Art explorers
Client
The LAB Gallery, DCC Council
Year
2020 (Concept only)
Scope of work
Visual Identity, Editorial Design, Brand Guidelines, Illustration
I worked within a team to create a design solution for the LAB Gallery. The aim was to create an accompaniment that would extend the discourse around a Barbra Knezevic exhibition which was to take place in Cabra Library.
This exhibition was aimed at children aged between six and ten. It was undertaken as part of the Children’s Art in Libraries scheme to provide access to contemporary art in local communities. The design focused on promoting the exhibition and encouraging a discourse around the exhibition itself within the target user group: the children of Cabra. Although plans were in place to create the game, the cancellation of the exhibition due to Covid-19 prevented the end result being brought to fruition.
The principles that underpin this project are:
Make contemporary art accessible to the public and children.
Extend the discourse around the show beyond the exhibition for the children and communities of the Cabra library
Promote Barbra Knezevic and her work.
Enhance children’s understanding of art through touch and physical engagement.
Embody the guiding principles of both the LAB gallery and DCC libraries.
The Card Game
The game engages children physically with the concepts embodied by the exhibition and encourages group learning to foster discourse around the show’s topics.
Naming the Game
Transforms navigating the library into an exploration. Art Explorers captures the essence of learning that is happening when the game is being played; a very open-ended exploration into artistic thoughts and ideas within the library space.
Packaging design
The children’s area of Cabra Library is full of visual stimuli that Art Explorers had to contend with. The box
is made up of a dark blue lid, with an exciting pattern underneath which can be revealed by pulling the top of the box off and opening the game. The idea of revealing what’s within references the theme of the exhibition, hinting
at the amethyst within the geode. The rules are published
on the inside of the box to prevent accidental loss.
Additionally posters were designed for inside the library to direct visitors so the game and familiarise them with the look of the game.
card design
Following best practice guidelines for designing for children, I focused on emphasising the importance of legibility, scale and visual stimulus as critical factors in getting (and keeping) users engaged. I designed the rear of the cards (top row) to be easily discernible in groups through the use of colour and clear labelling of the theme. For the cards’ face (bottom row), I used a hand-drawn version of Sofia for the headings and Sassoon Primary, a child-friendly typeface, for the body text. I aimed for warmth and playfulness with the illustration style. The team emphasised the need for an “imperfect” style, focusing on a clear policy of not colouring precisely between the lines to encourage drawing of different levels by participants.
