(Un)truth Poster
When design lies
2024
Assignment
Research a contemporary example of an untruthful design /
advertising within mass media and make a poster exposing the
company’s misleading actions.
Conception
Assignment
I began by researching examples of companies doing misleading advertising and centered my focus on L’Oréal’s false claims of not using animal testing, and Volkswagen installing devices that allowed them to cheat emissions tests.
Style
From there, I moved on to figuring out which style I should use to build my design from. At the time, I was considering Sachplakat and Constructivism because of their unique ability to stand out and communicate a message to an audience.
I felt that elements of Constructivism wouldn’t do the best job of conveying my message in the context of my audience. Although it can be attention grabbing, constructivist design often has layers of symbolism that can get looked over in a fast paced environment. The style of Sachplakat on the other hand can capture attention and easily send my message through its use of simple layout, clear hierarchy, and a product focused focal point.
Sketching
Afterwards, I made sketches focusing on my audience, message, and emotional response before thinking about smaller details.
Exploration
I began doing rough iterations of my original sketch, leading me to the idea of mimicking basic visual media aspects of Volkswagen’s branding like their ad layout and company typeface.
I figured that using their branding and the highest selling vehicle that cheated emission tests as a foundation would help create a recognition response within viewers. Then, I could add personal design choices that introduce my message and create a sense of novelty, inviting the viewer to read deeper into the smaller details.
Result
