All Asians are not Chinese
To design a typography-led campaign for a culture, community or a country which is misunderstood
Problem identified
There were over 80% of Asians in my class when I was studying MA Graphic design. As most of them looked similar, I had a misunderstanding that everyone is Chinese. My project is inspired by this misunderstanding.
Research
During my research, I came across a lot of memes on this issue. They did not have a positive message. I asked few of my classmates if they had come across such problems, and their feedback made me realize that they get really hurt and angry when people around them assume they are from the same community based on their looks.
What is a common factor among Asian people? Is it food, clothes or transport? None of these factors were strong enough for my subject. After much thinking, I asked myself, what is the first thing everyone observes in Asians and gets to a conclusion that they are Chinese?- EYES!
Typography
Taking this concept into typography, I created a typeface using negative and positive spaces. The alphabets can be seen by squinting your eyes
Design Solution
I created a poster as the first step towards this campaign. There is a sarcastic tone for the line I have used which makes an impact on my audience and has the power to evoke a conversation. The poster also includes a QR code, when scanned will open a web page where anyone can create posters with their own slogans.
Going Digital
After scanning the QR code on the poster, it will open a landing page where one can input their first name and slogan. Once clicked on the preview button, it will generate the poster which can be shared on social media to support this cause with a hashtag #OpenYourEyes.
Taking the concept further
To involve more people into this conversation, I made multiple posters, which can be displayed all around the city, including underground stations, bus stops and indoors too.
My entry, OpenYourEyes, has been honored in the Core77 Design Awards 2017 in the Visual Communication category. The jury chose my work out of hundreds of finalists for its outstanding execution, insight, creativity, and intent.
Read more about this on the Core77 Design Awards site:
http://designawards.core77.com/Visual-Communication/64227/OpenYourEyes