31.08 Week Three / Session One

Researching More Artist Models

I have found another brilliant illustrator who comments on social issues through his work. His name is John Holcroft and he is similar to Sebastian Thaibault in many ways. He uses irony and humour, plays on common phrases, and combines images together ironically. However, I don't think his style is as effective as Sebastians, as the illustrations are overcomplicated sometimes and also the use of colour and FADPs is lacking. However, I do really like his concepts and the way he has shown them through illustration.

Here are some other clever design examples I have found.

I like how this poster has combined simple images to get a message across. With the lips and 'teeth' it is immediately obvious that the poster is about Dracula. By turning the teeth into ballet shoes, and having them dripping with blood also, it is obviously suggesting the female, ballerina victim of the Dracula. There is an obvious relationship between two characters shown with only very simple symbols combined into one. This is confirmed by the text and the violent mood is enhanced by the black background, which bring the image forward. 

This poster I found clever because they are using the idea that rising temperature kills animals, and are showing it literally as the thermometer temperate rising literally erases the images of the animals on the thermometer. A lot of thought has gone into this and it is very sophisticated, I would like to explore ideas like this more.

In this poster, I like the way the text has been incorporated into the image with the letters falling, and I also love the use of negative space below the words. The pull of gravity and space are very clear. I would like to explore more creative ways that my text could be included to and add to my imagery and communication more effectively. 

This poster stood out to me because I love the way the designer had combined two simple images together to state a really clear point. It is not over complicated. The upsidedown microphone and bird trapped in a cage work together to show the idea of freedom of speech, which is reinforced by the tagline. 

This poster shares a similar idea to the last one, with two simple images combined to show a fight for global warming awareness. I also like the impact that the red text creates.

Again, this example shows how the combination of two simple shapes/textures/symbols can work to communicate an idea that is a whole lot bigger. It is disturbing and wrong that the dove, which should be free, is made of barbed wire. The grey colour adds to this, as it is depressing, gloomy and prison-like. The text is tied into the image and helps to explain the issue.

This one to me is very clever, maybe my favourite out of this selection. I love how the combination of 'CO2' and the dead fish communicate the idea clearly even without the text underneath. Clearly the CO2 is the cause for the fishes death, even before you realise that the fish is swimming through the word and a skeleton after it passes through. The text underneath says 'one-third of all animal species are at risk of extinction by 2050 unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 30%'. I really love how the fact is small but adds a lot of impact and information. This has given me inspiration for how I can have a small fact included in my poster, but still have the image speak for itself. I also need to find more facts about my topic. 

The reason I love this image so much is because of the pathos used. I think the way that the giraffe is looking up gives a strong sense of desperation. It really gives the illusion that the level is rising and that it is toxic. It creates a sense of sympathy for the giraffe and sadness. I could add more of this effect into my drowning poster. 

01.08 Week Three / Session One

Interim One

These  are the posters I decided to use for my first Interim presentation. After critique from my table group, it was decided that the mousetrap poster may be my strongest because of it's subtlety 

 combined with clarity, but we agreed that it was a close call between that poster, the drowning poster and the gun poster. The fourth poster was clearly weaker, which I was aware of beforehand. The main reason the mousetrap poster was chosen although it was a close call, was because the image was clear even without the use of text, which I think gave it strength. Critique of all my posters showed that I had strong use of colour, with the red being the strongest colour. 

I found it really useful looking at other students posters, one in particular jumped out at me. It used the iconic Edmonds cook book cover with the 'Sure to Rise' tagline, but had a picture of a house. I loved the way in which it clearly commented on the rising house prices but used something that all New Zealanders would recognise, it was ironic and humorous. That is something which I have the potential to use, I have not made my posters relevant to New Zealanders. I also have the potential to make it personal and find a story. 

This is the poster I chose to receive feedback on. All people who critiqued my poster agreed that the central issue was easy to identify, and they all believed the central issue to be student debt or loans or loans or education payment being money traps. One person knew that it was about student debt, but wrote 'higher education is a trap?'. I expected people to maybe be unsure about what exactly the issue was, as I wanted to spark conversation around the issue, but this is something I could take into account and make more clear, especially with the introduction of text. All people that critiqued the work could see that I was using pathos, but some said I was also using logos which I didn't recognise beforehand. My feedback included that the imagery was effective, easily identifiable and powerful, and everyone got the idea of the trap. Some people interpreted ideas into it that I had not recognised myself, which I liked, such as the idea that student loans appear to be free money but they are a trap. I think that is one of the benefits of leaving it slightly open-ended. One person was unsure whether I was saying that Universities only want our money, which I could think about more. Another person was wondering if I was implying that higher education is a trap, which I could clarify through text. Overall, my feedback was positive. 

