At this stage of the project, I feel that I have ticked a good few boxes in terms of type and colour. I have also explored a lot of imagery based on the prescribed content however I feel my exploration is still quite broad. In curating an art direction for this project, I wanted to focus on the graphic language of this project first as I still felt a bit unsure about where this project would evolve visually. I created a mind map of some of the themes I wanted to include in this art direction:
Apollo 11 Themes Mind Map
I completed iteration 1 with a focus on more of a retro and vintage perspective. I loved the whimsical sense in these images. The haziness in these images added a dream like quality.
<aside> ⭐ REFLECTION: As much as I enjoy leaning into the whimsical graphics, I don’t think they have much of a direct correlation with the Apollo 11 mission. I feel that it is quite reductive to the mission and doesn’t conjure the sense of exploration and innovation. While looking at the retro photographs from the mission is highly interesting, I don’t feel that it generates any excitement about the mission.
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Art Direction Board Iteration 1
I wanted to try a less outright vintage approach to the visuals without fully departing from the general feel of the images. I focused on gathering softer images with diffused elements and distortion. Lighting was also a key consideration in this board as I wanted it to feel optimistic.
<aside> ⭐ REFLECTION: I found similar issues as iteration 1 in this board. I felt that it just felt flat and too soft compared to the impactful nature of the Apollo 11 mission. I felt that a different approach was needed as these attempts at building a sense of style throughout my imagery was not rendering effective results.
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Art Direction Board Iteration 2
I went to the completely opposite end of the spectrum with this next iteration. I looked towards a different source of inspiration for this new direction which was data visualisation. This is something intertwined with the Apollo missions so taking inspiration from various linear forms felt very authentic.
<aside> ⭐ REFLECTION: I felt at this point I was getting closer to a style that felt appropriate for the project. I enjoy the contrast between the simplicity of the structuring of these graphics (point and line) and the intricacy of their application. The high contrast in these images feels very resemblant of the stark contrasts of a lot of the imagery from the Apollo 11 mission. I also like the sense of light this procures. I still want to develop this inspiration further and explore how these shapes translate into the rest of the Apollo imagery.
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Art Direction Board Iteration 3