Elizabeth Alexander

Norman Foster

Description

Norman Foster is a contemporary, high-tech British architect. Foster has always been focused on creating ecologically sustainable architecture. He has designed a wide variety of structures ranging from office spaces to bridges. In 1967 he founded Foster + Partners, which to this day continues to be a leading architecture firm.

For my Graphic Design course instructed by Michael Worthington, I created a double sided poster (identical text on both sides) to describe Fosters architectural traits as well as biographical information. One side is type only, with minimal influence from his style. The other side is connotative (also type only), to help visualize his style and characteristics. Both sides are grayscale.

Process

For both sides of the poster, I chose to use Klavika (typeface), because it has a very geometric and contemporary feel--similar to Fosters work.

Connotative Side: I first made a list of the many traits that Fosters buildings portray. I then narrowed it down to a select few; mechanical, open-air, an overall organic feel through linear details, and Fosters love to combine garden lifestyle in the industrial setting. For each of these characteristics I developed a number of visual characteristics that would communicate in graphic form. Each characteristic also had at least 6 thumbnail sketches to accompany.

After a number of revisions, and multiple versions of the full-sized posters, I landed on a graphic style that communicated Fosters unique ability to use light and air flow to aid in the buildings sustainability. The Norman Foster type takes the form of one of his original buildings, the Willis Faber and Dumas Headquarters.