In this mousetrap poster I wanted to show that tertiary students are being taken advantage of financially by playing on the idea that the mouse, which is vulnerable and innocent, has had a trap set for it. The graduation cap, or degree, is acting as the bait or temptation for the mouse/victim. The underlying idea of money being behind it all is shown by the shadow of the dollar sign, in which I had used dramatic perspective for shock. The colour red I have used for it's sinister nature, the idea that violence is approaching, and the idea that something is wrong. I have also made the mousetrap small with the shadow towering over it to imply that it is serious and dangerous. 

In this poster I am playing on the common phrase 'drowning in debt' and also using pathos to communicate the sensation of feeling suffocated in debt. I have done this through the use of scale, with the person being so small, it reinforces the idea that they have been made a victim, the feeling of helplessness and the power of the water. I have partially covered the type in the water to convey the sense of claustrophobia and the sense that the water is rising. The blue not only shows the colour of water, but also sadness and depression. The red of the type is sinister and demands attention, which is reinforced by it's scale. The text brings the image into context, they do not work individually. 

In this poster I wanted to use shock and violence to get my message across. In this image I have incorporated the text as part of the image itself, turning the word 'student' into a gun and the word 'debt' into blood. I have used the red to show blood and also shock. I have used the yellow ironically, as it is a happy and bright colour to contrast with the obviously unhappy scene. 

This fourth poster is clearly the weakest of all the posters. The colours are uninteresting, there is too much going on, it is vague and unclear and also doesn't make that much sense. I wanted to use the idea of weight to convey the sense that debt is a burden. I wanted to show that the person wants to gravitate towards the degree, but the money trap is in the way, which he is desperately trying to avoid. I have not communicated my pathos well enough for this to be effective. I have used the fact at the bottom to bring the image into context 'tertiary costs have risen by 37% between 2009 and 2015'. 

31.07 Week Two / Session Two

Collecting More Artist Models

I have found another minimalist graphic designer that I love. This designer is a New Zealand designer called Meaghan Li. She is very skilled at stripping very complex feelings, sensations and ideas into simple shapes. She uses FADPs really well as well as colour and shapes. I love the sophistication that comes through even when using only simple elements. She has obviously done her research and experimented with colours and drawing the sensations. 

The MDMA poster shows love and happiness and this comes across with the glowing heart and pink colour. It seems balanced with the use of symmetry. 

The speed poster has used a bright, saturated pink which to me shows some sort of madness and random alertness. Also, the scribbles show a sense of craziness and loss of control. 

The marijuana poster seems to show something slowly dripping down the page, which to me communicates a slowing down of consciousness and brain function. The green colour also has associations to marijuana already. 

In the alcohol poster, she has used FADPs to show something slowing down and falling. Also, the fact that it is getting darker coveys a loss of consciousness and alertness to me. 

The heroin poster is chilling and terrifying, with a creepy figure made out of what looks like smoke. It communicates terror, and maybe paranoia. 

The cocaine poster uses sharp jagged lines which, combined with the red colour seem to show a rapid, excited heart beat. It communicates tension, alertness and perhaps rage. 

30.07 Week Two / Session Two

Preparation for Interim One

In this first one I have used scale to communicate the feeling of drowning in debt. By making the person small, it makes the ocean appear overwhelming and they are therefore made a victim. The anchor represents a weight pulling them down, making them feel helpless, and playing on the idea of debt being a weight or burden. The text is partially covered by the water to convey a sense of drowning and of the water rising, creating a sensation of claustrophobia and suffocation. 

In this one, I am playing on the idea of the student being a victim by using the mousetrap. The mousetrap makes the viewer think of a trap being set for something innocence and defenceless, and by putting a graduation cap as bait, it implies that the student is being lured in and that the degree is a trap. The shadow adds suspense and almost horror, and another element of information is added by the shadow being in the shape of a dollar sign. This shows the audience that money is what lies behind this trap. I have used the sinister red colours to covey a sense of violence that is to come, as well as the sense that something is wrong. I have also used perspective for dramatic effect.

In this poster I wanted to employ shock value and violence, which I juxtaposed ironically with a bright, happy yellow. In this image I have turned the text into a gun a blood, showing movement and violence, and the negative effect of debt on students. The debt is bright red to show blood and also shock. I think this poster is shocking and ironic at the same time. 

I don't think this poster works as well as the other three, but I wanted to play on the idea of a fish being innocent and defenceless but all it's money going down the plughole, leaving it vulnerable. I also wanted to use black and red to show shock and horror. This one also uses a fact to bring the image into context.

28.07 Week Two / Session Two

Sketching Initial Ideas and Starting to Bring Them Into Illustrator

These are some of the quick sketches I did in class to get some ideas. It was really useful and interesting seeing other peoples ideas and how clever people can be with just a few shapes, colours and/or words. 

I then started moving into illustrator and it became easier to see what was working and what wasn't working. I think my most successful so far is the 'drowning in debt one'. I will continue to find artist models, do quick sketches and do more designs digitally. 

