The objective was to create a series of posters which advertised a group of poets under a unifying theme, with typography being the main focus of the project. The posters were designed to represent the poets Yalie Saweda Kamara, Russel Atkins, and Kari Gunter-Seymour.
Research
The first step of the process was to research the authors. By reading their work and looking into their backgrounds, I was able to determine their works were created to speak out against harmful stereotypes and lift up the voices of underrepresented groups.
Photographic Exploration
The next step was to begin photographic exploration utilizing everyday objects to find unique textures and patterns not otherwise able to be reproduced digitally.
Handmade Sketches
The next step was to create handmade sketches that would help form a direction to take the designs of the posters in. Using what was learned from the photographic experimentation stage, I created designs which took advantage of the nature of the materials I was using.
Digital Experimentation/Series Creation
The next step was to revisit the pictures taken beforehand using editing techniques from Photoshop. New pictures were taken and experimented with during this process as well. The focus was mainly on designs before the addition of color.
Color/Typography
The next step was to move forward with the addition of color into the designs. Colors were hand-picked from the flags of each author's hometown, giving each poster a link to the author's past. There was experimentation with the placement of the bolded text.
Final Iterations
After receiving feedback on the implementation of color, changes were made to the contrast and color grading in order to bring a more vibrant feeling to the posters while drawing out the pattern of the background.
