Postage Stamp Project - Final Comprehensive Design

I enjoyed this project. One area of sustainability that is not often considered within the topic of sustainability is the preservation of our American Heritage. I think that a series of postage stamps depicting some of the great churches, temples, and mosques of the United States would be highly valued among philatelists and enjoyed by the general population.

Postage Stamp Project - Rough

Here is my rough for the postage stamp project.

Postage Stamp Project - Second Round Thumbnails

Second Round Thumbnails-these are not very clear. But if you click on them you will be able to see them better.

Postage Stamp Project

Postage Stamp Project - First Round Thumbnails

Postage Stamp Pencil Sketch Illustration

This is my pencil sketch illustration of the First Presbyterian Chruch.

Revisions to Asymmetrical Design Final

I have put a white stroke on the words "degradation" and "decarbonization" in an effort to make them more readable from a distance. I have also slightly closed the gap in the large upside down "G" that I used as the letter "D" in an effort to keep things in line and make it easier to distinguish as a "D". I have brought the entire image down on the page to eliminate the top tension that was created in my original design by having the image too near the top. Let me know what you think of the changes. Did the changes impove the overall design?

Just a sneak peak at some of the pics I am considering for my postage stamp design. I am considering using the First Presbyterian Church or the Binghamton Court House.

Postage Stamp Design Step 3-4

The next step in project two was to look for examples of historic design movements and choose one example of each style.

Art Deco

• Geometric
• Angular lines
• Not realistic
• Bold lines/color
  

Art Neavou

• Romanticism
• Rounded/Curvilinear
• Soft lines/colors

Bauhaus

• Use of negative space
• Short/simple communication
• Ordered use of content

Constructivism

• Overlapping/Cropping
• Symbolic Colors
• Geometrical elements

International Typographic Style

• Clear Design objective
• Strong use of Grid format
• Large legible San Serif font
• Visual Unity

Modernism/New York School

• Informal/less structured design
• Symbolic Essence
• Direct presentation of information
• Bright/Bold colors

The following are my favorite stamp examples and they are most similar to the design I have in mind.

Stamp #1

Informational Elements
· Central Image: Historic View of New York City
· Denomination: 25 cents
· Country of Origin: United States
· Name of Land Mark: New York City
· Date (year) stamp was designed: 1988
· Significance: Commemorating New York’s Ratification of the Constitution

Design Elements
· Shape of the Postage Stamp: Vertical/Rectangular
· Color: Spot Color
· Type of Central Image: Architecture
· Typographical Layout: Horizontal Block
· Hierarchical arrangement: Street Perspective draws eye up from lower center to upper left corner of picture
· Position/Type of Balance: Asymmetrical
· Compositional Devices: The tree in the fore ground and the church in the back are on points of the grid
· Illusion of Space/Depth: There is an illusion of space created through the use of perspectiveThese examples are similar to what I have in mind for the stamp I will design for this project.

Stamp #2

Informational Elements
· Central Image: Washington DC-places of interest
· Denomination: 37 cents
· Country of Origin: United States
· Name of Land Mark: Washington DC
· Significance: Commemorating Washington DC, the Nation’s Capital

Design Elements
· Shape of the Postage Stamp: Diamond
· Color: Four color
· Type of Central Image: Architectural
· Typographical Layout: Border
· Hierarchical arrangement: The radial design of this stamp draws your eye to the center
· Position/Type of Balance: Asymmetrical
· Illusion of Space/Depth: There is an illusion of space created by the radial design of the stamp

Stamp #3

Informational Elements
· Central Image: James Hoban, Architect
· Denomination: 20 cents
· Country of Origin: United States
· Name of Land Mark: White House
· Significance: Honoring James Hoban, Architect of the White House

Design Elements
· Shape of the Postage Stamp: Rectangular/horizontal
· Color: Spot Color
· Type of Central Image: Architectural
· Typographical Layout: Horizontal block
· Hierarchical arrangement: Your eye is first drawn to Hoban in the fore ground and then back to the White House
· Position/Type of Balance: Asymmetrical
· Compositional Devices: Hoban’s head is on a point of the grid
· Illusion of Space/Depth: There is an illusion of space created by the placement of the illustrations.

