Signage Reflection

Before analyzing the importance of storytelling in this project, I'd like to discuss my struggles incorporating graphics and limited wording to convey a message. I am no graphic artist, but I still did not anticipate struggling with this project as much as I did. I initially planned to edit a photographic poster, but, realizing my options for editing were limited, switched to another poster. Unlike my first choice, I had almost nothing to work with here: the poster was a simple typed sheet taped to the wall. This gave me more room to make an original design, though it may have been a sly move on my part. This sign told no story, aside from the simple summary introducing a reader, eyes somehow caught by a plain sheet, to the Creative Writers' Club of NIU. To me, I would have to create a story for this unattractive sign.

Storytelling in a design is vital for any sign, which is the main point of this project. It goes beyond the artistic skill of drawings or the variety of pictures. Using images as an 'arrow' through the sign, then using words to halt the eye and inform the reader demonstrates the thought process of both the creator and viewer. Creating a sign required me to consider where I should not only place my graphics, but also where to place words. Simple images can evoke comforting images, and while they may not give the whole story to the viewer, they may invite them to an event where the rest of the details unravel into the full description.
I wanted to make my redesign to look not only inviting, but also intriguing. I wanted the viewer's eyes scanning the typewriter, the text bubbles, the curly font, not just out of interest in the club, but also appreciation for the balance of color, words, and picture. I wanted my sign to evoke a classy, yet casual feel, befitting to a club focused on writing and improvement. Storytelling through color and font elicits different presumptions, so I aimed for a professional image. As an heuristic, storytelling can guide a viewer on how to feel and why, based on something as seemingly negligible as placement and font.