Fusion

November 2020

A double-sided poster outlining the history of modern Japanese poster design, especially the fusion of Western and traditional Japanese aesthetics that came to light during this time. The front of the poster breaks down the concept of stroke order in Kanji and uses elements of Hiragana/Katakana for decorative effect, taking advantage of the most unique aspects of Japanese.

I started by researching significant people, pieces, and organizations to include in the timeline, as well as major events in history for context. I wanted to achieve a simple yet sleek look, and I learned a lot about working with a grid and paragraph styles through this project. I used Domus, a typeface created by a female Japanese designer, and Neue Haas Grotesk, which is similar to sans serifs used in modern Japanese posters. I especially enjoyed iterating on the expressive side of the poster, and I’m happy with how it turned out!