Typographic Poster Series

The Designer's Mind

A series of typographic posters exploring the relationship between design, thought, and cultural expression through verified quotes from Black designers, artists, and thinkers.

Each poster interprets a quote visually using type, scale, and composition to communicate tone and meaning. The series honors the intersection of Black cultural and design heritage through curated quotes while demonstrating mastery of typographic hierarchy, rhythm, and spacing.

Project Overview

The Designer's Mind series focuses on how typography alone can evoke voice, movement, and emotion. Working within design constraints of a limited color palette and consistent grid system, each poster creates a cohesive visual identity while exploring individual designer voices and their contributions to the field.

The quotes selected represent the core of each artist's work, serving as educational pieces that encourage viewers to explore the designers who resonate with them most. Rather than biographical information, the focus remains on the power of their words and ideas.

Art Sims poster design featuring his quote about reshaping history

Art Sims poster with orange accent color, reflecting his focus on showcasing African American beauty and reshaping historical narratives.

Emory Douglas poster featuring quote about art as a powerful tool

Emory Douglas poster in propaganda red, emphasizing art as a weapon and rallying force.

Cheryl D. Miller poster challenging traditional design systems

Cheryl D. Miller poster in green, representing reclamation and regrowth of design canon.

W.E.B. Du Bois poster about knowledge and truth

W.E.B. Du Bois poster in academic plum, grounding themes of truth in intellectual rigor.

Design Strategy & Constraints

The series operated within specific design constraints: a limited color palette of 2-3 colors maximum, one consistent grid system, and one primary typeface pairing. These limitations created unity while allowing each designer's voice to shine through individual color choices and compositional approaches.

Superior Tittle was chosen as the primary typeface for its high contrast serif characteristics and striking visual appeal. Each poster loosely followed the golden ratio grid with careful consideration of image placement and type placement to establish clear hierarchy.

Academic Plum #6B2C91

Propaganda Red #C41E3A

Reclamation Green #228B22

Heritage Gold #FFD700

Future Orange #FF8C00

Technical Execution

Well-known images of each designer were selected to aid in recognition and clarity. These images were traced and smoothed in Adobe Illustrator, then converted to silhouettes to maintain focus on the typography while providing visual context and recognition.

Hierarchy was established through consistent placement of designers' names and quotes, with color contrast used strategically to showcase the designer and emphasize key words. Each poster was designed to sit in spaces meant to inspire as much as inform.

← Back to Portfolio Next Project →