Rethinking Poverty
29 / 10 / 2020
The post below will showcase my designs for “Rethinking Poverty”, along with some information about the process behind these designs and the inspiration I drew from creating them. I will also showcase the description I wrote to accompany the designs
THE INSPIRATION BEHIND
THE INSPIRATION BEHIND
I am not going to lie - for tis design, I could not find any inspiration at all.
I was actually quite terrified of undertaking this topic — it is one of such sensitive that I did not want to accidentally come up with something offensive or out of order.
The process behind “Rethinking Poverty” was different from how I traditionally approach my designs. In this case, I began to think more about poverty itself and what it’s main factor is. I found myself thinking:
What is the overall, defining quality of “poverty”?
It is a state of “lacking” or “insufficiency”, and in our inherent hierarchical nature, it is perceived as “lower” on any pyramid or scheme we might picture.
I decided to go for a minimalist design.
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The Instagram Post
Rethinking Poverty - one my favourite design of my two years in Rethinking.
For such a delicate topic, I wanted to stray far away from the heaviness of my last two designs; and rather base my designs on the saying "less is more".
I love the simplicity of the designs, particularly the Instagram post. I was following a golden ratio with the positioning of the man. at the bottom-right of the square. I wanted my audience to feel pity, I wanted them to feel the coldness he is feeling - the desperation caused by the vast, white nothingness surrounding him.
For the Facebook event cover, I went for a more full design. This design was greatly inspired by the expression "falling into poverty" - it always struck me as a funny thing to say. One is falling, which is why decided to convey that feeling and expression with the images of the falling people. The hands reaching out were a final touch and they hold a dual meaning:
1) Their inability to catch the people further reinforces the helpless feeling of falling that I desperately wanted to convey in my work.
2) They resemble the hand gesture people make when "begging".