Background
George Lois, an iconic figure in advertising, is known for his bold and abrasive design style. His work stands as a testament to creativity that pushes boundaries and challenges norms. The task at hand was to encapsulate his persona and aesthetic in an 8.5" x 11" poster, drawing inspiration from the documentary "Art & Copy".
Mentor Choice
George Lois stood out due to his unconventional approach and raw edge. His design style presented a captivating challenge, inspiring a poster that mirrors his audacious persona.
Design Elements
Typography:
Markazi Text: For the title and subheader, "Markazi Text" was chosen. This bold and condensed serif font ensures eye-catching prominence when enlarged, yet remains legible when scaled down. The avoidance of an "Esquire" typeface aligns with the theme and character of George Lois.
Markazi Text: For the title and subheader, "Markazi Text" was chosen. This bold and condensed serif font ensures eye-catching prominence when enlarged, yet remains legible when scaled down. The avoidance of an "Esquire" typeface aligns with the theme and character of George Lois.
Myriad Pro: As a simple sans-serif font, Myriad Pro complements Markazi Text, offering readability and contrast in paragraph text.
Colour Palette:
Utilizing black and beige, the palette aimed to evoke contrast while maintaining a cold, desaturated tone. This deliberate choice ensures focus on content and design, aligning with Lois's uncompromising style.
Utilizing black and beige, the palette aimed to evoke contrast while maintaining a cold, desaturated tone. This deliberate choice ensures focus on content and design, aligning with Lois's uncompromising style.
Poster Development
The project's challenge involved capturing George Lois's tone and theme in the design. Researching Lois and watching "Art & Copy" laid the foundation. A comprehensive biography on his work and life guided the next steps.
After importing the biography into Illustrator for layout, the design transitioned to Photoshop. A paper texture was applied to the background, allowing torn bits and edges to enhance the rough, cold, and desaturated feel—consistent with Lois's character.
Conceptualizing different ways to depict Lois on the poster involved experimenting with colors, warps, sizes, and textures. The older photos aligned better with the chosen aesthetic. Sections were cut, separated, and aligned to draw attention to the headshot, making it visually engaging.
A quote from "Art & Copy" was selected to capture Lois's attitude, integrated with a torn page effect separating the header and biography. This not only added visual appeal but also cleverly concealed a curse word, staying true to Lois's style.
Unused space was filled with Esquire magazines showcasing Lois's work, introducing more color. The final design underwent a mockup for finishing touches, resulting in a mentor poster authentically reflective of George Lois and his aesthetic.
