Sunday, February 12, 2012

Let Me Explain

 
The very first thing that I did for this project was start researching quotes.  I chose the theme of design/art because I really wanted to emphasize the elements and principles of design and have a chance to practice them again in a very obvious way.  As I mentioned before, I believe that the most important element of design is line, so when I came across this quote that spoke of line, I knew that it would be perfect and offer a lot of options for a poster design. 
The first thing that I decided upon was a color scheme.  I chose to use a triadic color scheme to create a strong visual contrast. In a triadic color scheme, the colors create good contrast (I love contrast) but also remain harmonious and compliment each other.  Not one color calls for more attention than another.  Through experimenting, I discovered that it was best to choose one primary color in my palette and use less of the other two colors.  This helped keep the focus on the important part - the quote itself.  I also decided to add in a neutral color for more interest without being overpowering.
My original thoughts about ways to illustrate the quote involved a box, but it seemed too cliche.  I happened to look at some notes I had laying on the table and realized that I have a bad (or good?) habit of writing on lined paper but not writing in the lines of the paper.  This stood out to me as an excellent way to give more meaning to the quote.  I knew that I would have to incorporate this idea into the poster design.  I continued to brainstorm other ways that I could illustrate not staying within the lines.  I came back to the idea of the box and realized that the outside format of the poster could serve as a box and I could create an illusion that my design continues outside of the box.
This idea brought me to yet another idea of repetition.  I knew that my quote was not long enough or popular enough to only use one time if I wanted it to extend beyond the edges of the design.  I would need it to repeat several ties so that the audience would be able to read each word of the quote and piece it all together in the correct order to understand the concept.  I decided to write the quote repeatedly within a text-box larger than the format of my design so that each visible line of text would have a slightly different placement than the ones before it or after it, guaranteeing that each word of the quote would at some point be visible within the design format. 
In the end, I manipulated each line of text so that I could highlight a word on each line in a way that made the entire quote readable in one flowing line. The highlighted text runs from the top left corner and curves around the poster in a way that defys normal left-to-right reading habits but at the same time, it demands to be read in a proper sentence because of the emphasis that the bright pink places on the text. 
To imitate the curving pink text, I chose to curve each line of text as well.  This creates a peaceful rhythm that, starting from the top of the design, seems to ripple down the poster to the bottom, again bringing the eye from top to bottom and reenforcing the readability.  I chose a font that incorporates line in order to once again bring to surface this important element of design.  To show hierarchy within the text, I used a couple techniques: 1) I made some words a larger point size than others (You Don't Have To, and LINES).  I also made these words in all uppercase letters. And  2) I used color to color in the word lines to emphasis it.  Lastly, I chose to make that color go outside the lines of the word "LINES" to complete the emphasis on line and to prove the point of the quote.

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