This project was started amid the implementation of Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” laws. Because of this, I used my stamps to represent an influential and unique culture in America, the queer community.
My goal was to make something topical and visually appealing within this project, which I believe I was successful with.
Flipping the anti-queer slogan into a line of support and pasting it in a big, bold font is a great attention grabber, even more so when it’s paired with the striking image of David Bowie, a famous queer artist. I used black and white images of some of my favorite LGBTQ artists that had an impact on Americans and the rest of the world, then blended bright colors onto their clothing to represent the rainbow of the LGBTQ+ flag. The white color background of each ad, consisting of a pile of paper and envelopes, feels cleaner, pretty and on theme. The white color also helps the imagery pop really well. I also tried to limit my text as much as possible, only adding what I felt was necessary for each ad spot. With the slogan and logo on the digital ad, you pretty much know what the whole idea is, and their is more leading text on the large poster because it is necessary to the design. Using little pops of red on the text, yellow makeup, or rainbow dots, I brought in more depth and little, colorful elements to pull everything together.
This poster, ads and mockup collection is one of my favorites because of how well it came out and the overall message that comes with it. I have been proud of this work for the past year or so since I finished, and I was glad to tweak it and improve on some small areas to make it ready for this showcase. Due to my hard work and design skills, this project and the BLK ART designs got their own display in the Bowen Center for Innovation and Design at JWU.
