Where Design Meets Democracy

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TROY University student Kai Xu interprets David Carson in this VOTE poster.

TROY University student Hannah Keiser interprets Michael Beirut in this VOTE poster.

TROY University student Collen Layton interprets Milton Glaser in this VOTE poster.

TROY University student Abby Vigneulle interprets Cipe Pineles in this VOTE poster.

TROY University student Olivia Kattos interprets Paula Scher in this VOTE poster.

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Duration: 3 weeks
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Bookmark Project

Project Brief

A Brief Backstory
Part 1 of this assignment was a history of Design/Typography project wherein each student was given two names of historically relevant designers and/or typographers and they had to do a mashup presentation of how these two figures intersected society with their contributions. Which led to...

Project Brief
After watching all of the videos from your other classmates I want you to choose two designers - only one of them can be a designer that you were originally assigned and the other needs to be someone you were not assigned, someone new. In those designer's styles, you will create two "VOTE" posters - which are ... you guessed it...posters that are intended to encourage people to vote in the upcoming election. You are not allowed to take sides and you must remain neutral -in your approach. To be clear you are not to attempt to sway people one way or another - but rather encourage them to act for what they believe in - not what you believe in - by simply getting them to vote. 

Learning Objectives

  1. An accurate visual history of important graphic design contributors.
  2. How to steal creatively by giving credit where it was due but at the same time borrowing style of a recognized designer. 
  3. The significance of being a part of encouraging folks to go vote, no matter their bias.
  4. How to remain neutral and yet creative.
  5. Learning how to adapt a historical style to a contemporary medium.

Deliverables

(20), rough/fast ideation sketches per designer

(2), 11x17 Adobe Illustrator files + (2) flat PDFs for print in CMYK

 (1), 90-second video of yourself explaining: who you picked, why you picked them, and defense of the design choices you made on each poster

Readings/Resources

https://ideas.ted.com/gallery-posters-that-will-make-you-want-to-go-vote/ 

https://www.pinterest.com/rogermultimedia/voting-posters-then-and-now/

https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/category/design-plus/design-plus-politics/#2

https://www.pinterest.com/BenRushVC/political-graphic-design-ref/

https://newrepublic.com/article/154633/obama-2020-democratic-candidates-logos

Reflections

For the most part, the results of this project were as expected. When assigning this again I may let them begin with more rough sketches of 3-5 designers and narrow them down to one to focus on at the end instead of two. Seemed like nobody had two posters that nailed a concept but almost everyone had at least one poster that was spot on hitting the message and style simultaneously.

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