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PROJECT 1 CONCEPT DEVELOPEMENT

Together, We Rise
By Akansha Gupta

Social Justice and Design: Typography Project

Spring 2017

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Together We Rise
This project is a typographic interpretation of the
line “Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I
rise” from Maya Angelou’s poem “ I Rise”.

This is an interactive installation where, initially,

all but one of the small pyramids are closed. The
front of each pyramid has the words ‘Fear’ and
‘Terror’ printed in small point but bold font style.
The only open pyramid shows a part of the word
‘Rise’ printed on white. This invites the interactor
to open the other pyramids. As interactor opens the
pyramids into flat squares, the phrase ‘Together We
Rise’ forms from the combination of the prints on
the inside of each pyramid.

In this interaction and its form, the piece conveys

the message of the poem both literally and meta-
phorically.

Brief

Choose three words from the poem ‘I Rise’ and create a

graphical representation for each of the words

Constraints

Use only type: Helvetica or Futura

Use the square form
Use only Black and White color
Use only paper

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Ideation and rapid sketching on paper

To start, I chose the words ‘Hope’, ‘Dream’, ‘Slave’, ‘Rise’, as I thought those captured the essence of the poem. I sketched all the ideas that I had first on paper.

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Detailing concepts in Illustrator

Then I digitized the best ones in Illustrator. I also kept adding more concepts as I was having ideas while working in Illustrator.

A sign of hope Hope overpowering the dark Hope cannot be confined Hoping

Silver lining Hope rising Hope rising

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Confinement that deforms Broken Confinement and suffocation Oppressed

Enclosed on the other side Confined and ignored Sidelined as ‘lower’ Confinement

Diminished and confined Broken Just another ‘slave’

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Breaking off and rising up Breaking off and rising up Rising and Expanding

Rising slowly Risen Rising form the dark

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Hope, Dream, Rise

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

As ‘Dream’, ‘Hope’, and ‘Rise’ move closer to

the ‘slave’, the ‘slave’ breaks out of it’s bounds

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

The Slave who is thought to be confined in the

darkness had big dreams and hopes.

Sample

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

The slave dreams and hopes and then rises from

the darkness more stronger than ever

Sample

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Dreams and hopes allow the slave to break

free and rise

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Changing the words

From the class feedback I realized that I was using a lot of visual juxtaposition between black and white, so I decide to change the words and choose a line which
had that juxtaposition in it’s meaning. I chose ‘Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I Rise’.

The words ‘Terror’ and ‘Fear’ are bold and black

and they are falling behind with all their heavi-
ness. In contrast, the words ‘ i rise’ are light and
rise up from below.

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Rising above terror and fear I rise breaking off from the Rising from the depths of I rise above terror and fear
which are now not recognizable chains of terror and fear terror and fear

Interactive piece: Rising

from the depths of ter-
ror and fear

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

Exploring the use of origami

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PROJECT 1 Together We Rise

The final interactive piece

This final piece was inspired from the origami piece on page 14. I
used a 29 inch square foam board as the base and stuck 25 pyra-
mids in a 5 by 5 matrix. Each pyramid was created from a 5 inch by
5 inch square on which the text and black background was print-
ed. I used card stock paper because it was stiff enough to hold its
shape and the black print of ‘Fear’ and ‘Terror’ left a grunge-style
texture which matched the message I was trying to convey.

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