Cassandre Project Update

Most of the work I have completed for this project includes research and design work. I have been working in Illustrator developing the design for the website's homepage. As is outlined in my project proposal, one idea I had was to develop the website design around one of Cassandre's more recognizable poster designs. I began the design process by collecting four or five images of the artist's most famous designs and comparing the layout of each to find which would make the best or most interesting site layout. I decided to use a poster (at left) which has a diagonal layout where the hierarchy in the piece moves from top left to bottom right of the poster—one that is a good example of the sense of movement that Cassandre created in many of his designs. The poster is one of many made for the Nord Express railway transportation company and therefore includes a train in the design. I am using a train in my design as well because I think it represents Cassandre and his contribution to the field of graphic design. Cassandre and his work were progressive and powerfully influential.

My design, while the layout and imagery is based on a particular Nord Express poster, also pulls in elements from other posters by Cassandre. While I utilized the blues, grays, and black for my design, I decided to use a color palette (blues, grays, and blacks as found in the original, but with yellow instead of red) similar to another Nord Express poster. I tried using red in the piece, but it was too harsh; the yellow works nicely though, I think.

Now that I have the home page finished, I will have to work, of course, on the linking pages. I am not sure yet how those pages will be designed, but I don’t want them to all look like the front page. I may just repeat a certain element from the home page on each linked page, or maybe just a simple geometric element generally referring to any of his designs and not one in particular. I also have to continue researching and writing the information that will be included in the site. All in all, I have a ways to go. (And I realize the type is not lined up at all, I'll fix it..)

Nord Express poster image from: http://www.travelbrochuregraphics.com/France_Pages/France_13/nordexpress.htm