Self Evaluation

This post pertains to the images above.

West Bottoms.

I think the Photograph in the posters are appropriate for the west bottoms. The posters that emphasize the openness of the west bottoms using white space are the strongest conceptually and formally. There are a few issues that need to be resolved all around though. The Typography still hasn't met the level of integration I would like. In hindsight the type may be too powerful. Not only is it competing with the line study and photograph, its too overpowering for the west bottoms. Alignment needs to be considered more in type. A possible solution is to make the type quieter by changing the size, weight, and breaking up "west bottoms."

Paseo.

I'm pretty excited with where these posters are going. In particular the first Paseo iteration. There are some formal issues in that need to be resolved. The main one is that the line study is starting to be lost. Solidifying the line study progressively as we near the bottom of the poster is a sufficient solvent. Also playing with the size will create more visual interest. Playing with size will introduce new compound shapes. These compound shapes need to be reflected in the type as well. Breaking up the letter forms in the same treatment as the pairing will enhance cohesion as well.

Troost.

The main issue is that the pairing is stuck in a box. This makes the open space awkward and doesn't allow the type to interact with the composition as much as it should. The idea of introducing hand written or humanistic type is interesting. Often it can come off as cheesey and bad design but theres a time and place. I feel like using hand written text is a way to capture the characteristics of the neighborhood. We will see if it woks out. As the process moves on I am going to make iterations using both mechanical type and humanistic type. The more variation the better. Manually extending the lines in the pairing is another way to improve the composition. Conceptually this poster is interesting. Lately there has been some people in the community pushing the idea of unity and progression. Some organizations have been trying to improve the situation of Troost. Both improving the physicality of the neighborhood as well as the attitude of the community. The continuation between the pairing hints at the unification between neighbors. The broken blinds speak to the hardships of a lot of the people in the neighborhood. Juxtaposing this photo with the curvilinear line study begins to make the composition feel progressive in form. The idea of Progress is being pushed in the area of Troost.

I am excited to see what comes of these three concepts in the next round of iterations.