Bronze Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2020
Option Poster Design
by Haolai Zhou
- A' Design Award 2020 Bronze Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: H.Design
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 11,910
- Verification code 08AF88AB98 · Verify this award
About Option Poster Design
Option is a poster design about women's rights. The poster asks women not to keep silent and to raise their voice to the world. The message also asks the public not to stay silent about an issue that happens around them every day. Silence is not an option for women or for the public. The central image is a cross symbol, taken from the marks placed on abandoned sketches and drafts during the review of the work. The cross states that silence is not an option. The poster measures 11 by 17 inches.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The poster design is talking to the issue of Women rights. The concept is telling women not to keep silent. They need to raise their voice to the world. The public should not keep silent about this big issue, even though it’s happening around them every day. Silence is not an option for both women and the public. The idea of using the cross symbol came from the design process that evolved as people self-critiquing.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 11in x 17in
- Tags
- Women Rights, Powerful, Action, Option
- Production Technology
- Sketching and photo shooting for exploring the idea making. Good graphic and solution appeared in the all process.
- Design Challenge
- Finding the powerful and appropriate visual language to speak out.
- Project Duration
- The project started in May 2017 in San Francisco and finished in June 2018 in San Francisco.
- Operation Flow
- Powerful visual communication is catching people's attention, and it's straightforward to the core message.
- Research
- Spoke to women who are in different groups of age, fields, and role. Taking surveys for specific questions. Those results and data bring up more inspiration to create design.
- Inspiration
- Femininity is still facing this problem in modern society, so Women's rights should be spoken out more. During the research and design process, finding powerful and appropriate visual language to present this sensitive topic becomes a big challenge. However, the cross symbol, for those abandoned idea sketches and design drafts, pops up in the process of critiquing designs. It represents this is not an option, both for design and the main message of the topic.
- Image Credits
- Copyrights belong to Haolai Zhou, 2018
Illustration belong to Haolai Zhou, 2018
Colors of Option Poster Design
Design Interview about Option Poster Design
People still have their own thoughts, voice but fear to speak out. They lives in the painful world of Silence, especially for Women Right issue.
Looking for an appropriate visual language is main focus since that's the way how people can communicate with the poster, and how they read this poster in deep. Finally, I found sometimes a simple iconic graphic means a lot, and it's easy to convey the main message of design.
Always being critique and improve the design.
It takes my 2 months to draw many sketches and ideas, but never figure out the best visual language.
Just like the message of design is about speaking out you own voice, I also feel I need to make design speak to people who need help, who need a hint, and it's the way that how I can convey my own thoughts.
A powerful language speaks to the core of the problem. I think instead of using tons of visual imagery, Iconic graphics is powerful, creative, meaningful, intriguing, and so on.
The main visual graphic is not a image/photo, and the big challenge and great point is using iconic language speaks to the sensitive topic.
The "Option" is the deep voice when people facing difficulties and problem. The language and the main message is giving people a voice that they've known, but hard to choose, and make action on it. Also, it happened on my design process, which I don't know how to pick a best visual language from all of my design ideas and sketches. However, you have to make an option.
Pen. I like to draw lots of sketches to see my visual idea. The way you draw is the way how you're thinking of the design.
I think it's the visual look of the Iconic. Sometimes, a wonderful image, a creative illustration could be telling a lot, and intriguing. However, I found a single icon is not only be served for user experience or function, but also it has its own feeling and voice to convey and represent a lot.
I did the design by myself, but I do need to thank you all of the friends, and people who are interest at my design to contribute their personal thoughts about Women rights. Also, thanks for all people who participated in my research/survey process.
Listening. I was trying to chat and discuss different age groups of people to collect and deeply understand their voice about Women Rights. The diversity of the thoughts for Women Rights gave me a lot inspiration, and it makes the determination to fully push harder to myself to explore and present this series of design.
Finding a good visual language to present this sensitive global issue, and how to communicate with people, and evoking their deep feeling.,
It also is a way to communicate with more and more people, and help people who needs a warm and a powerful voice to encourage them.
Self-critiquing is happening during the all process. How to make option is not hard, but it's not easy. There is no the best design, just like there is no correct answer for people's lives. Just do it, and make it to be an answer.