From 2012 to 2016, I forged and refined my design skills through the graphic and web design programs at Pima Community College. Through these programs I gained a thorough knowledge of the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.), the primary tools used in design. Parallel to learning the Adobe Creative Cloud, courses focused on such elements of design as typography, logo design, design for print vs. digital media, and the overall elements utilized for effective designs (including artistic theory). With the tools and design knowledge combined, I now create effective designs to reach and capture the eye of target audiences.
The Project (DAR 112: Graphic Design): The theater arts program at the college will be putting on three plays throughout the semester. Select one of the three options and design a poster for the play. The design will be submitted to the theater arts department head who will select a winning design to represent the play.
The Specifications: Dimension 7" x 15" at 600 ppi. Do not include text as the department head will add to the winning design.
The Concept: Of the three plays to choose from, I selected A Piece of my Heart. This play chronicles the experiences and struggles of a group of women serving as nurses during the Vietnam War.
Thumbnail Sketches: Considering that A Piece of my Heart is about nurses serving in Vietnam, the main imagery I had in mind were hearts, the red cross, and the shape of the country of Vietnam. Thumbnails were used to play around with the layout of these shapes.
My Design
First came the silhouetted figure created with the pen tool in Photoshop. Then the hearts were created with the shape tool, duplicated and resized and rotated to create a solid block at the top intended to create a space for the title of the play. The backdrop became a simple gradient with the inclusion of bamboo shapes in a lighter shade. The design also included the shape of Vietnam.
This was selected as the
winning design!
The only alteration I was asked to make was to remove the shape of Vietnam. The play is meant to represent not just the struggles of one war, but all wars.
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