This is the continuation of the series of designs based on the alphabet from our Creative team. Each post will include their designs and a peek into their process. Cheers!
When approaching a new creative project, I always try to come at it from a different perspective. In coming up with an idea for L, I knew I didn’t want the letter to be the prominent component of the visual. Since the letter would be featured in February, I didn’t want to fall into the anticipated visual tropes of hearts, love, Valentine’s Day etc. Well, not in the traditional sense.
Finding Unconventional Inspiration
I love libraries and I love bookstores. When I thought about the letter L and love, what I envisioned the design to look like came to me instantly. Forget sketching or experimenting, I dove head first into building the overall scene.
The designed scene needed to showcase words that start with the letter L, but without it being forced and blatantly obvious. Words like library, literature, and lounging, could all be found in the photo if you take a closer look. I thought it would be a fun visual game for the readers to start seeing those words and seeing how many they could come up with. I lost count after 15 words could be attributed to the scene.
Integrating My Design Aesthetic
I have a certain design style when it comes to illustrations, and you will notice those elements carried over to this design, but if I had to narrow down a specific creative influence for this look, I would point to the “from above shots” used in Wes Anderson films. I have always loved how he frames his shots symmetrically and flat.
It was fun doing this exercise and hopefully whoever sees this has fun contributing words to the visual. How many Ls and L words can you find? Let us know what you find in the comments!
–Peter Carrion, Senior Graphic Designer/ Photographer
