Project 2: Art + Technology Design Conference Poster

Project Overview

Learning Objectives

• Apply iterative design methodology to complex layout and content organization challenges
  
• Develop typographic hierarchy skills using InDesign's grid systems and layout tools
  
• Practice systematic visual exploration through multiple layout approaches and design refinement
  
• Build content strategy skills through research and curation of art/technology topics
  
• Create a cohesive brand identity that will translate to mobile interface in Project 3
  
• Experience a professional design workflow from concept through final presentation
  

Conference Concept Development

Art + Technology Conference Focus Areas

Digital Art & New Media

• Audience: Digital artists, new media creators, interactive designers, art students
• Values: Creative experimentation, technological innovation, artistic expression, accessibility
• Tone: Creative, experimental, inclusive, forward-thinking

Design & Artificial Intelligence

• Audience: Graphic designers, design educators, creative technologists, AI researchers
• Values: Ethical AI, human-centered design, creative collaboration, critical thinking
• Tone: Thoughtful, professional, innovative, questioning

Art & Social Technology

• Audience: Social practice artists, community organizers, activist designers, cultural workers
• Values: Social justice, community engagement, participatory design, cultural change
• Tone: Activist, community-focused, empowering, authentic

Creative Coding & Generative Art

• Audience: Creative coders, generative artists, interactive designers, artist-programmers
• Values: Technical creativity, algorithmic beauty, open source collaboration, experimental process
• Tone: Playful, technical, collaborative, process-oriented

Conference Requirements

• Conference Name: Create a 2-6 word name reflecting your chosen focus and artistic vision
• Tagline: One compelling sentence describing the conference's unique perspective on art/technology intersection
• Duration: 2-3 day event with artist talks, workshops, exhibitions, and/or performances

Content Strategy & Development

Content Approach Options: Choose your content development strategy.

Option A: Provided Conference Content

• Content includes: Artist speaker names and bios, workshop titles, exhibition information, venue details
• Requirements: Choose, organize and prioritize provided information to introduce hierarchy
• DOWNLOAD ALL ASSETS HERE
  

Option B: AI-Assisted Content

• You have a little more creative freedom, opportunity to personalize the content
• Requirements: Document AI tool usage process with Prompts and models/version used, ensure content quality!
• Must be clearly identified: All AI-generated text or image content must be labeled as such in final documentation via Figma comments
• Deliverable: AI usage documentation showing prompts, iterations, and content refinement process

Required Content Elements

• Conference name and tagline
• Dates (over 2-3 days), times, and location information for each event
• 3-5 featured artist/speaker names with brief descriptions
• 5-8 workshop/session titles with brief descriptions
• Registration information and contact website
• 2-4 sponsors/partners with their logos/branding
• At least 5 compelling graphic visual elements (artist work examples, speaker portraits, original designs, etc.)

Figma Template

Project Timeline & Phases

Draft 1: Content Strategy & Layout Exploration

Content Strategy Development

1. Conference Concept Definition
   
   • Select your Art + Technology focus area
   • Consider your target audience and their interests in art/technology intersection, how this can be reflected in your visual approach
   • Develop conference name and compelling tagline
2. Visual Direction Selection
   
   • Choose 1 of the 3 visual directions from your Graphic Treatment exercise
   • Refine color palette, typography approach, and visual style
   • Consider how visual approach reflects your conference's values and audience
3. Content Strategy Choice
   
   • Select Option A (instructor-provided content) or Option B (AI-assisted content)
   • Organize information by hierarchy: most important → supporting details
   • Prepare all text content and select compelling visual elements

Layout Exploration

• Document: 24" × 36”, 2 pages (front and back)
• Color Mode: CMYK for print
• Margins: 1" all sides

• A: Text-dominant with strong typographic hierarchy
• B: Image-dominant with supporting text elements
• C: Grid-based systematic information organization
• D: Creative/artistic layout disregarding the grid
• E: Balanced integration of all elements

Presentation Format

• Export each layout as high res (300 ppi) PNG and post to Conference Poster Draft 1 Figma file
• Present concepts in 2-minute lightning presentations to gather feedback

Draft 1 Assessment Criteria

• Layout Exploration (50%): three distinct approaches showing creative problem-solving and design thinking
• Content Organization (30%): Clear hierarchy decisions, appropriate information prioritization
• Visual Direction Application (20%): Effective use of Graphic Treatment insights, cohesive approach

Draft 2: Design Development & Iteration

Iterative Design Process

1. Typography-Focused Iteration
   
   • Emphasize typographic hierarchy and text organization
   • Experiment with font sizes, spacing, and text arrangement
   • Use the grid system to create clear information zones
   • Focus on readability and effective communication of all conference details
2. Visual-Focused Iteration
   
   • Emphasize artwork/images and visual elements
   • Integrate art examples or technology demonstrations as key design elements
   • Balance images with essential text information
   • Create compelling visual interest that reflects art/technology theme
3. Integrated Approach Iteration
   
   • Balance typography and visuals for cohesive overall design
   • Use grid system to organize both text and image elements systematically
   • Focus on creating unified composition that serves both information and visual goals
   • Consider how design reflects your conference's unique perspective

Design Requirements

• Grid Usage: Create and use a consistent grid system (columns/rows) for alignment
• Typography: Establish clear hierarchy with headline, subhead, body text, and other hierarchy sizing as needed
• Color Application: Use color strategically to support hierarchy and brand identity
• Content Integration: Include all required content elements organized clearly
• Visual Consistency: Maintain cohesive visual approach across all three iterations

