Print Design: Poster

Covering a Classic Design Poster

I was assigned a classic poster and was asked to “cover” the designed poster. I had to research and understand the original methodology of how and why the designer made the poster during the era it was created. As I researched the classic poster, I reflected on my perspectives and experience through my rhetoric interpretation.

I researched Armin Hofman, who he was, and his design approaches, so I can understand how to change the narration of his original design to my narration. Since the poster was designed for a ballet performance, I wanted to do some research on the Giselle ballet to understand how I should approach my perspective on my poster.

Brainstorming

Iterations

Refinements

I wanted to capture Giselle’s thoughts that may have gone through her head during the story of the ballet—Love, betrayal, heartbreak, and death. Instead of approaching a dancer in motion like the original, I wanted to use a ballerina standing “still” being hopelessly in love. To show her love and hysteria in her head I cut part of her head and made an explosion of scribbles. Ballet is known to be perfect and poise. I wanted to come out with a messy outcome. Instead of using a clean San serif, I went with a handwritten type that went with the scribbles coming out of her head. 

I revised the photo I used of the ballerina, and I had a hard time deciding the placement of the handwritten type. At first, I was trying to put the side of the ballerina on both sides, but it just wasn't clicking with me, I think I forgot that it was a performance poster, which is similar to a movie poster, usually, catchphrases are small and off to the sides. So I put “Love, Death, Vengeance, Salvation” up at the top with the scribbles. For my final, even with the tragic ending, I still wanted to give Giselle a sense of power and identity of being a woman. I added a touch of red lipstick to Giselle’s lips.