Illustration and Visual Narrative - Task 3 : Illustrated Typography Poster

6 November 2024 - 27 November 2024 // Week 7 - Week 10

Racheal Tan Tze Rou // 0381005

Illustration and Visual Narrative // Bachelor of Design (Hons) // Creative Media 

Task 3 : Illustrated Typography Poster 

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Task 3 : ILLUSTRATED TYPOGRAPHY POSTER

"For this assignment, you'll design a typographic poster that explores the art of typography as a visual and expressive element. Your poster should effectively convey a selected "Quote of the Day" through creative typography, using a combination of typeface families (primarily sans-serif) and unique stylistic choices. This is an opportunity to experiment with typography as a visual medium, incorporating Illustrator techniques and minor graphical elements to enhance your message."

Before I started designing the poster, I practiced with some techniques that Mr. Hafiz taught in class. 

Figure 2.1 

Quote of the Day : "DRAW YOUR WORLD, SHAPE YOUR DREAM"

This quote is a call to action to combine creativity with determination. It inspires people to first imagine their ideal world and dreams, and then take steps to actively create and shape them. 

I began by doing some research. I searched for artists and works that Mr. Hafiz recommended for inspiration, and I found that the style of some of Jessica Hische's work could resonate with the quote I chose. 

Research :

Figure 2.2 ; research

I wanted my poster to look dreamy so I mainly used pink, blue and purple because purple usually represents creativity and pink symbolizes love, the process of chasing dreams is full of happiness.

Figure 2.3 ; color scheme

Then, I started sketching my ideas. I also drafted the first version of the poster. 

First Sketch :

Figure 2.4 ; first attempt

After receiving feedback from Mr. Hafiz, I decided to reduce some of the photographic elements in the poster and focus on the illustration part. Below is the edited digital photography and imaging background and my second attempt of sketching:

Second Draft :

Figure 2.5 ; second draft

I also searched for some typographic expression pieces in order to highlight the illustration part. After that, I made some attempts to make it fit the meaning of “DRAW” and make sure it was expressive enough. I used typeface with ligatures so the letters of “DRAW” could be connected.

Figure 2.6 ; designing "DRAW"

Finally, I finished the final poster design. Compared to my first attempt, it looks much more clean and elegant.  For the text "DRAW" I used the same ‘R’ but lengthen the leg for the letter "YOUR" and ‘W’ in “DRAW” for my “world” to make them combined as a whole. Additionally, I put floral texture to the “YOU” and “ORLD” as details using clipping masks. Besides that, for “SHAPE YOUR DREAM”, I used the 3D effects to grab attention and emphasize the key motivational message. I also used some different shapes to build the text “YOUR” and “DREAM” to bring out the meaning of “SHAPE”. In addition, flowers, butterflies, and pastel colors complement the dreamy tone, adding visual interest and softness to the bold text.

Final outcome : Illustrated Typographic Poster

Figure 2.7 ; Final Poster : PNG

Figure 2.8 ; Final Poster : PDF

Figure 2.9 ; Concept and Progression Board: PNG

Figure 2.10 ; Concept and Progression Board: PDF

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REFLECTION

Experience
Creating this poster was a fun and challenging experience. I explored different ways to make typography expressive while keeping the design visually appealing. Experimenting with shapes, colors, and text effects helped me think more creatively about combining words and visuals.

Observations
While working on this task, I noticed how important it is to experiment with layouts and elements before finalizing a design. I also observed that combining illustrations with text required careful placement and balance to avoid making the poster look too busy. Feedback helped me realize that simplifying certain parts and refining details like color gradients and spacing could create a cleaner, more impactful design.

Findings
This task taught me how illustrations and visual elements can work together to tell a story. I learned that balancing colors, shapes, and composition is key to creating a meaningful and eye-catching design. The process also helped me see how visuals can complement text to reinforce a message effectively.