February 2010 Archives

community3-2.pdf

My goal for this poster was to emphasize unity within community. I think it important for us to come together and appreciate the differences such as ethnicity, skin color, and religious views and embrace the similarities between us. I believe understanding and appreciating the differences among us is the key to a peaceful world community. By using the same shape and changing the color, it shows that we all have some very core similarities with only some superficial differences.

CommUNITY2-2.pdf

The goal for this design was to show that despite contrasting cultures and religious views, we need to embrace the fact that we are all members of a global community. And as members of this community we need to work to find common ground in which to unite and create a peaceful world. By using the fingerprint and including the continents within it, it shows that despite a vast world, we all have some basic attributes that link us together with all the people of the planet.

This is a poster design by US designer Jason Munn.

This poster uses spots within the eye that are similar to those used by Roy Lichtenstein. Lichtenstien was one of the first to use Benday Dots as an artistic element.

Flat 2-D imagery is another element of this design that can draw influence from 1920's posters such as this example from Germany.

The analyzed design also features the eye as a singular element. This example from 1950s Germany shows the eye as a stand alone element, along with a very similar placement on the page.

Prior to this reading I had never seen a breakdown of how of the influence that brings us to arrive at certain ideas. I thought it was so interesting how so many designs from a nearly a century of design all contributed to the direction this designer went. I also admired the painstaking process the designer went through to make sure the design accomplished what he designed it to do. Prior to reading this, I myself used creased paper layouts for my posters without realizing that all of those posters influenced so many others, and therefore me to use that on my design.

CommUNITY2.pdf

community3.pdf

Peace3.pdf

Peace4.pdf

Here is a grouping of poster designs that were finalists in the Chicago International Poster Biennial poster design competition. For the most part I found that these posters were more in your face than many American designs. It seems that depending on the culture, the color pallete is much more subdued or is similar to the broad pallete of American taste. The imagery used definitely grabs me and evokes more emotion. I think for the message conveyed is sometimes not as clear, possibly because the ideas are more complex than many of the ideas represented by American designs. It seems that many of the posters have a very to-the-point aspect. Many of these poster designs also show a cultural influence. For instance many of the French designs have a very painterly quality to them. On the other hand, design is very international today, and many of the designs have a multiculrual and worldly feel.

Chicago International Poster Biennial
Finalists

This reading was a very interesting look at design from another culture. I found it particularly interesting that the designers of Iran are primarily taught a more artistic approach and are basically left in the dark as far as how to get their designs to communicate any ideas in a way that is clear to the viewer. I also thought it was interesting how most of the design work is minimalistic and has a deconstructive aspect. I think this is due to the conflict all around them and the need for simplicity in a complex world. I think it will be interesting to see what new and exciting things the up and coming designers from Iran will come up with in the future.

This reading got me excited. I was just talking to my mom the other day about what I wanted to to with my degree once I graduated and I told her I wanted to help out non profit organizations with design. I don't know where it came from, it just kind of spilled out from my brain. The more I think of it, however, the more I really like the idea of helping out the little guy and doing something for a cause. It would be nice to do some corporate jobs to pay the bills, but I think designing for a cause has a lot of appeal to me.

Here's some examples of the logos Google uses at the top of their search bar. I think this shows applications to the varied cultures that Google caters to.
Google Logos

Here's a collection of some posters with some great messages with creative ways of delivering them. Also some great use of type.
Creative Posters

Thought these were pretty creative approaches.

Billboards

Harmony

Harmony.pdf

CommUNITY

CommUNITY.pdf

Understanding

Understanding.pdf

Peace

Peace.pdf