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FINAL ANIMATION

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FINAL PITCHDECK

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^^ last post

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ANIMATION (creating + notes)

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FINAL POSTER SET

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FEEDBACK (1-1 with Emil)

-> Second poster - need to add more content/context, first poster engages, second poster explains (type, lyrics)

-> Maybe consider adding an extra colour, for more hierachy and visual interest, dynamics etc

-> When working on the animation, remember to go simple first!

-> Consider keeping the exclamation mark all black (more emphasis on type)

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PITCH DECK

Pitch deck ->

Through exploring and experimenting, I found that a more simplistic approach for my pitch deck worked well around my poster set as my designs are more intense/bold, and therefore a simple but stylized format was the most effective!

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WEEK 11 FEEDBACK (1-1 Caroline)

(Whoops I was meant to post this much earlier)

(^ This was what was receiving feedback)

-> No white border! More impactful without one

-> The second poster doesn't work with the first, need to focus on extending/expanding poster as the first one is very dynamic/angle based

-> Don't need to repeat the statement! (more space/consideration for context in second poster + focus)

-> Draw out compositions instead of exploring through the laptop - get the composition right on paper before working on it

^ Potential design compositions to work on/explore! (from our discussion)

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PITCHDECK (INTRO & RATIONAL)

Completed rational and designer introduction of my posters (will still ask for feedback for improvement)

Introduction ->

Hello, I’m Selina Hong and I’m a junior communication designer with a passion for creating through this enthralling medium. As someone that has always been highly immersed in artistic expressions of many forms, I very quickly became captivated with the world of design - I never looked back.  Previously, I was especially passionate about forms of creating such as photography & videography, collage, as well as drawing & painting. Design ultimately allowed me to integrate my absolute favourite mediums together to produce pieces of art that I was proud of through both the journey and execution! Back in high school, the prospect of creating a brand with limitless possibilities from scratch immediately drew me in - I found that designing seems to spark a different aspect of me as an artist, to create for others, rather than oneself. My experience in this medium is considerably short upon starting classes two years ago, however I strive to explore and grow as a designer everyday. One of my ultimate favourite aspects of design is the perpetual journey of learning, where each new project offers fresh opportunities for artistic growth! Within that time I’ve created two high school design boards that both showcase a brand I designed, along with a few personal projects in my own time. Communicating & conveying stories, ideas and emotions through visual storytelling is something I have exceeding passion towards, and so Ideally in the future I would hope to be working in a studio that specialises in print design, branding and illustration! 

Rational ->

My political posters serve to capture the frustration and demand of the people in Aotearoa, inspired from the poignant song ‘Listen to us’ by the Kiwi hip hop group Home Brew. Despite being released almost 12 years ago, the unapologetic lyricism continues to reflect the ongoing struggles and adversities faced by many under a dismissive government. My central goal was to convey the urgency of the political statement, accomplished through the deliberate use of bold and expressive typography. The handwritten style evokes authenticity and counter-culture appeal, serving to amplify the demand within its heavy context. The colour palette was chosen with several intentions in mind, with red as the central commanding colour and black and white for their effective contrast. Both the symbolism and colour psychology behind the focal colour red further reinforce the demand to be heard, as well as playing homage to the colour palette of the original album cover of ‘Listen to us’. My first poster is designed to catch attention instantly, to essentially yell at the viewer. I employed leading lines and a strong focal point, as well as aligning the typography to create a stronger sense of dimension. The visual elements are intentionally simplistic yet bold, drawing heavy inspiration from protest designs to embody the fervent urgency and demand. The second poster extends from the first poster, providing context to the statement. Here, I focused on a particularly powerful lyric to further convey the frustrations and harsh realities of people in Aotearoa. 

Listen to us. 

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CHOSEN LYRISM (second poster)

My second poster serves to provide context to the statement and song ‘Listen to us’ while also reinforcing the demand to be heard. Initially I was designing with a multitude of lines, however through reflection and constructive feedback I recognized that it would be much more impactful and legible with only a few. Although the song is full of potent lines, the ones that stood out to me the most (and why) were the following → 

‘Dignity? Can’t afford that on minimum wage’

^ I found this lyric to be one of the most compelling and succinct lines within the song. It powerfully encapsulates the harsh reality that many people endure under financial strains, where essentially the inherent human right of dignity becomes a luxury. The juxtaposition of ‘dignity’ and ‘minimum wage’ highlights the disparity between the innate desire for respect and the harsh economic realities. 

