This assignment revolved around making posters for a fictitious foundation, the Benson Foundation for Photographic Research, an institution set to open its doors in New London, CT, in May 2024. This foundation would boast a donated collection spanning the history of photography.
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The first part of this project involved designing a triad of promotional and awareness posters for the foundation, establishing a flexible but strong visual identity for the foundation.
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The second part of this project focused on implementing this newly established visual identity in two unique posters to advertise two of the foundation’s inaugural exhibitions.
WHAT
Poster Design
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FOR
Class: DSGN 1070 Graphic Design I:Creative Technologies
In the initial phase, my focus was on crafting a set of three distinct posters aimed at raising awareness for the Benson Foundation. Each poster served as a canvas for a unified yet adaptable visual concept, integrating images from the inaugural exhibitions: 19th-century photography, early modernist photography in Europe and the US, and the captivating work of Richard Avedon. These designs were pivotal in establishing the foundation's unique identity, laying the groundwork for forthcoming promotional materials and exhibitions.
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My approach to these posters centered on a striking lock-up design featuring the foundation's title, "The Benson Foundation." Each poster showcased a deliberate and versatile treatment of text, both horizontally and vertically, cleverly woven around the imagery. I meticulously crafted a clear information hierarchy, emphasizing the opening date as the primary focal point, followed by the foundation's name and the location. Each poster also incorporated citations, thoughtfully sized to be legible at the intended display size while seamlessly blending into the overall poster design.
*In-situ representation of the intended size of these general awareness posters
The latter part of this project involved crafting two distinct posters that embraced the visual identity I established for the Benson Foundation while focusing on specific inaugural exhibitions. I designed unique posters for "Light and Time: From Early Experiments to Victorian Imagination" and "It is Through the Photographs That I Know Them: The Portraits of Richard Avedon." My aim was to intricately weave elements of the foundation's visual identity, such as type treatment, color, and placement, into these bespoke designs while reflecting each exhibition's thematic essence.
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These posters were crafted to be distinctive, departing from standardized templates and instead embodying unique designs tailored specifically to the subject matter. In my quest to honor historical accuracy, I delved into extensive research on poster designs from the respective time periods. This allowed me to pay homage to each era while seamlessly integrating the foundation's established visual language.
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In the poster for "Light and Time: From Early Experiments to Victorian Imagination," I incorporated varying fonts for each line such as “ABCDEFG” and “ABCDEFG”, mirroring the typographical styles of the Victorian era. The central text alignment was an intentional nod to historical poster designs. Staying true to the foundation's visual language, I featured the signature lock-up of the foundation's name and framed two images, one vertically stretched and one horizontally, creating a cohesive visual narrative.
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For "It is Through the Photographs That I Know Them: The Portraits of Richard Avedon," I drew inspiration from mid-century modernism, paying homage to iconic designer Saul Bass. Employing a vibrant orange background, bold black text in the "ABCDEFG" font, and black framing for each image, I channeled the essence of mid-century modern graphic design. Once more, I integrated the foundation's visual identity through the signature lock-up of the foundation's name and adeptly blended images and text orientation both vertically and horizontally.