designer poster process

3 dimensional letters rock.

composition with name = good.

simplify. layers.

so close.

cool.

going through this process i played with a lot of different ways to incorporate the text, but in the end having only a few ways to showcase the information works out best. it’s less cluttered and allows for better legibility. this is something i have learned from my designer. make things cohesive and easy for the viewer to interact with, while have a bold, eye catching design. and also to embrace three dimensionality and beauty of incorporating graphics outdoors. i think i still need to work on bringing deborah’s ideologies into my own practice, but i’m working on it. sometimes i tend to over work and complicate things, however i think since i have realized this i can now fix my down fall. i think this poster, after some struggling,  came to a great place in the end.

designer poster // final for now

i think there’s still something missing are lacking in the newest poster. although it is now much more legible and and less messy, there are some craft issues that need to be resolved with the actual photograph.  i decided to take my components outside and place them on a ledge of vanderslice hall, which goes with how most of  deborah’s work is outdoors.

the images below are what came before the above iteration.

simplify. layers.

poster iterations

3 dimensional letters rock.

composition with name = good.

exploring two different routes// one goes with the substance of environmental design with it being three dimensional and built. and then on the flip side i stuck with digitally creating statements with blocks of color to highlight the text much like the graphics sussman creates. so i have a very textual concept and then a very digital/flat concept. i know the built concept is the way i would like to take this poster, it’s just figuring out the right layout and composition that incorporates all the components harmoniously.

initial sussman poster ideas

3 dimensional letters rock.

axial hierarchy exercises

here are the winners from each category //

single

angled

multiple vertical

crossed

free choice // single axis

sharing our research

poster hierarchy exercises

hierarchy plays a strong role in graphic design when emphasizing individual elements in a composition. so here are some experiments with hierarchy using the text that would be included on the designer lecture poster. in most of them i wanted to create some sense of movement, considering deborah creates way finding graphics, i tried to lead your eye around as her environmental designs would //

leading

indent

weight/style

Scale

orientation

freestylin’

deborah sussman start to research

designer lecture poster // create a hypothetical lecture poster for a designer specifically chosen by marty maxwell lane. and now to figure out the connection…

deborah sussman has established herself as a prominent figure in environmental graphics. she spent ten years under the mastery of charles and ray eames. the views of these mentors i believe really had an impact on her way of thinking about design.

“Charles and Ray and I became friends. They were also parental figures to me. We all worked pretty much 24/7. We were family.” – deborah, women of design

and this husband and wife partnership is also seen in her own firm sussman/prejza, which combines the graphic talents of deborah with the architectural talents of her husband paul. most of the projects this team takes on have multiple components of wayfinding and branding.  one of the most elaborate projects is the 1984 los angeles olympics. other significant works are the signage for disney, duke energy center in cincinnati, and branding of the cleveland cavaliers.

1984 olympics

duke energy center

cleveland cavaliers

disney

after observing her work i have noticed she incorporates a variety of shapes to play off contrasting colors, and to emphasize shadows. with her super graphics she believes that they should be larger than the architecture and not be shrunk down to fit into a space, to let them be cut off and seem larger than life. the enhancement to the architecture is bold and can definitely stand on its own. she tends to use common colors, such as a royal blue, deep red, and golden yellow in a couple of her way finding signage for cities and attractions.

“She has a keen eye for both client and community needs, creating work that is imaginative, spare, and crystal clear.” -justcreative.com

her way of bringing graphic design into the three dimensional realm for over the past forty years has given her a reputation as a expert on connecting the built environment with the communities.

when photographing vanderslice here at kcai, i thought about how deborah incorporates layers of different planes and play with angles to create compositions and to make dramatic shadows. and also on the unusual and unexpected, which i feel her concepts encompass. here are a couple photos to start my exploration into the mind of deborah sussman //

and let the research continue…