Typeset a Poem or a Recipe

The images above are student works based on recipes. Whether or not you choose to design for a recipe or a poem, the challenges will be similar: use type expressively and create a stunning design.

These images above are examples of professional graphic designers interpreting poems.

Due: One Week

Medium: Adobe Illustrator and/or Photoshop, Photo Inkjet Print
Size: Printable to 13 x 19"

Find a recipe, or select a famous poem or student poem (provided by the English department) from this link.

Read the text carefully. Consider its meaning and mood.

Consider the most appropriate fonts, styles and color scheme to express the mood of the piece.

Use changes and contrasts in size, weight, style, color, and tonal value to emphasize specific words and phrases.

The entire poem will be on a single artboard of 13 x 19".

If it will serve your expressive purpose and make for a stronger design, you may use additional elements and shapes to design the page.

For inspiration, here's a selection of graphic designs of poems from Pinterest. Look up more. I searched "graphic design poem", and found many fine professional examples.

Some things to address in your design:

• Alignment (left, right, centered, justified)
• Leading
• Kerning and Tracking
• Readability
• Expressiveness
• Unity / Cohesion
• Space between the text and the edge of the artboard/page.

Grading Criteria:

• Design (Effective Use of the Principles of Art)
• Expressiveness
• Technical Quality / Craftsmanship
• Personal Investment / Work Habits

(More detailed criteria at this link.)
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Before turning this in:

• Convert all type to outline.
• Save as EPS, TIF (300 ppi, 10" high), and JPG (72 ppi, 12" high).
• Print to scale to 13 x 19" (SuperB) Ultra-premium Photo Paper Matte
• Mount print on black paper, label, and adhere velcro coins to back for exhibition.

Questions to ask yourself (Self-critique):

• Is the text clear and READABLE?
• Is the spacing between letters, words, and lines comfortable, or jammed, tight, too far apart, etc?
• Is the spacing CONSISTENT?
• Have you ALIGNED the text?
• Is the typography EXPRESSIVE?
• Have you visually EMPHASIZED the more important words and phrases of the poem?
• Have you organized the poem to give a sense of timing or cadence of speech? In other words, are there visual “pauses” or breaks with new stanzas or important breaks in the text?
• Have you designed the entire PICTURE PLANE?
• Is it a unified, cohesive DESIGN? Is it visually impressive when you see it from a distance?
• Does it apply both VARIETY and UNITY? (Different fonts, sizes, etc, but all used multiple times throughout the design)
• Does the color scheme (more than two or three colors) convey a sense of mood appropriate for the content of the poem?
• Have you experimented with styles and arrangements?
• Have you considered and tried out different elements and techniques for the background? (textures, design elements, gradients, etc.)
• Are you absolutely sure this is the very best you can do with what you know about design?