Last Edits

Photoshopping the painted house into the original photograph of the condensation so that the image isn't pixelated when I print it.

I painted the word 'damp' in Photoshop.

Erasing bits of the letter forms to make the look more grungy/mouldy.

The font was too dark so I tried something lighter. This white makes the text stand out more than the important words so I'm not going to use it.

I colour picked this colour for the font from the condensation photograph. It is easy to read and relates to the issue in the poster, but it also doesn't grab attention more than the whiter text.

Caroline didn't like this text colour and font. She suggested I look at using a plain sans serif font.

I colour picked this text colour from the photograph; it therefore links with the image and contrasts with the background.
I looked at fitting all of the text to the edges of the text box, but I think this takes away from the hierarchy and rhythm of the headline.

I like this hierarchy but the font is to bold.

This font is better. I like the weight and the shape of the letterforms.

Test Printing Posters For Critique

I printed off my two posters at uni (two A3s that I then stuck together) and put them up on the wall to critique them while they were at full size.
I decided that the poster on the left in the photograph was too grey/purple/green and not blue enough to convey the idea of cold, so I noted that I had to change the colour balance of the photo in Photoshop.
I am unsure about the use of the font for the word 'damp'. I might look at trying to write the word myself.
The quality of the poster on the right isn't very good as the image of the condensation has been printed and re-photographed. I think I should perhaps look at Photoshopping the house shape onto the original photograph so that the final quality of the printed poster is a lot better. This will also make the colours of the condensation image a lot more vibrant.

More Poster Concept Developments

Looking at a plain sans serif font.

Looking at a handwritten-looking font.
I like this one better as it feels more like a voice.

'Paint peeling off wall' background.
I like this one better as it looks more grungy and unkempt.

'Wet' background.

White text.
I prefer white as it complements and contrasts the darkness of the photograph.

Black text.

Looking at a plain sans serif font.
I prefer the other font as it feels like more of a sarcastic voice.

I increased the size of the text so that it wasn't fighting for dominance with the image.

I found this font on the Massey Server that could work for this poster, but I think I still prefer the other one I have been using.

Critique:
I asked my friends and family which of my five concepts for my first poster they liked best. It was a very unanimous decision that my fifth concept (the one with the figure in the bottom left corner and the wet background) was the best, so I have decided to use this as my final poster.

Looking at the headline and tagline.

I tried to fit all of text into the shape of the house.
I don't know if I like this as it feels too heavy in the centre of the poster.

Putting the tagline at the bottom of the poster - this feels much more balanced.

I found this font on the Massey Server that could work for this poster, but I think I still prefer the other one I have been using.

Two Posters for Interim Critique 2

Look at poster designers (Swiss Designers, 'Ant Man' movie poster)
Scale!!
Consider centre aligned
Is the tagline even needed?

Colours need to be edited to be more vibrant so the green stands out better when printed
Use a simpler house shape
Think about grids and margins
Look at a better headline that mentions the flag
Would it work better landscape?
Make the headline a tagline
There are too many word sizes
Could draw a house shape in the condensation

N.B. Posters don't have to look like a series!

Class Critique Week 4

• Think about making it portrait not landscape to help make the figure smaller
• Think about the figure's scale and position on page to make her less dominant
• Consider the background (the footpath is boring)
• Consider casting a different model, someone who looks more homeless etc
• Are there symbolic ways to show this so you don't have to use a figure or flag?
• Consider where the poster could be placed in the environment to help make her small/less dominant e.g. floor, low down on a wall
• Could do a slow shutter speed of people walking past ignoring her (so she is in focus and they are blurred)
• Think about her face: Is she looking at the audience? Where is her gaze leading the viewer? Does her face make it more just about her personally?
• She could look more cold to push the idea e.g. she could be naked/look naked

Looking Critically at My Posters

When refining and developing consider the following:

• What does each element within your composition bring? What does it represent? > literal, symbolic, metaphoric.
• What does the combination of elements say?
• How does the arrangement of the elements affect meaning?
• What tone / atmosphere is emerging? Is this appropriate for your message?
• Look at the Fundamental Design Principles > which are you using? How can they be used more effectively?
• What hierarchies are you ultilising? > dark/light, bold/sketchy, detailed/simple. large/small, foreground/background. Contrast provides interest.
• Are you using negative space? Contrasting busy/quiet. 
• Use the cropping Ls to find strong/interesting compositions within a busy cluttered wider composition. De-clutter, edit.

Critique with Matt

Matt looked at my four posters and agreed with what my group and I had said was my best style/idea - the photography style looking at what spending $26mil on a flag could mean to those who the money could be better spent on. He was happy for me to continue down a photography route and thought that my idea of trying to look into/produce more substitution/addition examples would be an interesting avenue.

Four Posters for Interim Critique 1

Rhetorical Device - Pastiche + Homage to Dorothea Lange
Satire/Irony/Sarcasm
Critique: Really like the photographic style and the pastiche, needs more space between text and image so image has room to breathe

Rhetorical Device - Juxtaposition
Critique: Not enough colour, not everyone might understand the icons that represent asset sales

Rhetorical Device - Irony
Critique: Too many words, maybe don't need "Say no now"

Rhetorical Device - Juxtaposition
Critique: Very funny, but not sure if allowed to montage photos you have not taken

Debate

Tomorrow we are going to start off the morning with a debate about the topics we can chose to do our posters on. The class was split into four groups using our star signs; two groups are focusing of the flag debate and two are focusing on private school vs public school. Our group was given the position anti flag change.

Our group brainstormed arguments for why we should keep the flag such as the history, the money the change is going to cost and what it could better be spent on, how it could never represent everyone in New Zealand etc. We tried to think of what arguments the opposing team would come up with to make sure we had ideas for counter arguments.

As I was not chosen as a speaker for my group (there could only be three speakers) I had to research the topic to find facts to back up our claims and give our points impact.