The Assignment
The assignment was to choose one quote and come up with three different visual representations of it. The design was to fit on an 8.5″ by 5.47″ postcard. The quote I chose was “Nothing will work unless you do”, a quote by Maya Angelou. I chose this quote because as a woman of color and aspiring author, I am inspired by Maya Angelou’s work. The quote itself resonates with me because of the work I do on and off campus. I can read all the books and take all the courses I want, but I won’t get better at what I do without putting in the necessary work.
The Process
At first I struggled to come up with a visual idea that accurately represents the quote. I sketched out a few ideas, but I none of them conveyed the quote’s message. After these sketches were submitted, I took the time to think about what the quote meant to me and I came up with all new concepts.
Final Versions
After scrapping my original sketches, I did some experimenting on the computer to get these new designs. My first design is a simple text-based layout where the word “nothing” is the only word outlined instead of filled in with solid color. The word looks empty compared to the rest of the text, which is supposed to represent “nothingness”.
PDF for print: Cooper_newquote1
My second design is meant to resemble an edited piece of writing. This is how the drafts for my papers look as I revise them. The words “Nothing” and “You” are the most important words in the quote, so those are the words I wanted to draw the reader’s eye to first. I used red for the linework because it stands out against the black and white, and because it reminds me of the red pens teachers often use when editing and grading work.
PDF for print: Cooper_newquote2.1
For my third concept, I focused on the word “work”. I wanted to convey what “work” means to me, so this design is centered around a photo of a computer. As a graphic designer and a college student, I use computers on a daily basis. The image of a computer is what immediately comes to mind when I think of “work”. I really liked the orange color of the potted plant in the photo, so I sampled it in the type and the colored bars in my design.
PDF for print: Cooper_newquote3
Other Versions
These are two slightly different versions of the third concept.
I also chose another photo of a computer for the third concept. I worked on them both at the same time, but this one didn’t turn out as well.
The doodles in the second concept were a last-minute addition. This version without them is simpler, but I find the other version more “fun”.
