HOW TO STEAL CHRISTMAS
INFOGRAPHIC POSTER
BRIEF
The objective of this project was to create an infographic poster that transforms information into engaging visuals all while giving a "How-To" or step-by-step process. We also needed to create a balance between the visuals and the information provided. The task itself was to inform the viewer of the topic through a series of steps that would guide them throughout the poster learning how to do what the poster was speaking about.
CHALLENGE
To create a fun and unique style for this project, I chose to go with the subject of "How to Steal Christmas." My poster heavily drew inspiration from the famous children's book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss. I took inspiration from the original book, where it is primarily black and white, with some pops of color here and there. Throughout the poster, I used the same style as Dr. Seuss by adding pops of red and green along with that "sketched" look to certain parts of the house.
I wanted the poster itself to look like something you could find in a Dr.Seuss book by having it be almost all black and white. I accomplished this by connecting the designs in the original book to my style to blend the two into a poster. Using the two styles I was able to create the robber trying to steal Christmas, certain elements in the house, and the thought bubbles from the robber containing the steps. My goal was to create an engaging poster using fun designs and visuals along with entertaining steps.
ROLE
Visual Design, Illustrations, Print Graphic
CLIENT
Class project
APPLICATION & EQUIPMENT
Adobe Illustrator
POSTER DESIGN
For the design of my poster, I wanted it to look very similar to the original Dr. Seuss's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." I included elements from the book, such as the majority of the poster being black and white with some pops of color, and also made the robber, homeowners, and police officer look like Who's from the book. I also used a similar font to the book. In the center of the poster is a house, but it has an inside view so the viewer can see what is happening inside. The story and steps of the operation are shown in thought bubbles coming from the robber as if he is going over the steps in his head. The robber is seen in each room with a step that goes along with what he is doing. As the viewer follows the robber, it eventually ends with him being arrested.
DESIGN TEMPLATE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A majority of my research came from Dr.Seuss and his drawing style. When researching, I looked up the different
shapes and forms of the Whoville houses as well as the Who's themselves. I studied how the Who's were drawn and what their bodies looked like, such as their heads, arms, faces, hands, and feet. I also looked into the older style of cartoons and comics for elements such as the fight dust cloud and the sound effects.
DESIGN SKETCHES
When preparing to create the layout of my poster, I had several ideas in mind before landing on the one it is now. At one point, I wanted the poster to focus on a Christmas tree, and then in another sketch the robber flying Santa's sled above a town he just stole Christmas from. Doing some more sketching and playing around with composition was able to help me come up with the sketch that I ended up going with. I wanted to make sure that the information would be seen clearly throughout the poster, and not get lost in the visuals, so I knew that this would be the best route to go. For my final sketch, I originally had the poster rather than vertical but after doing some more brainstorming, I found it was best to change the poster to horizontal. This led me to the sketch that I ended up using to create my final poster.
REFLECTION
Overall, I had a really fun time making this poster. I love Christmas, the style of Dr. Seuss, and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," so this was a great time for me. From start to finish, I had a pretty easygoing experience when making this poster. I found that I let myself have lots of fun with this project and not worry so much about the school aspect of it. I also enjoyed creating the different scenes throughout the house and adding small Easter eggs and nods to the original book. The only struggles I had were finding the right sketch to base my poster on and making sure the text was large enough to read. However, those were small issues I was able to overcome through more brainstorming and enlarging the text. Seeing my final poster design, I am very happy with how it turned out!
