Billboard Assignment
Why: I selected this piece to showcase my exceptional attention to detail. Every element of this design was meticulously crafted, from the placement of the elements, to the choice of words, to the precise opacity of each overlay. Throughout the design process, I incorporated feedback and made deliberate choices to ensure that the final result was a cohesive and polished product.
Abstract: In this assignment, I was tasked with designing a billboard advertisement that would enhance my proficiency in Photoshop. By considering crucial aspects such as the location, target audience, and message, I gained a deeper understanding of the diverse factors that impact how a design communicates. This experience provided invaluable insights into the nuances of effective visual communication and honed my ability to create compelling designs that resonate with the intended audience.
Process
For this assignment, I came up with two idea proposals: one focused on living in the moment and the other on addressing poverty. To determine the most effective concept, I considered the location and audience for each idea. After receiving feedback from a small group of classmates, I discovered that the poverty concept was the most compelling. They also suggested displaying the message in the "peephole" of the design, which further strengthened the impact of the message.
Once I had selected the poverty concept and received feedback, I created a concept map to gain a better understanding of the issue and its related ideas. To further develop my design, I used a mood board to visualize my ideas and generate typography, texture, and color concepts.
After creating the initial draft of the project based on the feedback and concept, I realized that there was still a lot of work to be done. The typography was not finalized, and the details related to the peephole needed further development. During class feedback sessions, I received valuable input, including suggestions to make the homeless person look dirtier and to focus on the location in relation to the graphic.
After incorporating the previous revisions and suggestions, I created the final version of the billboard, which I submitted on the left. During the critique, I received feedback that prompted me to make some final changes, such as adjusting the size of the wood in the background, refining the highlight around the text, and fine-tuning the opacity of the scratching on the peephole.
I incorporated these revisions and made subtle adjustments to the blending options on the graphic to create the final, polished version.
Location selection was a crucial aspect of this assignment, and I chose an area that was a city. The atmosphere was melancholic, and the surroundings suggested that poverty could be a prevalent issue in the area. However, it was also a location that people from all walks of life would pass through, situated between the upper and lower class areas. Therefore, I believed that my message would be well-received in this middle ground.
