Graphic design

The projects below were delivered as school assignments in graphic design studies at Noroff.

Branding, logo, brochure and poster design

Nava Yoga

The task was to rebrand a fictional or real client, and design at least four products and a brand style guide. I chose Nava Yoga, a small yoga studio in Oslo. They had not done any branding before and wanted help to create a brand identity and design products: a logo, a brochure, a poster and a business card.

Nava Yoga’s brand personality is playful, knowledgeable, down to earth and approachable, so every product had to reflect this.

Nava Yoga

Logo

Nava Yoga wanted a logo that could represent them as a brand, and be conceptual, unique and contemporary.

The logo consists of the words Nava yoga and a curved line moving from the upper part of the N to the lower part of the A. The curve gives the logo movement and represents flow – the flow and movement of the practice, and being in the flow state, where you are living the life you are supposed to live.

The curved line, together with the circles and lines, is a reference to spiritual art and mandalas, and gives the logo an earthy and approachable look. The pattern moves alongside the curve and creates an expanding and contracting motion – like the movement in yoga: if you expand your chest, you contract your back.

Nava Yoga

Brochure

They wanted a brochure to hand out at yoga festivals and events, with information about their classes, their mission and where they are located.

Spaciousness is important to Nava Yoga, so they wanted large margins and lots of space between the elements. Keywords for the brochure are playful, inviting and spacious.

Nava Yoga

Poster

Nava Yoga wanted a poster they could place around town, at festivals, events and other relevant places, with information about the studio, contact details and offerings.

Since people may see the poster from far away, I wanted to make it bold and eye-catching. It follows the brand style guide and reflects the brand personality through shapes, colours and tone of voice.

Nava Yoga

Business card

They wanted a business card to give away and leave at events for people to take, with their logo and contact information. Keywords for the design are simple, spacious and eye-catching.

Booklet design

Recipes for kids

We were given the task of designing a recipe booklet for young children and parents. The booklet should provide an interactive and playful experience, so the children can participate and be engaged. It aims to help children learn the basics of cooking and develop their fine motor skills.

I wanted the design to be playful, energetic, friendly and bold, because these are characteristics that are engaging and fun for kids. Each recipe has pictures of the ingredients and hand-drawn illustrations of the instructions, so it’s easier for kids to understand. I also added small elements like hearts, circles, frames and comments for playfulness, and used many colours to create energy and interest.

Logo design

The Vegan Van

The task was to design a logo and a style guide for a food truck called The Vegan Van. The van serves nutritious, immune-boosting and organic fast food, and its customers are young, urban creatives – “yuccies”. The brand’s personality is approachable, healthy, warm and friendly.

Based on the brand and the customers, I wanted the logo to look organic, playful, modern and hand-made – and to be conceptual.

The words “The vegan van” and “immune boosting food” form the outer shape of a wheel, while the lemon is the wheel cap. The lemon also symbolises the immune-boosting properties of the food served at the van.

The Vegan Van style guide with logos, colours and typefaces

Book cover design

Hunger Games cover

The task was to design a book cover and use colours to express topics and feelings associated with the book. The cover had to contain the title and the author’s name.

I chose “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, a book about rebellion, suppression, survival and violence. I used purple, red and a little black to express these topics.

The cover shows the main character, Katniss, during the games: in black, she shoots an arrow upwards, as a symbol of rebellion. The red half circle with dripping blood represents the arena where so many have been killed – red is associated with war, anger, aggression and blood. The purple background symbolises the City of Panem, the suppressors. Dark purple can express decadence, conceit and pomposity – all characteristics of the people of Panem.

The Hunger Games book cover held in a hand

Poster and pamphlet design

Oslo Film Festival

The task was to design a film festival poster and a pamphlet using expressive typography. After research, brainstorming and sketching, I decided to design for a black-and-white film festival called Oslo Film Festival.

To make the typography expressive, I used film rolls as the O’s in the word Oslo. I wanted a minimalistic approach, keeping the focus on the message – with the expressive O’s, the poster didn’t need much more decoration. I did add a V shape in the lower part of the poster, guiding the eye from the festival name to the date and venue. It’s also a reference to 1930s art deco in film noir. Black and white suited the theme, and the typeface, Futura, creates a minimal feel.

Oslo Film Festival

The pamphlet

The pamphlet is a single folded sheet with four pages of content. The front and back are designed like the poster, with a V shape covering almost half of both pages – together they create an interesting pattern. The name, date and venue are on each side, so there’s no doubt what the pamphlet is about. The film reel also appears on the contact and programme pages to create visual interest.

The inside of the pamphlet with the programme

Photography

The task was to experiment with photography using different methods, and deliver the three best images with their technical settings, descriptions and reflections. The photos I chose show misty water, leading lines and high key.

Photography

Misty water

The waterfall is in Akerselva, close to Grünerløkka, photographed from a bridge crossing the river. I wanted to create balance by placing the waterfall in the centre. Green plants on the left and an industrial building on the right frame the waterfall, creating an interesting contrast between nature and industry. The smooth, misty water and the rough brick texture work together to create depth, and the different green plants create a nice harmony.

Photography

Leading lines

This photo was taken on a bridge across Akerselva, facing the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. Hundreds of locks with initials and hearts hang on the railings, symbolising love. I captured a couple holding hands, which gives the picture a nice theme: love.

The bridge’s curves and lines towards the stairs, and the railing on the stairs, create movement from the bottom to the top of the photo. The contrast between the vertical lines on the bridge and the horizontal lines of the stairs creates depth. Small lights on the railing and light sources by the stairs create a warm and cosy feeling.

A bridge over Akerselva with lights on the railing

Photography

High key

The photo shows three flowers against a white wall. I chose three flowers to create visual interest. The light pink looks appealing against the white wall, and the flowers create a soft texture. The green of the stems creates a nice contrast, and the placement of the flowers gives the photo depth.

Three light pink flowers against a white wall