217.1a Introduction to the Graphic Arts

My poster is showing up the wrong colors too. The main type is supposed navy blue.

My poster design was for S.U./SUNY E.S.F and Habitat for Humanity 2^nd annual Shack-A-Thon. This event is allows for the university and the community to raise awareness about the poverty and sub-standard living in the greater Syracuse area. Wooden shacks are assembled by students on the quad during a two-day period in which from 4-11pm students take shifts living in the shacks. During this event there are different activities taking place such as music and guest speakers that allow students to be further involved in the event. At the of the two days the shacks are donated to local families as playhouses for children, also proceeds will be donated towards a house being built on Elliot Street.

My first step in solving my design problem was researching the event. I found a detailed description of what takes place and who this event benefits on the Syracuse University website. This research gave me insight into the type of event, as well as the type of people they are trying to attract. Basically, it is geared towards adults and college students who take an interest in giving back to those families in need in the local community. Also, the fact that it is sponsored by Habitat for Humanity is a huge aspect of attracting people because H.F.H. is such a widely known and renowned organization.

Next, I make a concept map with words or phrases that I associated with the type of aesthetic I was going for as well as things that had to do with the event. Following this step, I decided that I wanted my dominant design element to be the type, or the title of the event. The images would also be dominant, but I put them in black and white and the heading in color in order to make the type stand out more. The typeface I used is Birch std. regular and I chose it because of its pointed strokes at the end of each principle stroke. I thought the font was readable and clean and I was able to use it throughout the entire poster.

Also, the two colors I used were eye-dropped from the H.F.H. logo in order to maintain continuity. The two colors are navy blue and light green that work well together and don’t compete with the overall design of the poster. Also, the date of the event and the background information are in color, the date is highlighted with the green in order to draw the viewer’s eye to that necessary information.

The dominant images are the hammer and the shack, which I used photographs for and then added grain and texture filters to give them dimension and also subdue the obvious photograph aesthetic and not take away from the type. Also, the headline, or tagline, that I created is along the left side of the poster again in the green color to mirror the color of the date on the other side of the poster. This goes up the page and reaches right to the tip of the hammer to draw the eye up, then to the hammer which circles right to the dominant type and then moves down the page to the subsequent information. Also, the shack is in the middle and the top of the building points right up to the title, also creating visual direction.