Design a poster that is a pastiche of a historical design movement. Next, choose a current social, cultural or political topic and clearly communicate it using the historical design style. Finished designs should be inspired by the social, cultural or political ideologies of the historical design movement.
Pin Vo, 2019: Using Russian Constructivism to symbolically “present the poverty of the peasant society” to expose wealth inequality that defines classism in the United States
PROJECT BRIEF
Research design history to identify and investigate movements stylistically: typography, colors, composition, etc.
Define meanings for pastiche and poster
Define an event, topic or idea that correlates modern social ideology with the historical design movement
Develop sketches exploring contextual meaning of graphic and style elements
Create, refine and present final conceptual design
Nhan Phan, 2019: Using post post-modern or contemporary digital methods to expose plastic pollution
Alex Cruz, 2019: Using post-modernism and punk aesthetic to comment on the systemic failure of elected leadership
Brianna Ostronic, 2019: Employing the ideals of Dada to comment on “fast fashion” as social decadence caused by the destructive impact of technological “progress”
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Enhance understanding of ideologies that underpin historical design movements.
Create functional communication combining conceptual interpretation and practical application.
Develop literature review and research skills to implement objective interpretation of subject matter.
REFLECTIONS
This ongoing project has been undertaken at various institutions, primarily with first-year students embarking on their exploration of graphic design. As a culmination of their coursework, the project incorporates formal exploration, secondary research, and conceptual communication.
In each iteration of the project, the instructor draws inspiration from observing students as they skillfully transpose ideological issues from the past and link them to contemporary topics they deem timely, important, and essential to convey. This methodology empowers learners to witness and engage with a method and process intrinsic to their individual design agency.
However, this project’s strength also challenges many young designers. Some students may lack specific cultural awareness, while others may struggle with the notion that their opinions and contributions to social discourse are significant. To address these challenges, the instructor works to foster trust through open discussions about the influential role of social discourse.
DELIVERABLES
Full-Color Poster
Strube, J.Strube, J. (n.d.). Social Pastiche. Retrieved from https://teachingresource.aiga.org/project/social-pastiche/
