WORKSHOP
Protest
At the beginning of the semester, I took part in a workshop on protest posters with my classmates. We explored different ways to combine typography, composition, and materials—both digitally and by hand—to express political messages through design. The focus was on experimentation and developing our own visual language.
DESIGN PHASE
Concept Development & Workshop Reflection
At the beginning of the design phase, we received an introduction from Susanne about how exhibitions can be implemented. Together, we reflected on the identity of the design department at our university and collected our first poster ideas collaboratively using a Miro board. This became an ongoing feedback space throughout the semester.
In the following week, Lotti led a workshop based on the ping-pong principle: we exchanged poster concepts with our classmates to gain new perspectives and rework the designs in an iterative, back-and-forth process. This playful format helped me shift my approach and led to the development of two distinct concepts using similar visual elements.
CONCEPT
Concept 1: Garden of Inspiration
This concept uses the metaphor of growth to explore the role of design in society. A seed becomes a tree, and the tree benefits the ecosystem—just as a single idea (pixel) evolves into a complete design, impacting society through mutual interaction. In this context, FHP design students are seen as key contributors to a flourishing environment—like a garden.
The central visual motif is an exclamation mark-shaped shovel from which the seed of an idea grows. I used the eyedropper tool to “collect” seeds from garden photographs and digitally scatter them across the design, emphasizing the transfer from nature to screen, from inspiration to creation.
Concept 2: Design Isn’t Free
This concept addresses the invisible labor behind every design process. I wanted to highlight the emotional and mental work that goes into creative production—frustration, repetition, indecision, obsession—by visualizing it in the form of an itemized bill.
The poster takes the shape of a receipt, charging for each phase of the design journey. By presenting these hidden efforts as tangible costs, the design communicates clearly that creative work is never “free.” It’s a call for recognition and respect toward design as a labor-intensive, value-creating process.
PROCESS
Final Concept: Design Is Not Free
Design is not free highlights the invisible labor behind creative work. The poster visualizes emotional and mental processes like frustration, repetition, overthinking, and exhaustion through the format of a receipt. It emphasizes that design is a result of effort, not something that comes for free.
Graphic Elements
The layout mimics a printed bill, with visual noise such as pixelation, distortion, and layering. These elements represent the messy and chaotic nature of the design process, including its imperfections and failures.
Font/Typography
The typeface pdW Mono (from fontlibrary.org) is used to reflect a digital, ASCII-inspired style. The glitchy and pixel-based look refers to the coded, screen-based nature of modern design work.
POSTER
ANIMATION
The animation is also an extension of the Instagram post effect. The rolled-up receipt unfolds, revealing a piece of paper with exhibition information that moves down from the top.
ORIENTATION SYSTEM
EXTRAS
EXHIBITION
REFLECTION
This course gave me the chance to explore new design approaches and step outside of my usual style. Developing the concept “Design is not free” helped me reflect on the invisible labor behind creative work and translate that into a clear visual message.
The workshops and feedback sessions taught me to trust the process and stay open to experimentation. I also enjoyed expanding the visual identity beyond the poster, considering the full scope of the exhibition.
Spending a semester in Germany felt like a dream. It was incredibly inspiring to see the experimental approaches of other students—many of which I wouldn’t have imagined myself. It was a valuable time that gave me new motivation and insight for my journey as a designer.
Big thanks to Susanne and Lotti for their valuable input, support, and motivation throughout the course!
