O&c poster 1

Originality and Creativity

Name: Minju Kim 11R

campaign poster #1

Explanation What has been done…I started off by recreating the same technique in my “typography wallpaper” tutorial. Firstly, I typed out ‘crossroads foundation’ on a blank photoshop document, with transparent background in the font Futura Condensed, font size 30.58.

WHY?

I chose the font Futura because it is a clear, thick and bold typeface, that is clean cut but also makes a visual impact. Also, from previous experimentation, I found that Futura works well with the fill in typography technique I am about to demonstrate, as it presents the letters in a clear, block format.

Step #1

Explanation What has been done…I saved the text as a .psd file, then proceeded to open and convert my file into a Smart Object. I then dragged the smart object into my main poster file, and made the layer temporarily invisible.

WHY?

I converted my text into a Smart Object before proceeding with the manufacturing because it makes it easier to scale and transform the layer without losing the original image data, just incase I needed to restore the image.

WHAT have you learned from doing it?

I learnt that using smart objects instead of text on layer makes transforming things alot easier.

Step #2

Explanation What has been done…I filled an A4 photoshop document background layer with the colour #7b3c3c.

WHY?

I chose this colour because it reflects my colour scheme; it is also the main red used on the Crossroads logo as well as their website. This was essential to fulfill my project aim #4, to embody the sense of Crossroads in our final product.

HOW have your ideas changed by doing it?

By making this step, I altered my original colour scheme and limited my final product to 3 colours. Although I originally picked out several other earthy tones including orange and green to incorporate into my posters, I found out that the visual impact was larger when the colour scheme was limited to just shades of maroon and its contrast with white.

Step #3

the new colour scheme

#7b3c3c

#8b5454

#ffffff

Explanation What has been done…I then chose the second colour in my new colour scheme, #8b5454 for the background text. This will be used to repeatedly write ‘Crossroads Foundation’ on the darker maroon background. I picked Helvetica Neue in Light font size 8 for this task.

WHY?

I chose #8b5454 because it is a slightly lighter category of my main background colour. It looks muted against the backdrop but still is light enough to be visible. I picked the font Helvetica Neue Light as the sans serif typeface looks neutral yet very refined. It also matches almost anything, and I really liked the way it complemented my title in Futura.

Step #4

Explanation What has been done…I repeatedly wrote ‘Crossroads Foundation’ in my chosen font, Helvetica Neue Light in font size 8 to fill up approximately half my page. I then command+t to free transform the layer, and tilted the text box at a slight angle.

WHY?

As mentioned before, I chose the font Helvetica Neue as it is a timeless font that is neutral but still refined. I chose to only cover half the poster with this technique as I wanted to leave some plain colour space for the further details regarding the donation of cans.

Step #5

Explanation What has been done…After filling half the page with the ‘crossroads foundation’ text, I rasterized the layer.

WHY?

I rasterized the layer before making further adjustments, because rasterizing the type layer gives me the freedom to easily select and manipulate it without degrading the image quality.

WHAT have you learned from doing it?

I learnt that by rasterizing, it is much easier to handle than as a type layer. However, I also learnt that you must rasterize only when the font size and style is finalised, as once a vector is rasterized it is not possible to go back and alter the type.

Step #6

Explanation What has been done…Going back to the smart object I imported earlier, I used the quick select and magic wand tool to select the text shape. Then, making sure I was on the rasterized layer on my document, I cut and pasted, then lined up the words to the background.

WHY?

I cut and pasted the rasterized layer so that the layer could later be overlayed with a different colour, therefore presenting the words ‘crossroads foundation’ within the smaller text.

Step #7

Explanation What has been done…I then double clicked on the layer to bring up the layer style window, then checked the ‘colour overlay’ option, and changed the colour to white #ffffff, the final colour in my colour scheme.

WHY?

I overlayed the layer with white so that the words ‘crossroads foundation’ stood out amongst the background text layer. I chose white as the third colour of my palette because the contrast between the red and white is very visually impacting.

Step #8

Explanation What has been done…I created a narrow banner of white at the bottom of the poster, and pasted the Crossroads logo on top.

WHY?

I chose to create this white strip at the bottom of the poster as it gives the poster a sense of balance and stability. I also wanted to incorporate more white on the poster, as I really liked how it looked against the maroon. The Crossroads logo on it was again, my attempt to fulfill my project aim #4, and I thought it identified the client well.

HOW have your ideas changed by doing it?

From creating this white strip at the bottom of my first poster, I have now decided to incorporate it in all my other posters in the promotional series, as I feel that it can be a connecting factor that ties all 3 posters together.

Step #9

Explanation What has been done…I completed the poster by adding additional information about the food drive near the bottom, where the poster was left a solid colour. I used both Helvetica Neue in Ultralight and Futura Medium.

WHY?

I added this part to the poster to give the audience further information on the food drive; where and when it was taking place. I decided to incorporate both fonts used in the top half of the poster, as I thought it tied in very nicely. I wanted to emphasise the ‘crossroads’, and therefore it was done in the Futura Medium, making it stand out. I also added the crossroads url, so that people could go on the website for further information.

HOW have your ideas changed by doing it?

I have decided to use both Helvetica Neue and Futura in all my posters, to give them a sense of cohesiveness and also because I really like how they look when used together.

Step #10

Finished Product