Jack Forrest's day by day poster undertaking places an emphasis on daring typography
“Posters are a perfect cross-section for all graphic design. For an application that contains only text and images, it has the potential for so much more, ”says Sydney-based designer Jack Forrest. "If you stick to the poster format, you create a level of consistency that frames different styles of imaging, typography, and layout without disturbing."
Forrest began his ongoing poster project on Instagram last March, when the impact of the pandemic on the world was only just beginning to be felt. “In Covid-19, I spent more and more time at home. At the same time, I was going into my senior year looking for ways to improve my portfolio and make a difference for myself when I went looking for my first full-time design gig, ”he explains. “Ultimately, I was just looking for a way to grow and improve as a designer. I wanted to try to do something (almost) every day and after a few months I kept my fingers crossed. These things would look better than they did at the beginning. "
All pictures: Jack Forrest
The designer switches between styles depending on the poster, but has a clear, simple approach that unites them. Forrest tends to focus on the typographic elements, which are then combined with found photography or one of Forrest's own illustrations. "I thought the best way to describe it was to line up big letters with pretty pictures," he says. "I try to make the posters colorful, appealing, and entertaining, taking into account the alignment and balance of the composition."
Forrest shares his posters on Instagram and he sees the other design work shared on the platform as both inspiration and a drive for improvement. "Instagram has a really strong and friendly design community which, along with the platform's enormous potential for notoriety, is the only real option," he explains why he posted the project there. "Instagram is used by a billion people around the world to get information and feedback from a much wider sample of society about what design is all about."
Finding the time to do something each day has been Forrest's biggest challenge throughout the project, so he knows how to design on the go. “It's about making the most of otherwise useless time, like the train ride to work or gaps in the day,” he says. “Otherwise, the main battle is to keep the work fresh and keep yourself from doing the same thing over and over again Repeat formula. Anyone can find a formula that works and then use the same template over and over, but then your audience will gradually lose interest as they know what to expect. "
Switching between photography, illustration and animation in his posters keeps things fresh for both the viewer and Forrest. “Ultimately, it's about exploring the different styles of work I enjoy and then (hopefully) pursuing the quality and interest – it's a personal project after all, if I didn't really enjoy this work I never would do be able to keep it up, ”he says.
Forrest first got into design by watching Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials on YouTube. “By watching and following these tutorials, I was slowly getting introduced to Adobe Creative Suite and the endless potential of creating anything,” he explains.
“After figuring out how to use the more basic features of these programs, I loved to spend time experimenting with the various niche tools and features to see what happened and if it looked funny or interesting. This led me to study a Bachelor of Design in visual communication at the University of Technology, Sydney, which I have just completed. "
Becoming part of the Instagram design community was Forrest's biggest highlight on this project and connecting with people all over the world. “I love that design is a universal language. Graphic design is something that anyone can (and does) have an opinion on, regardless of dialect, cultural background or profession, ”he says.
“And while most projects are designed for a specific audience or target market, the visual nature, and therefore divisibility, of the design means that it will never be exposed to that audience and audience alone. I really enjoy knowing that great design has the potential to make people all over the world happy, if only for a moment. "
cheersjack.com; @cheersjack