Illustrator Projects
4 projects I created as part of an introductory visual communications course
Introduction
I completed a 10 week course that served as an introduction to visual communications. Through this, I became familiar with using Adobe Illustrator and the basic considerations that need to be addressed while working on graphic design projects. There were 4 total projects that were required for the course, each with their own objectives and constraints.
Below, in addition to the finished composition, I will list the various requirements and limitations that each project had. While I very much consider myself a researcher, the projects below will hopefully show that I at least understand the core principles surrounding design and have the skills to communicate visually in a very standard manner.
Project 1: Book Covers
Objectives
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Design a series of three book covers using only circles and squares.
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Each cover should communicate an emotion that's distinct from the other two.
Requirements & Limitations
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The three book covers must follow a related concept.
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Use only circles and squares
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Use only gray scale solids
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Use abstract (non literal) imagery.
Summary
The concept that I chose to base my designs around was the morality alignment system from Dungeons and Dragons. For those unfamiliar, this is a vague set of rules or beliefs that players can use to base their character's actions around in accordance with the ideology they want to follow. While there are a total of 9 different morality types, I chose to focus my project around the variations of lawfulness.
Project 2: Movie Scenes
Objective
Visually communicate the emotions of a movie, using choices in typography and composition, while also using contrast/hierarchy/grid to clearly organize related text.
Summary
Requirements & Limitations
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Choose three scenes from any black-and-white movie.
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Attribute a single emotion to each scene.
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Use different typefaces for each scene.
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Use black, white, and gray (no color).
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Communicate abstractly (not literally).
The movie that I chose for this project was the 1950 Kurosawa film Rashomon. There are a number of powerful emotions that displayed through the film, but the three that I tried to capture in my compositions were confusion, contempt, and fear.
Project 3: Event Pages
Objectives
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Design simple app splash screens for two events that are scheduled at the same time.
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Visually communicate the qualities that make each event distinct from the other.
Summary
The events that I chose to create advertisement pages are a fictional gaming tournament and cherry blossom viewing event. For the gaming tournament, I attempted to give it a more digital and sleek feel. In contrast, for the cherry blossom event, I made sure to make it feel more relaxing and chose to use a much warmer color palette.
Requirements & Limitations
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Event title, description, date, time, location, and any other necessary text.
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Compositions need at least 2 images.
Project 4: Brand Redesign
Objectives
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Develop a new visual language (aka ‘brand’) for an existing organization/business in Seattle that more accurately visualizes its communication goals
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Apply the visual language consistently across multiple VCD pieces and present the brand in a creative brief for the client.
Summary
I chose to re-brand a local Seattle coffee shop name Espresso To Go. Looking at their current website, it's fairly obvious that they're digital image could use a bit of a face lift. I redesigned their homepage, created a new menu for them, and featured three of their popular items on a handout. You can view the design brief for additional information.
Requirements & Limitations
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Design a new logo.
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Redesign one page from the organization's current website.
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Create a poster featuring 3 items the organization sells.
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Design a handout that requires multiple levels of visual hierarchy.
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Create a design brief outlining the opportunities you saw with the original brand and justifications for your choices.