‘There is no depression in New Zealand / Yea just a soul sinking feeling’

With direct reference to another song, this lyric carries utmost impact in many ways. ‘There is no depression in New Zealand’ by Kiwi band Blam Blam Blam is another song that expresses discontent and anger towards the social & political state of Aotearoa, released in 1981. The song is a satirical critique of societal denial and complacency - exposing the disconnect between the idealised image of New Zealand and the harsh realities. 

This of course is referenced powerfully in ‘Listen to us’, with the two songs commentating on the true harsh realities of the people and confronting those who are complacent or causing the struggles. ‘Yea just a soul sinking feeling’ as an ironic response to the first line is strong for a few reasons - The use of informality or slang with the use of ‘yea’ adds authenticity and a raw, relatable quality to the lyric. Furthermore, it anchors the song to the present , emphasising its relevance to our time now (as does much of the entire song eg. one of the lyrics - ‘John Key can suck my d*ck’). 

At the time that Home Brew referenced ‘There is no depression in New Zealand’, the song would've been released prior 31 years. That in itself at that time reinforced the urgency and demand to be truly heard - for the struggles to be even acknowledged. But now in 2024 (12 years after ‘Listen to us’ was released), the song is still as exceedingly relevant as it was at the time, continuing to resonate with people in Aotearoa even more today - the frustration demand to be heard growing more and more. 

‘Where justice is just some juxtaposition between the police and judges decision’

This lyric stood out to me for its concise yet profound commentary on the justice system. Through the clever juxtaposition of "justice" and "just some," it exposes the discrepancy between the ideal concept of justice and its flawed implementation, evident in the decisions made by both law enforcement and the judiciary. The lyric prompts reflection on the erosion of trust in societal institutions and systemic injustice.

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POSTER #2 EXPLORATION

-> I think I dig this second poster design the most, more of a natural extension/works better with the first poster

-> Will develop further!

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^ Tumblr keeps changing the tone of the red (it's much more intense/bold rather than washed out)

-> Experimented with another second poster design, with more legible type and focus on particular lines from the song!

-> I do like this but am unsure of how impactful/effective it is?

-> Will come back to this soon :)

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DESIGN CHOICE CHANGES / CONSIDERATIONS ->

-> After some contemplation, I've decided to switch the central colour of the poster sets to red, rather than yellow. I believe that this colour aligns with the political statement 'Listen to us' more in both a visual and communicative sense. Both red and yellow are extremely bold and commanding colours, but within the context of this political statement I now recognize that red can speak for much more than yellow in a variety of ways.

Colour psychology ->

Within the aspect of colour psychology, red is the most intense colour. It has the ability to immediately grab peoples attention, as well as having the ability to evoke strong emotions. It calls people to action - which aligns strongly with my intent for design, to highlight the frustration and demand to be heard, as well as the urgency for action to take place.

Colour symbolism ->

Intertwined with the psychology of the colour, red is often associated with intensity, urgency and anger. These intense emotions are undoubtedly the ones behind the creation of the song itself, and therefore red would help communicate the statement visually in a much stronger and effective way.

Original song cover ->

^ Black, white and red colour palette as well, homage and enhanced connection to the song and political statement

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WRITING EXERCISE -> Reflective writing

Reflection on my research skills

Initially I first began my researching process for political statements by looking more into political contexts and design projects that interested me personally, where I knew my strongest designs would come from - from sources such as Pinterest, google (websites, etc) and books from the library! As someone who absolutely loves and appreciates music, ‘Listen to Us’ as a political statement in the form of a song stood out to me as I was exploring potential statements. I predominantly used the platform Spotify and google in order to research further into the song and what it stands for, however I could certainly improve my research process by extending my means of sources and finding other surrounding research topics or content.

2. Reflection on my creative process

I mainly employed central design processes of experimenting with iterations and exploring different options for certain impact. I was focused on creating designs that were loud and demanding - to align with the statement and energy of ‘Listen to Us’, by Home Brew - therefore was utilizing bold type, colour blocking and eye catching imagery. Colour palette was important to consider as well in the design process - and after testing different colour ways yellow was definitely the strongest, in both its ability to command attention and the symbolism behind it - a common colour of protest.

