MEGAREGIONS
Exploring Iconography. llustrating the Idyllic.
MEGAREGIONS
Exploring Iconography. llustrating the Idyllic.
CONTRIBUTORS
Jules Smith
DURATION
4 weeks
ROLES
Illustration
TOOLS
Illustrator
DURATION
4 weeks
ROLES
Illustration
TOOLS
Illustrator
DURATION
4 weeks
ROLES
Illustration
TOOLS
Illustrator
PROBLEM
Create a cohesive system to visually represent America's emerging microeconomies, the Pacific Coast, the Inland West, The Great Plains, The Great Lakes, The Gulf Coast, The Southeast, and the Northeast. The solution should embrace the past while remaining tonally optimistic for the future.
GOAL
Develop a design system that can be used across the badges. Determine the elements to be used in each composition and render them using the design system. Compose seven badges for the regions.
SOLUTION
Our solution, "The Idyllic Connotation," aims to portray what comes to mind when Americans think about each of the given regions. Every badge, rendered in a thick-lined, geometric style, conveys a focal image set in an appropriate landscape that is supported by natural and geographic elements. Subtle added motion serves as a delightful visual surprise.
PROBLEM
Create a cohesive set of emblems for America's emerging microeconomies that provides tells a story of industry, agriculture, tourism, or other economic influences within the region.
GOAL
Determine the story we want to capture within each badge. Create a design system that can be used across the badges.
SOLUTION
Our solution, "The Idyllic Connotation," aims to portray what comes to mind when American's think about each of the given regions. Each badge, rendered in a think geometric style, conveys a focal image set in an appropriate landscape that is supported by natural and geographic elements.
PROBLEM
Create a cohesive set of emblems for America's emerging microeconomies that provides tells a story of industry, agriculture, tourism, or other economic influences within the region.
GOAL
Determine the story we want to capture within each badge. Create a design system that can be used across the badges.
SOLUTION
Our solution, "The Idyllic Connotation," aims to portray what comes to mind when American's think about each of the given regions. Each badge, rendered in a think geometric style, conveys a focal image set in an appropriate landscape that is supported by natural and geographic elements.
PROCESS
Exercises in Iconography
DETERMINING THE SYSTEM
The first step in creating the badges was to determine the design system. The solution we discovered used a thick-lined, geometric icon style. This would be used to compose elements such as trees and vehicles. We placed the region name in bold, uppercase type atop the badge to serve as the most important hierarchical callout. We then decided that each badge would have a focal component, a supporting element, a landscape feature, water, and a small round sun.
DRAFTING THE COMPOSITIONS
From there we began drafting the compositions. We decided to represent topographical aspects of the region such as mountains, hills, and cliffs using the thick line, in the same weight as the icons.
EXPLORING COLOR
After receiving feedback that using one color palette for all the badges left them feeling like components of a single composition, rather than each telling its own story, a decision to transition to a single color/badge solution was made.
2021 NAT WARNER