Design Innovation
Gender Equality
Live Brief
As a graphic designer we have a social responsibility and can choose to use our talent to communicate with and for others, questioning how graphic design can better inform and benefit society. This is a three week introductory live brief, set by the IOP (Institute of Physics). We are asked to produce an A2 poster to communicate a powerful message about gender imbalance and subject/career choice; the audience is aimed towards school children aged between 14–16, both male and female. Language and existing visual grammar systems can be gendered or sexist. It is the job as a graphic designer to reflect on these and challenge or subvert existing norms or propose new gender-neutral codes of communication.
Concept
As this brief was very closed, I personally wanted to create something completely different to the 'normal' gender equality posters that come to mind. My aim is to challenge existing norms regardarding subject/occupation choice and gender, as well as to inspire and empower the audience to strive beyond a 'normal' expectation. Researching allowed me to gain an overall understanding into the subject but I wanted to choose a path that had a close connection to my audience. A large amount of my research lead to the concept of how most children grow up with a role model; this being anyone from family members, friends or even a celebrity; it is crazy how a single persons influence can affect and overpower someone so much. This research helped spark the concept of using a family tree but creating a more visually modernised design alongside an equal diversity through generations into the current day.
Outcome
Below is my final outcome, I feel that I have managed to capture the concept for the brief well, as well as achieve an engaging visual allowing an instant connection to the audience. I wanted to keep my font simple and not too over powering from the whole poster. Helvetica Nueue is a simplistic, pleasing font which has a professional atmospheric look. I decided to choose this colour as there is a gender neutral feel with it. The red can be related to 'love' which I feel connects with females, however I also perceive it as being a strong, bold colour linking to males. It also has a huge connection to my overall concept of a family tree; the red colour can symbolise the same bloodline within family members. Adding in the female and male symbols on top of my own gender icons helps differentiate the genders, as nowadays especially, one icon does not identify a single gender; by pushing the boundaries of my gender icons I feel I have achieved the diverse range needed for this brief. By making the ambitions for each profile bigger I feel this allows a instant connection with what the overall concept is trying to convey. Adding to this, I adjusted the title to fit with this hierarchy by making the title 'ambitions' larger than 'not traditions' as I feel this brings to instant attention what I am trying to convey to my audience.