3. Reflection on my decision making

In terms of decision making, I tried to keep an open mind with new/alternate design conventions and processes within design! I found that making the final decision of designing around political statements rather than the other prompts was difficult but eventually the best choice for me and my work. I also found it more difficult to decide between my two chosen political statements, but decided on ‘Listen to Us’ by kiwi hip hop group Home Brew. Although I resonated with the statement ‘Educate to Liberate’ by the Polynesian Panthers, I felt that my cultural difference and lack of genuine connection to the context and history of the statement was therefore not appropriate for me to design around. When I was stuck, I went on Pinterest and both the Auckland & AUT library to gain inspiration and get into a creative flow! Art block is no joke! Something that also helped me quite a bit was rereading and researching the political content/statement I had chosen, even listening to the song on repeat.

4. Reflection on the overall progression of my work and learning

I’ve definitely learned more about designing with intention and purpose - making certain design choices to further enforce/highlight an idea or statement. For instance, my personal preferred design style normally resides around a more maximalist approach - however I quickly realised that in order to create the most impactful and commanding designs for my political statement, I needed to use more simplistic but bold elements. Time management was something that honestly I found difficulty in, but as the term progressed, I definitely improved and recognized the true significance in consistency over relying on just motivation and creative sparks! One of my main (and continuous) struggles was navigating InDesign for the first time, especially as I first needed to save up for a new laptop in order to use the software. However I found that pushing through and using Youtube tutorials or peer guidance has helped significantly, and exploring all the options and tools on InDesign.

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TYPOGRAPHIC CRAFTING / WEEK 10

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MORE INSPIRATION / MOTION TYPOGRAPHY!!

-> I absolutely love this design - the addition of moving texture/overlay is super cool and am definitely inspired for my own motion design.

(The other motion typography pins are only able to be posted as a link)

-> I just love this one a lot - super dynamic and eye catching, with many points of design to appreciate!

-> This one aligns well with the style and protest style of my design approach! Very inspired - considering using the same motion in which the type quickly enlarges, to align with the sense of demand and frustration of the political statement, 'Listen to Us'.

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RESEARCH CONTENT

'Listen to Us' - Home Brew (Ft Tourettes)

Release date -> 2012

HOME BREW ->

Home Brew is New Zealand hip hop originating from West Auckland, creating music under the genre of conscious rap. The members of the group are Tom Scott, Lui Gumaka, and Harry 'Haz Beats' Huavi. They released their self-titled debut full-length album (Home Brew) in May 2012 to some critical acclaim. It hit number 1 on the New Zealand album charts in its first week, and was the first New Zealand hip hop album to top the charts since Scribe's album The Crusader in 2003.

^ Link to the lyrics 

^ 'Listen to Us' Music video

^ This particular article and review on the song 'Listen to Us' goes incredibly well into the appreciation of honesty behind this song, and what Home Brew talks upon.

Personal notes and thoughts ->

-> 'Listen to Us' by Home Brew is an incredibly strong song in both it's delivery and reality. Despite having been released nearly 12 years ago now, it unfortunately remains very relevant in our current nation today - a side of Aotearoa that many refuse to acknowledge or see. 'Listen to Us' criticizes the government unapologetically and demands for the peoples voice to be heard - calling out the blatant hypocrisy and cruelty of the government with no true consideration and respect for those struggling under their governance.

-> Although the song and the lyricism as a whole are strong, a few lines stood out to me the most powerful and hard hitting :

All we got is luck and hope Dreams going up in smoke

The same old story that you heard a million times before I bet it probably doesn’t even cross your mind no more

Where justice is just some Juxtaposition between the police and the judge’s decision

And even if we scream Who the fuck is going to listen to us?

John key can suck my dick

There’s no depression in New Zealand Yea just a soul sinking feeling

Dignity? can’t afford that on minimum wage

Socialism for the rich capitalism for the poor

^ These particular lines on their own commentate on the injustice and lack of compassion and understanding that the government has for the people - particularly for those who are struggling. This is (unfortunately) extremely relevant today in 2024 - if not becoming even more evident.

-> I overall wanted to base my design project around this song and what it stands for as I believe it is becoming increasingly more important for both the leadership and people of Aotearoa to understand and truly acknowledge.

'Listen to us' is a demand - a form of protest and a blatant call out to the government and oppressive force.