Documentation Process

• What makes each iteration different from the others
• How you used the grid system to organize information
• What feedback from Draft 1 you incorporated

Technical Requirements

• Work in single InDesign file with multiple pages for easy comparison
• Export individual high res (300ppi) PNG files for Figma upload and peer-to-peer critique
• Come to class with InDesign file open for individual desk critiques
• Focus on design exploration over technical perfection

Draft 2 Assessment Criteria

• Iterative Exploration (40%): Three distinct approaches showing systematic design thinking
• Grid and Hierarchy Application (30%): Effective use of layout principles and information organization
• Content Integration (20%): All required elements included and appropriately prioritized
• Process Documentation (10%): Clear explanation of design decisions and iteration rationale

Final: Design Resolution & Presentation

Single Final Design

1. Design Resolution
   
   • Hierarchy refinement: Ensure clear primary, secondary, and tertiary information levels
   • Grid consistency: All elements properly aligned to your established grid system
   • Typography polish: Consistent spacing, sizing, and font usage throughout
   • Color harmony: Effective color usage that supports both hierarchy and brand identity
   • Visual balance: Composition works as unified whole rather than collection of parts
2. Content Finalization
   
   • Complete information: All required conference elements included and accurate
   • Clear communication: Essential information (date, location, registration) easily findable
   • Compelling presentation: Content organized to create interest and convey conference values
   • Proofreading: All text free of errors and professionally presented

Presentation Requirements

• Final poster design uploaded to Conference Poster Final Figma file
• Brief presentation (2-3 minutes) explaining your design decisions and conference concept
• Peer critique participation using structured critique format

• Revised final version can be re-submitted with Project 3 (Mobile Website)
• Allows for additional refinement based on final critique feedback
• Ensure poster and mobile website work as cohesive brand system

Documentation Requirements

• Final poster (high-resolution PNG)
• Design rationale (1-2 sentences explaining key design decisions)
• Brand system elements evolved from your Graphic Treatment (color palette, typography choices, visual approach)

Final Assessment Criteria

• Design Resolution (40%): Single cohesive design that effectively organizes complex information
• Process Integration (35%): Clear evidence of iterative design methodology and systematic improvement
• Brand System Thinking (25%): Coherent visual identity that will translate effectively to mobile interface

Technical Guidelines

File Organization

• Main InDesign file: lastname_firstname_conference_poster.indd
• Asset folder: All images, logos, and linked files in organized subfolder structure
• Export naming: lastname_firstname_poster_draft1.png (etc.)
• Final package: Complete InDesign package with all assets and fonts

Typography Best Practices/Rules of Thumb

• Maximum 3 font families to maintain visual coherence
• Hierarchy levels: Establish clear primary, secondary, tertiary information levels
• Readability testing: Ensure legibility at both 2-foot and 10-foot viewing distances
• Style consistency: Use Character and Paragraph Styles in InDesign for all text formatting

Color and Images

• CMYK color mode for print
• 300 PPI minimum for all placed images
• Use vector graphics for logos and icons (placed Illustrator .ai files In InDesign, not copy-pasted vector graphics)
• Consistent image treatment (cropping style, color adjustment, effects)

Production Standards

• 18" × 24" finished size (with 0.125" bleed on all sides if full-bleed, graphics go to edge of page)
• Resolution: 300 PPI throughout document
• Preflight: Resolve all technical warnings before final submission (overset text, missing links, etc.)

Integration with Project 3

Brand Continuity

• Visual identity system established in poster carries forward to mobile interface
• Color palette, typography choices, and visual approach remain consistent across media
• Art + Technology conference concept continues development and refinement

Content Strategy Foundation

• Conference content, speaker information, and event details carry forward
• Mobile website will reorganize same information for different screen sizes and user behaviors
• Additional interactive elements (schedules, maps, registration) will be integrated in mobile version

Design System Thinking

• Consider how poster hierarchy will translate to mobile navigation structure
• Think about content prioritization for smaller screens and touch interaction
• Visual elements should work effectively at both large poster scale and small mobile scale

Assessment Rubric Summary

Grading Scale:

• A (90-100%): Professional-quality work ready for real conference use
• B (80-89%): Strong work with minor refinements needed for professional application
• C (70-79%): Adequate work meeting basic requirements with some technical or conceptual gaps
• D (60-69%): Below expectations, significant improvements needed in multiple areas
• F (Below 60%): Unacceptable work not meeting minimum project requirements

Success Strategies

Time Management

• Start content research immediately - don't underestimate research time
• Use class work sessions for technical skill development and individual guidance
• Begin InDesign exploration early - software learning curve requires practice
• Plan for iteration - expect to create multiple versions, not just refinements

Design Process

• Reference your Graphic Treatment - use established visual directions as foundation
• Study successful conference materials - analyze effective poster designs for inspiration
• Focus on user needs - design for your target audience's information priorities
• Test readability and hierarchy - can others quickly find key information?

Technical Skills

• Master InDesign fundamentals through provided tutorials and class demos
• Organize files systematically - clean file organization prevents technical problems
• Use Styles consistently - Character/Paragraph Styles save time and ensure consistency
• Export and test regularly - check how designs look outside of InDesign environment