InspirationFeb 06, 2023

Visuals designed by Lydia Phoon prov. RGD give contemporary outlook to UTM's english & drama courses

By Lydia Phoon Provisional RGD, Freelance Graphic Designer

CONTEXT

I was commissioned by the Department of English & Drama at University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) to design advertisements and visuals for social media and emails blasts to boost enrolment for their courses. The department consists of diverse faculty teaching diverse topics in up-to-date ways; one of the primary requirements of UTM was for this to be conveyed through visuals. The ads needed to have a contemporary feel and show that the courses taught at the department included a wide range of literary works from a variety of authors relevant today.

METHODOLOGY

My design process started with research — I looked into each course to understand what it offered and searched for an appropriate image to go with it. Each image was chosen to highlight the diversity perspectives that the course has to offer. For example, the turtle used for the 'How to Read Poetry' ad symbolizes Turtle Island, the name many indigenous people mainly in the northeastern part of North America use to refer to North America. The font Acumin Pro and the electric yellow was chosen keeping in mind the department's branding guidelines giving the ads a modern outlook. Where the design steps away from the yellow, the use of colourful images against a duller background brings the ads together in a complementary manner.

RESULT

The ads were used for social media and email marketing. The department was happy with the look of the ads and were pleased that they represented the diversity of the courses offered.

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