This project was the creation of a poster and t-shirt design that are centered around a social issue. As a young woman who was born in South Africa and moved to Australia as a child, the first and only social issue I considered for this project was the topic of Consent. Consent relates to everyone on this planet and is not talked about enough. As a woman I feel especially passionate about it and this project provided an opportunity for me to design something that can help people understand Consent better.
The project uses the many ways in which men and women say NO to physical and sexual advances. With the goal of illuminating that the only way to get consent is with a clear and coherent YES. The collection of phrases were sourced from a variety of men and women from different age groups and backgrounds. Many of whom communicated their reasoning behind using alternatives to a simple NO were based off concern for their own safety.
With the project being heavily text based the designs are primarily typography with selective colours to help communicate the message. The visuals of the phrases are complimented with some statistical information about sexual assault in Australia, and what constitutes Consent.
The goals of the Consent project are
– Communicate there are many ways people say NO
– Show there is one clear way to gain consent from another person – YES
– Show there are many factors that contribute to consent, more than just the words
THE POSTER DESIGN
The poster has used the phrases gathered as a pattern and not as clear, readable typography. The goal is not simply to get people to read the phrases but instead to notice the ones that relate most to them. Similar to a word search, noticing the few that jump out at you – rather than reading every single one as a list. The phrases surround the word NO, symbolising their connection to it. In contrast, the word YES stands alone. At the base of the poster is the statistical information as well as the guidelines for consent.
Consent is; CLEAR, COHERENT, CONTINUOUS, and VOLUNTARY!
THE T-SHIRT DESIGNS
I worked with the block design from the poster as the graphic for the back of the tshirt and for the front of the shirt there are a set of three designs using a single phrase each. Rather than having the phrase by its self I have incorporated the word NO within the design, using negative space and contrast. They designs are intense, and take a second look to fully absorb the information. This complexity is intentional and add to the message of the project.
silience design studio 