Graphic Design: Poster Project

             

This assignment resulted in a general poster/advertisement for an on-campus club and chaplaincy group, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship. The principle of the poster, and of Chi Alpha as a group, encourages a level of stability and freedom allowed by basing one’s identity on that which, like trees, is largely immovable. The three sets of roots and the large text communicate this idea, while the two smaller pictures depict two of the things Chi Alpha is rooted in, worship and community. Juxtaposing these small images with the dominant trees attempts to convey the importance of both things in being rooted.

            The poster draws on a number of design concepts to convey its message, most noticeably repetition, proportion, simplicity and color. These four overarching design principles act as a vehicle to more subtly utilize a host of visual literacy ideas and Photoshop techniques that come together to convey the poster’s message.

Repetition

            The image of a tree trunk and roots is repeated three times, both creating a visually appealing graphic display and providing a sense of balance for the poster providing enough visual weight to balance out the text. The repetition also creates the negative space in which the two smaller pictures lie. To accomplish this, the trunk and roots were placed on a white background by selecting the background with the quick selection tool and erasing it. Then entire picture was selected with the rectangular marquee tool and the magic wand was used to remove the background from the selection. The move tool was then used to duplicate the tree three times, and the trees were evenly positioned on the bottom two-thirds of the page. Each copy was placed in a separate layer to allow for easy and precise positioning.

Proportion

            The elements in the poster are arranged in a variety of ways that create visually pleasing relationships. The rule of thirds is in play both horizontally and vertically. Horizontally, the thirds consist of the tree roots, the trunks and photos, and the white potion with text. Vertically, the repetition of tress creates three lines that can be imagined even after they disappear.  The poster also utilizes negative space between the tree trunks to create a natural frame for two smaller photos. The photos were cropped and placed in layers under the tree layers to allow for this effect. In addition, this placement of the photos sidesteps the visually distracting trapped white space that would otherwise exist. The tree trunks act as directional forces as well, directing the eye upward to the words.

Simplicity/Economy

            Everything superfluous to the poster’s message has been removed. The first version contained upwards of ten images. Several drafts later, all visual litter has been removed to leave only three powerful images. The poster also forgoes long descriptions of the club or excessive text, allowing the images and few words to communicate more strongly than written ramblings could.

Color

            Color is most noticeably used in the poster’s text. Because the bottom two thirds of the poster are visually heavy, the intense color of the text provides an asymmetrical balance. Choosing from within the green family also encourages a bright, engaging feel and complements the reds in the picture of the hands. The vibrant colors in both of the smaller images also contrast with the largely neutral color of the tree trunks. Even though the trees are clearly the foreground of the picture, this color contrast allows the background to stand out as well.