As a final print project for my graphic design class, I was tasked with using my Design DNA project from the previous semester to create a poster that would be used to utilize my particular design preferences. The goal of the poster was to create a visually appealing design that would draw people in and make them understand my design style.
Since everyone has different “design DNA” there would be no set instructions for how to approach the project making it both very open and free yet without a proper plan it could quickly go off the rails becoming something that is unique but has none of our design dna in it.
To acomplish this first step of initially figuring out what my design DNA lends itself to I looked back at my design DNA project from the previous semester. I found that my design DNA had a clear focus on classical poster design and commercial branding. This led me to the idea of creating a poster that would be a mix of both of these styles.
Inpiration for the final poster came from two sources. The first was image that was part of my Design DNA project. The second was the posters and other media created for the wildly popular game Helldivers II in which players take on the role of a "helldiver"; an elite soldier who fights against three different alien races for a version of earth that is controlled by a super government and uses propaganda to keep the populace in line.
Therefore the overall theme of the poster was going to be a mix of classical poster design and commercial branding with a focus on propaganda.
A colors palette was easy to assemble as they game uses distinct colors and classic wartime propaganda posters equally use distinct color palettes so it was a case of marrying the two together. Uses of Red white and blue were central to the palette with a focus on red and blue as the main colors for text as they are the most eye catching. Use of beige and white were used to give the poster a more aged look.
the final piece of inspiration came in the form of one of the weapons in the game : The 500KG bomb strategem. This weapon quickly became popular in the game due to its enemy killing potential as well as the meme of it being "super american" this led to its use in the final poster as a large mushroom cloud.
The first step was to create a wireframe and sketches of the poster to get a sense of the layout and composition. This helped to visualize the final design and make any necessary adjustments before moving on to the next step.
Using the sketches as a reference point for my intial design I then went on the hunt for suitable images both from the game and as royalty free photos to use as the basis for my design.
Over all the final product is an accurate representation of both my design DNA but also the initial sketches and wireframes that were made at the beginning of the project. The balance of color and the use of the mushroom cloud as a focal point are the most striking features of the poster. The propaganda aspect also shines through with the use of the Super Earth disclaimer at the bottom of the poster along with mentions of the liberation of Malevelon Creek which in game was a highly contested area.
Check out the full sized poster here HERE