Stamp #4


Informational Elements
· Central Image: Settlement of Jamestown
· Denomination: 41 cents
· Country of Origin: United States
· Name of Land Mark: Jamestown
· Date Landmark was built: 1607
· Date (year) stamp was designed: 2007
· Significance: Commemorating the settlement of Jamestown

Design Elements
· Shape of the Postage Stamp: triangular/horizontal
· Color: Four color
· Type of Central Image: Voyage to the New World
· Typographical Layout: Horizontal
· Hierarchical arrangement: Your eye is first drawn to the central image of the ship in the scene then travels to the outer edges
· Position/Type of Balance: Asymmetrical
· Illusion of Space/Depth: There is an illusion of space created by the placement and scale of the images.

Project 2 - Stamp samples

Step one of project two was to collect some stamp samples. Since the focus of this project is architectural sustainability most of the examples that I have chosen include architecture in some way.

Project 1 - Mounted Final Comps

My asymmetrical design is unified by its primary focal point, the large, dark, upside down, backward, letter “G” (for Green Living). I have used the letter “G” to replace the letter “D” that begins the terms related to sustainability, deforestation, decarboniztion, etc. The lighter shading of the center of the letter “D” and the use of white for the word “Deforestation” draws your eye to the focal point. Scale is also used to draw attention to the focal point and helps to convey the importance of sustainability. The outside curve of the letter “D” draws your eye around in a clockwise direction to read the terms; this creates the sense of hierarchy. Repetition is used in the font type and size that I have chosen. Variety is achieved through the use of different values of the gray scale for the remaining typography in my design. I believe this design employs the rule of thirds. The curved outer edge of the letter “D” is centered over the left vertical line of the grid of the rule.

My symmetrical design utilizes the element of hierarchy by varying the font size. Unity is achieved through the use of the white letters on the black background that creates the upside down coniferous tree. Repetition is also an important principle in this design. The phrase “Population plus Affluence plus Technology equals Environmental Impact” is repeated over the entire background. Scale is also used here to create the progressively smaller lines of the upside down tree. While symmetrical designs by nature have a sense of stability and balance, I believe that the wave of the black shapes in my design also creates a sense of rhythm and flow. This design uses the rule of thirds in the placement of the terms of sustainability.

Sustainability has many definitions, but can be defined simply as “maintaining or preserving what we have today for future generations to enjoy as we do”. Through the use of the upside down letter “G” in my asymmetrical design and the upside down coniferous tree in my symmetrical design (symbols of green living) my designs communicate that we have not been living in a way that maintains and preserves our natural resources. Our affluent population has depleted and in many cases destroyed much of our natural resources. The environmental impact of our population is severe and perhaps irreversible.

I have participated in class by helping other students with Photoshop, volunteering to talk about design principles and elements and answer other questions posed by the professor. I have offered my thoughts during critiques. I attend class regularly, and keep up to date on the assigned readings and homework.

Symmetrical Design Rough

This is my symmetrical design rough for project #1 - Typographical Design - Communicating the sustainable ideal. This is my favorite design. It is simple and clean, but I feel it communicates the concept of sustainablity quite well. The small lettering that fills the background says "Population plus Affluence plus Technology equals Environmental Impact. The impact that we, as a society, are having on our world is stated through the use of the upside down tree shape formed by the key words of the quote.

Asymmetrical Design Rough

This is my asymmetrical design rough for project #1 - Typographical Design- Communicating the Sustainable Ideal. I have used an upside down "G" in place of the letter "D" for the sustainability terms that begin with the letter "D". The upside down "G" signifies how our green earth has been turned upside down by depletion, deforestation, etc.

Frist and Second Round Thumbnails

These are my first and second round thumbnails for Project #1 - Typographical Design - Communicating the Sustainable Ideal.

Practice Design

Creating a blog spot

My First assignment for this class was to create a blog spot.