RESEARCH POSTER
Visual Concept & Ideatation
From Visual Experimentations
My Visual Experimentation activities primarily focus on expressing and evoking emotions from both myself and my subjects—stirring negative emotions, such as loss and regret, when memories, moments, or even a person’s existence are gone.
My Research Poster will be an 8-page zine (2 covers & 3 spreads) resembling a family photo album. In this section, I will focus on creating a zine with the essence of a photo album—a symbol of family photography in my research topic.
Brainstorm
References
Zine
Sketching & Experimenting
Making a 8 page zine on A4 size paper
Cover
Page 1 & 2 (First spread)
Page 3 & 4 (Second spread)
Page 5 & 6 (Third spread)
Making 8-page zine on A1 paper - a page size is similar to A4, and spread is similar to A3
Size Comparision
I also experiment with 16-page zine
16-page zine is small and really hard to fold
Also create a sense of messy when open it
So I stick with 8-page zine option, as the size is reasonable and similar to a photo album
Design Process
Create an A1 size horizontal poster
Create ruler & guide for 8-page zine
The size of each page, which is identical to A4 size
Visual Flow for the zine
After completing three Visual Experimentation Tasks, I realized that the sequence arrangement of these tasks is crucial, as each task possesses its own unique characteristics and mood.
Portrait Task: Pure family photography, emphasizing the bond between parents and children, celebrating a special occasion within the family → Emotional, intimate, and close-knit.
Documentary Task: Family photography in a documentary style, heavy on narrative and storytelling in the context of impending separation → A sense of closeness and attachment, with a touch of melancholy and wistfulness.
Installation Task: The emotions of people when they have to part ways with someone → A gloomy, somber, and regretful atmosphere.
→ With this showcase flow, I want to take viewers on a journey through various emotional states: from the joy, happiness, and sacredness of family moments, to the evocative sadness of impending separation, and finally to the gratitude and longing when one can no longer reunite with a loved one.
In the first draft, I focused on placing the images into the pre-planned pages according to the flow, to get a sense of the visuals and the overall mood of the poster.
The first test print was done on wrinkle-resistant canvas paper, with vibrant and striking colors. During the test print process with the printer, I learned that the type of paper intended for the zine—art paper—cannot be printed at A1 size. Therefore, I had to piece the paper together to meet the required dimensions.
In the second draft, I incorporated typography elements to enhance the storytelling aspect of the zine. The text segments are quite random or simplistic, such as conversations with my parents or the emotions and thoughts running through my mind while conceptualizing the visual experimentations.
The final draft—the completed version before the second test print. In this version, I included all the content from the research poster, along with images from the visual experimentation. I also designed a minimalist and streamlined cover, featuring a single standout image to set the mood for the viewer.
Rotate it appropriately to fit and prepare for test printing at A4 size at home.
The A4 test print is used to check the scale on the pages as well as the order when folding the zine.
Fold it to A4 size.
I corrected the order of the zine on A1 size, then prepared to split it into 4 A3 sheets for printing and later assembling.
Document Setup - Since I will be assembling the pages into a complete A1 sheet, I set a 3mm bleed to ensure the pages align properly when joined together.
Spread 1 - A3 size
Spread 2 - A3 size
Spread 3 - A3 size
Spread 4 - A3 size
Final A1 Research Poster