showcase

The work of august radcliffe

August Radcliffe is a designer, artist, and communicator at Cleveland State University. They love doing creative work as a form of expression. Their outlook on design is heavily influenced by their life-long love of art, as well as their belief that all design is fundamentally about communication. Their view is that “good design is about relaying information by whatever means necessary. My goal as a designer should then be to become familiar with the principles of art and composition, as well as the ins and outs of human communication.” They are experienced in type-based design and illustration.

Museum icons

I created icons for a natural history museum leading towards the dinosaur exhibit, the ice age display, the avian hall, the bug hall, the geology exhibit, and the planetarium. I went for an angular, high-contrast look to create something that draws the eye and is immediately understandable. In this project I learned to create icons that provide visual interest while still being legible to the viewer.  I also learned to create an icon set where each icon is unique, but still connected to the others to create a matching set. These icons could be used in a map, navigation app, or directional signage. Ultimately, they are meant to both direct the viewer and pique their interest.

Saul bass infographic

Being fascinated with the work of designer Saul Bass, I created an infographic about his life and career which evokes his signature style. I emulated his use of bold color and  simple yet dynamic illustration. While working on this I learned to combine illustration and type work, as well as how to maximize impact while minimizing extraneous noise in the design. This infographic could be used to familiarize the reader with Saul Bass’ work and signature style.

American Sign language poster

Having noticed a lack of accessibility at my cashier job, I created a “cheat-sheet” for basic American Sign Language in customer service. After consulting the internet and my former ASL teacher, I created illustrations and brief written descriptions of phrases I used the most at work. In the process of making this, I learned how to condense a large amount of information, as well as how to combine information design, copywriting, and illustration. This flyer can be kept on hand at virtually any customer service job, providing a low-effort resource for workers and making shopping more accessible.