The goal of this assignment was to explore how constraints can generate unexpected visual languages, formats, and conceptual directions. You will work quickly, make instinctive decisions, and prioritize quantity, risk, and conceptual clarity over refinement.
WEEK 2
ELEMENTAL: Only outlines
TYPOGRAPHIC: Type as image
COLOR: Greyscale
PROCESS: Blindfolded sketching
CONSTRAINTS
CONSTRAINT
CHECK
Billboard: “A warning about a normalized crisis people have learned to ignore.”
PROMPT
ONLY OUTLINES
I started by narrowing my focus to four different topics in concept – balloons, fast fashion, plastic, and walkable cities.
For the only outlines constraint, I focused on more illustrative concepts. In the balloon concept I did add a outlined typography component, but I abandoned it for the others. I mostly focused on composition and concept development in this stage.
ELEMENTAL
TYPE AS IMAGE
I’m not sure if I completely understood the expectations of the type as image constraint, but I tried to find ways of incorporating type into image-making that aren’t necessarily accessible or readable and require more studying. This was certainly my most challenging constraint.
This idea expanded on an exploding balloon with the pieces spelling “pollution”, an unraveling shirt spelling out “landfill fashion” in yarn, the letters of the word “plastic” floating in a cup, and a person walking in front of buildings made from the letters that make up the words “walkable cities.”
TYPOGRAPHIC
GREYSCALE
For the greyscale constraint, I wanted to sketch in one color so that it would be easier to build a composition and concept in post. For most of these sketches, the idea was to combine type and black and white photography to create an impactful image that could be understood from a distance.
I think my favorite of these concepts is actually the tag that incorporates different typography.
COLOR
BLINDFOLDED
I really enjoyed working with this constraint! I find that I am too focused on the details when developing concepts normally, so this constraint allowed me to get my ideas on a page quickly by tricking my brain into not taking the outcome too seriously.
I actually loved how the plastic bag illustration turned out, and thus I chose to develop this further.
PROCESS
DESIGN
As I said before, I ended up really enjoying the blindfolded sketching process and thought some of my sketches turned out to be kind of cute and quirky – not my usual design style.
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I decided to incorporate my true style in the final design by incorporating some realistic textures and bright, impactful colors. I decided to use "Paper or plastic?" as the theme of the poster, as this is a common and normalized question we're often asked when purchasing.
FINAL
REFLECTION
I admittedly had a hard time with the particular constraints I was given in relation to the subject of the billboard. I also had a hard time with this particular process and in showcasing my sketches so publicly in a presentation format, as I feel like I often lack confidence in my ideation drawing. As a perfectionist, I often avoid sketching and resort to moodboards and word lists and then use sketching minimally in my process to get ideas down only.
Both despite and because of these challenges, I overall feel like this project taught me to just get something out there without reading too much into whether it's a good idea. Not all good ideas are good and vice versa. Ironically my favorite sketch was my worst drawing, which tells me that sometimes you have to make bad art to turn it into something meaningful.