Establishing a System for a Set of Holiday Events
Attending the Duluth Pepperkakebyen Gingerbread City events is a local family holiday tradition. As the event’s designer for two years, I thought about whether we could create an identity system that is recognizable to the community. To do so, we would need to design the events’ promotional posters with an identity system that uses consistent typography and imagery styles. The system could be extended to other applications and show that the events are well established.
The Backstory
The events are sponsored by the Nordic Center of Duluth and Sons of Norway Nortun Lodge, giving the local Norwegian community great pride. Artist and educator Dr. Alison Aune commissioned me to design the posters for the holiday events for two years. The posters received a GDUSA annual award.
The Approach and Challenge
I incorporated Norwegian designs that Alison provided into the poster as visual elements. The designs were hand-crafted with organic lines and shapes, which influenced the approach that I took to design the posters. I illustrated imagery in the same style as Alison’s Norwegian designs. My illustrations also serve as visual elements for the poster designs.
Designs That Inspire
Alison’s heart and pig designs were greatly influential in the making of the posters.
Illustrations for the Poster
The posters’ imagery had to be iconic and memorable while honoring Norwegian art.
Developing illustrations that complement the pig’s and heart’s visual characteristics without culturally appropriating Norwegian art was a challenge. I met that challenge by making the imagery rather abstract using simple shapes.
Designing the Visual System
The visual system for the posters consists of:
Static Design: The events’ title was formatted and typeset in the slab typeface and would stay the same each year.
Dynamic Design: The typography that lists the dates, times, and other important information can change positions and formatting with each poster design. Imagery for the posters will change each year, but they will still be drawn using a hand-crafted quality style.
