Author Archives: Claire Blackwell

The Groove We Live In

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For my Project 3 conceptual magazine, I chose the article OLDTECH by Nick Bilton. I was really drawn to the idea that older technologies like vinyl records, Polaroid cameras, and cassette tapes aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving because of how people still connect emotionally and physically to them. I wanted my illustration to reflect that in a way that felt warm, immersive, and metaphorical. I created a top view living room scene filled with analog tech, showing two people relaxing and engaging with retro formats. Instead of placing the image on a standard magazine page, I framed the entire scene within a rounded, analog-inspired layout that feels like you’re looking into the past through an obsolete interface.

I built the illustration in Illustrator and then used Photoshop to add texture and depth. I layered a soft retro grain over the entire piece, added subtle drop shadows, and applied sprinkled gradients and radial shading to create a warmer, more tactile look, especially around the rug and table. These effects helped the illustration feel more like a printed object rather than something flat or overly digital. I also made sure to include specific visual elements from the story, like vinyl records, a cassette tape, and a vintage camera, which are placed intentionally throughout the space to draw the viewer in.

For the typography, I used a bold retro serif for the headline “The Groove We Live In” and paired it with a softer italic style for the deck and byline. I wanted the typography to support the illustration while still maintaining a clean editorial structure. One of the biggest challenges was making sure the concept felt thoughtful without being too literal. I didn’t want it to just be a room with old objects in it. I wanted it to suggest that these objects still hold meaning and are very much part of the present.

Overall, I’m proud of how this project turned out. I focused not just on aesthetics but on how illustration can carry an idea forward and enhance the message of a story. This was the first time I felt like I was able to combine narrative, design, and visual storytelling in a complete and cohesive way.

Animation Project

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This animation for EyeLeaf Publishing logo was created in After Effects, which was a learning experience in itself. I started by using fade-in effects and scaling to gradually reveal the logo, but what really shaped the tone was the dramatic soundtrack, “Reveal” by Francesco D’Andrea. The cinematic and tense quality of the music gave the animation a surprisingly serious mood, which contrasted interestingly with the organic visuals of the brand. I also incorporated a typewriter sound to emphasize the publishing concept, timing it with the appearance of the company name. Learning how to time audio and visuals precisely in After Effects, especially syncing sound effects to movement, was one of the most challenging but rewarding parts of the process.

In the Spirit of Seymour Chwast for Little 500

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For this poster, I drew inspiration from Seymour Chwast’s signature blend of satire, bold color, and playful visual metaphors. Chwast’s work often turns everyday objects into quirky characters or symbolic icons, and I wanted to bring that same energy to the Little 500.

At the heart of the poster is a bicycle made of cherries, an over easy egg, and a rain cloud. This gives a whimsical nod to Chwast’s love for blending illustration and concept. This unexpected bike functions as both a visual pun and an anchor for the overall composition. The winding green track beneath it adds motion and direction, guiding the eye through the design while echoing Chwast’s use of bold, simple forms to convey depth and story.

I used flat colors from a retro palette containing a mustard yellow, cherry red, olive green, sky blue, and cream peach to reflect Chwast’s printmaking aesthetic, and paired them with checkered patterns in the title to add texture and dimension. The playful gendered stick figures with quirky rear faces are a subtle nod to Chwast’s satirical tone, hinting at the tradition of the race while poking fun at iconography we take for granted. The typography was carefully planned with the title at the top, event dates prominently in the middle, and URL tucked at the bottom, ensuring everything feels cohesive yet spontaneous, just like Chwast’s designs, which are structured but never rigid.

Overall, this poster captures the spirit of Seymour Chwast by combining unexpected visual storytelling with humor, color, and a hand drawn sensibility. It’s fun, strange, and invites the viewer to look closer just the way Chwast would want it.

Seymour Chwast Design

Seymour Chwast is an influential American graphic designer and illustrator well recognized for his humorous and fun style. He co-founded Push Pin Studios in the 1950s, challenging the mainstream modernist design style with more artistic and unconventional approaches. His work includes posters, publications, books, and political art, and it frequently incorporates comedy, hand-drawn illustrations, and typographic experimentation.