Design Rationale
This project explored how design students at MacEwan University could achieve financial and ecological sustainability in design. From our research, we partook in a visual analysis exercise to explore what was being communicated about this topic. We discovered many of the same motifs and visual narratives within this topic are used repetitively; therefore, we wanted to go a different direction graphically to capture attention.
While we wanted to be different, we noted that this research is for students to be more sustainable with their materials, so we chose elements that were reflective of the materials that students use, such as paper, highlighters, pens, and cut-out scraps. Each poster component reflects a different aspect of design: the serif font for book design, code typeface for computers, hand-written type for drawing, images for photography, and graphics for illustration. These elements work together to create this scrappy collage reflective of what it looks like to reuse and rely on used materials. This, along with bright, fun colours contrasting with black, is different than mainstream graphics for sustainability. Additionally, using stars and constellations is a different approach to viewing this topic.
The design choice behind the stars is that if students adopt sustainable design practices, it will help them go further or 'shoot for the stars.' Students will save money, helping their wallets go further. Supplies will be used more, enabling materials to go further than before. Additionally, stars hold a semiotic value to mean excellence. Therefore, the stars within our design are there to say the solution to our research will help students become excellent designers.
Lastly, the financial component of our research is subtly brought in throughout the poster. The money symbols within the title, within some of the stars, and in our solution graphics tie that aspect of connecting sustainability with lessening the financial burden for students.
Researchers: Savannah Ling, Rachel Nhan, Jasmeen Nona, Nathan Lee
Poster Created by Savannah Ling
Images: unsplash | Mockup: Adobe Stock
