and exploring different typography styles
- Developing Adobe Illustrator skills
Creative process
1. Research
2. Brainstorm, thumbnails
3. Roughs
4. Comps
What is a poster?
In print media, a poster is a two-dimensional, single-surface format.
The function of a poster is to communicate messages that identify, inform, and persuade.
A poster might advertise a product, inform about an event, identify and promote services, etc.
You will have only seconds to attract a viewer’s attention in a crowded environment.
The audience (for whom the poster is created) should be clearly identified while creating the poster.
Typography poster
The goal of a typography poster is to create a design and communicate a message via typographic elements including typography, color, sometimes simple graphic and text combinations. It is vital to pay attention even to the smallest details since in typography posters each component has its value.
ASSIGNMENT
Create an informative poster for a lecture about your favorite typeface (use it throughout the poster)
Size 11x17 inches; chromatic or achromatic (your choice)
Poster must be purely typographic. You may use colors, simple shapes and lines, but no cute flowers or hearts.
Your audience: typographers, designers, artists, design students. They are specialists; therefore, this poster must be very professional and convey the excitement of contemporary typography to that audience
Poster has to include:
- Typeface name as a title
- Typeface examples (specimens): letters (capital and lowercase), numbers and other characters. Not all of each, but enough to showcase the beauty and to help strengthen the concept.
- One paragraph of body text, such as font history, description, purpose, inspiration for the typeface etc. (Choose one or a couple subjects)
- Typeface designer and the year of its design.
- Information: date, time and place for the lecture
Hierarchy of information:
Hierarchy can be achieved using size contrast, value contrast, weight, white (negative) space, etc.
Don’t be afraid of contrast, it should be pretty significant.
Carefully consider the typographic hierarchy of the information presented. A viewer should be able to understand the purpose of the poster quickly and easily, which is: there will be a lecture about such and such font, which will happen at a certain date, time, place.
Note:
- The overall design should be exciting and pretty elaborate, but the typeface name still has to dominate.
- The second thing regarding hierarchy is the word “lecture” (no matter its size and where it is positioned).
Note: Instead of the word Lecture, you can put Lecture Series, Workshop, etc.
- Date/time/place/address should not be dominant, but still visible (easy to find)
Procedure:
1. Do necessary research
a) Research your typeface's history as well as the typeface designer. Type out a short paragraph in a Word doc. about your typeface, its designer and other information that you will use as copy on your poster. (Save it in dropbox)
b) Look at and analyze plenty of good typographical examples to use for your design guide and inspiration. Choose several (or as many as you want) posters that you like the most and copy the links into your Word doc.
Examples:
Example 1 (4 posters)
Example 2
Example 3 and more
Example 4
Multiple Examples
Multiple Examples 2
2. Thumbnails:
Thumbnails are your blueprints, they stimulate your mind, and brainstorming on paper is the natural result. When you think visually with thumbnails, you will eventually solve the problem.
Sketch a minimum of 4 thumbnails for your poster, which will highlight concepts and ideas. The size of each sketch should be no smaller than 5×7 inches (therefore, you need 2 sheets of paper)
3. Rough:
Roughs are the real size elaborated sketches with as many details as possible. This is where you think through all the small details. You can use markers, color pencils, computer (then you have to print them in color), etc.
Choose the best concept from your thumbnail drawings and create a rough
- Start with the principles of typography, design and composition.
- Alignment is important; you have to use grid to manage good alignment
- Poster design should be striking and effective to stop the viewer.
- Message should be clear
4. Comp (comprehensive or composite layout)
A design comp is the last part of the designing phase, presented by the designer to a client
After class discussion of your rough, you will start working on the comp in Illustrator – this is the final deliverable for a grade.