Human Rights Poster
Article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
"Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of
working hours and periodic holidays with pay."
The Overall Concept:
The goal was to successfully communicate the concept of time in relation to the text and our day-to-day lives. I incorporated a range of clocks on the wall, on the laptop, inside one of the side tables, and the watch on the anonymous man's arm to visually communicate the irony of the article text. Granted, some people get paid time off and vacations but it only happens a few times a year. I find the work culture here in America to be draining, excessive, and sometimes dehumanizing given that there are folks that work more than 40hour a week to make ends meet. Not everyone has the freedom to rest when they want to.
The Man:
My original sketch showed a man in a suit laying on the bed but instead, I found an image of a distressed man sitting on the edge of a bed with a suit on. The reason I changed it was because my goal was to counter the article text and I knew the best way to visually communicate that was to have a person look stressed out rather than calm and sleeping. I made the image a template, traced over it, and filled the color to white. I wanted the man to be the focal point of the poster so I kept him white to create contrast between him and the dark blanket on the bed. I believe keeping him anonymous was the best choice because he stands out.
The Clocks on the Wall:
All of the shapes in the clock were made with the Ellipse Tool. I started with a regular-shaped circle to create the shape of the clock and then used the Direct Selection Tool to distort the length and width of the hour and minute hand. To save time, once I finished making one clock, I selected the entire shape and grouped every piece of the clock together, and copied and pasted 7 more times. Then, I arranged the clocks on the wall as if they were a picture frame and altered the minute and hour hands on each clock. I did this to show how there is never enough time to relax. I kept the outline of the clocks white and without numbers or color to fill in that negative space on the wall without taking away from the focal point, the man.
The Bed:
The bed is the biggest or heaviest piece because it takes up most of the poster and it's the darkest object. The linear perspective is achieved through the illusion of depth on a flat surface. I traced over an image of a bed with a blanket, filled it with neutral colors, inserted a drop shadow to create balance, and inserted texture on the blanket to show softness. To create the illusion that the blanket is thick and heavy, I softened the edges with the direct selection tool and incorporated dark lines to show the crinkles of the blanket. Overall, there is contrast and balance between the man and the other neutral-toned objects in the room.
Does my poster successfully advocate the Human Right I chose?
Yes, the text worked really well into the imagery and the symbolism of the clocks is clear. The message is that the article text is contradictory to what working Americans actually deal with. Time is precious but we spend it at work.
Does the overall type and image relationship successfully create a legible, readable, and unified representation of the right I chose?
The overall type and imagery are unified and readable for a diverse range of audiences. The clocks are universal and the scenery is individualistic. It feels personal to the viewer and can make people reflect on their life.
Did you feel that researching similar posters, and going through the steps offered you a way to organize, and process your intentions and creativity?
