SR Designs
Sabrina Rayner
Typography, graphic design

Choose a corner

Three 11 × 17 posters, ART 265: Design Studio I

The brief was to explore three of the seven principles of design. I chose type, image, and space, one for each poster, using the same Charles Eames quote throughout. I focused on creating clear visual communication for each universal design principle, using composition. I worked meticulously on details like kerning, including kerning text set on a path to properly create space for each letter.

The tree is a photograph I took in a park nearby. I chose a beaver because it’s a niche builder and a keystone species, so it changes the world around it, like the quote says. The project was limited to three colors (not including black) and so I went with a duotone style on all of my graphical elements.

Poster: 'Choose a corner' set large in white over moss green, with 'Change the world' repeating into a black lower field.
Type
Poster: a large engraved beaver gnawing a bark-textured tree trunk on green, with the quote curving around it and a white butterfly above.
Image
Poster: pale sage field with a tree trunk down the left edge, vertical type along it, and a small beaver whose tail carries the end of the quote.
Space

Process

I wrote out the quote and made word maps for care, intensity and change, which led to the beaver, the tree and the butterfly. Then I thumbnailed layouts with the image and type together.

Sketchbook page: the Eames quote written out, with word maps for care, intensity and change leading to beaver, tree and butterfly. Sketchbook page: rows of small poster thumbnails trying beaver, tree and type placements. Sketchbook page: further thumbnails exploring type-led layouts such as a large CORNER.