I think the drowning in debt one is working the best because it is simple, yet my ideas are communicated with FADPs quite effectively. The scale, with the the person being so small, makes the ocean seem overwhelming and the person appear to be a victim. Also, the water rising up over the words and seeming to be filling up the page shows a sense of suffocation and claustrophobia. Also, the words and graphics work together because without the other, the meaning would not be made.

This idea didn't work as well as I wanted it to, but maybe I can rethink it. I wanted to create shock and tension, but I don't think I achieved this. Maybe I need to rethink my scale and placement of things.

28.07 Week Two / Session Two

Exploring Poster Design in Wellington

Looking at poster design around town, I noticed that a majority of posters are poorly designed, the ones that work well are the ones that use pathos and FADPs cleverly.

This poster advertising for people to join the police force uses pathos by making the viewer concerned for the child in the image. This is done through scale, with the small child surrounded by darkness and with the playground towering above them. It is also done through colour and light, with the darkness appearing to be almost closing in and the light from the street light appearing sinister and creepy. The dark space all around the subject matter creates tension, like we are waiting for something to appear out of the darkness. 

This poster for the New Zealand Film Festival uses scale well to show that the films are important and magnificent, worthy of the audience attention and awe. Also, the way in which the characters are shining a light onto the audience, not only alludes to a projector, but also to the idea of enlightening the audience. The way the characters are backlit also makes them appear huge and important. 

I don't think this poster is as successful. I think there is too much going on and too many colours, the most effective posters tend to be the simpler ones. The eye has nowhere to rest and this makes it less effective. Also, the way in which the designer had used cut out letters makes it appear criminal, as that is what criminals use to hide their identity, and so it has negative connotations. 

This poster for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra uses pathos well to communicate a sense of peacefulness. It does this through use of negative space, so they eye can rest. It also does this through a limited and soft colour palette and a calming, still looking image. I think also the delicate font and small typeface makes the poster seem more peaceful and delicately beautiful, like an orchestra should be. This helps me to understand how the colour, size and type of font can actually be very useful in contributing to an idea, just as much as graphics. 

27.02 Week Two / Session One

Collecting and Analysing Poster Design 

I think this poster is really effective in it's use of pathos, and I think I should consider this more in my poster designs. 

The sketchy charcoal/ crayon texture and the way it has been scribbled and smudged makes it look like the person who wrote is was angry and frustrated, and this makes the viewer feel this too, which I think is successful wehi. It is not intended to appear sophisticated or proper, because that's not what they believe racism to be. The black and the bright red are also angry, violent, negative colours. The letter 'C' becoming teeth also makes it appear dangerous and vicious, capable of harm. It makes the viewer want to flinch away. 

I found this poster particularly interesting because as soon as I saw it I could almost hear the whistle blowing sharply, and I thought it was really clever that a poster could convey a sound using only two shapes. I think what made it so effective was the way that the red, and especially the white colours popped out of the black background. They helped to make the sound appear sharp and sudden. Also, the exclamation point carries with it the loud staccato sound that usually comes at the end of an exclamation, The way they have been positioned also, with the exclamation mark almost jumping out of the whistle shows the viewer that the noise is coming from the whistle. It seems authoritative and commands attention. 

The main reason I liked this poster was because of the way that it conveyed the idea of movement. By having the solid hands and then the outline hands, the viewer puts them together to imagine the hands rubbing together quickly to ignite the flame. Because of this, you can also tell that the pencil is scratching into the surface and causing a flame to grow. This works well at showing the designers message, which is that posters can ignite change.

This poster works well at creating tension with the placement of the words, which are clamping the person together and squeezing in from the sides. They may appear to be leaving the page if it were not for the persons scrunched up face and hands pushing from either side, which help to create the entire sensation of being squashed in from the outside. 

27.07 Week Two / Session One

Sketching Thumbnails

I have been making some quick, rough poster ideas using random image cutouts and coloured pencil. I have been focusing on how one or two images can be used to create meaning using composition, colour and scale. It has been challenging using only a couple of images, but it has been making me think about new and simply ways of getting my idea across. 

26.07 Week Two / Session One

Using Rhetoric Prompts

I have decided on my topic, which is

Tertiary students being taken advantage of financially 

I have chosen this because it is relevant to me and I think that is is broad enough but also narrow enough for me to be able to focus my ideas. I want to use the National government as the cause of the issue, and the students as victims. 

In class we had to do rapid ideation of poster ideas with random words that we had to try and incorporate. I had 'cat' which I used as a metaphor for the National government, so that I could use fish or mice as the students to show distribution of power and control. Second of all I had 'farmer' which I used in a similar way, with the farmer being the government and the farm animals being unethically treated students e.g cows being milked for money. Next I had the saying 'to make a mountain out of a molehill' which I used to show how impossible it seems to get a degree with the amount of money that it costs. 

I found this exercise challenging at first, but it turned out to be really useful at getting ideas and thinking about my idea in new ways. I will continue to do this with different words, brainstorm ideas and research.