Project Type
Date
Role
Location
Conceptual - Exhibit Design
January 2024
Graphic Designer
Toronto, ON
Project Description: Creating a visual identity and design collateral for an exhibit on micro-organisms
Exploring the Microcosmos: A Journey into the World of Micro-organisms
A conceptual project made in order to explore the challenges and skills involved in Exhibit design. Two concepts developed through iteration, making use of the alien-like appearance of many micro-organisms.
The idea of a micro-organism is a challenging concept to communicate to children; the demographic which would be the driving force for attendance. Therefore I explored the idea of viewing these microscopic organisms as "alien"; looking through a medium to be able to view them as they couldn't be otherwise. Similar to how an exhibit can be a medium through which to view an abstract subject.
The unique colours and florescence of much of the imagery taken of micro-organisms lends itself fantastically to eye-catching visuals and the concept of "alien life in a microcosmos". Utilizing fluorescent materials throughout the exhibit to mimic the look of this scientific imagery.
The exhibit mock-up was conceptualized to make use of simple materials, at their most effective. Vinyl printed graphics, acrylic ornaments, exhibit lighting, and black-lights paired with fluorescent inks.
A collections of informational graphics were designed with interactivity in mind. Reserving space for 3-dimensional displays and screens. As well as an equal hierarchy for multilingual text.
Additionally the layouts with interactive elements were organized to be clearly visible to people with a relatively low line of sight; children or the differently abled.
Marketing and brand materials were the cornerstone of the identity of this project. Creating engaging designs which are effective in a passive environment, then being able to translate and expand upon the present ideas led to a wonderful fleshing-out of the concept. The advantage of exhibit materials being the time a viewer will spend engaged with the materials after the initial successful eye-catch. This would allow for many more subtle elements to be utilized, like patterned backgrounds and detailed scientific imagery.
An additional direction I experimented with follows below; this direction was the first I had developed.
While happy with the outcome, I continued to rethink the intended demographics for this project. An exhibit to be displayed at a Science centre, who's target demographic would be children and families, likely would not find success using the more "elegant" – if I could say so – designs. Because of this I returned to ideation and eventually developed the finalized direction, as seen above. The new designs focused on a much more adventurous, curious, and playful feeling.
Addendum:
A flaw inherent to conceptual works is that the designer often crafts a fictional brief which, unconsciously or not, is built around concepts and skills that the designer is comfortable with.
While this can demonstrate technical skills, it is less effective as a representation of the skills required in designing for a real client. How does a designer approach a project in which the subject matter is given to them without regard to the individual's personal knowledge of the subject?
Graphic design requires the designers knowledge of visual communication to translate any given project into visual information that is both comprehensible and appealing.
The means in which a designer achieves this is where their individual abilities can shine.
The way I circumvented the previously stated flaw was with the use of a new tool: Artificial Intelligence.
The AI program ChatGTP was used to generate an original project brief based on a simple prompt:
"Generate a design brief for a project from a museum or science centre to create collateral imagery for an exhibit, specify what kind of exhibit it is and the requirements"
This method produces a project which aligns with the category of content I wish to add to my portfolio and retains the challenges present in designing for a subject which I have no control over. Feel free to view the produced brief below:
