In are last project of the semester we had to create an animation for the publishing logo we created in the beginning of the class. this project was definitely changing for me, this was my second time ever using adobe after effects. It was challenging to understand all the mechanics and what dose what with the platform, I tried my hares doing nothing fun but making sure I could actually do what I wanted to. I wanted the shoe to looking like its “walking or hopping” on screen and adding the foot step audio cuddly in the background helps. as for the affect with the word Publishing I just messed around with all the affect available and came up with this almost push domino affect you see. overall I will say this was the most challenge project I’ve done yet but for this being my second time doing nothing like this Im happy with the turn out of it and although it was a bit of a struggle I had fun with it!

Creating the animation for my “Love More Publishing” logo proved to be one of the most challenging but fulfilling creative experiences I’ve encountered this semester. Right from the beginning, I had a vivid idea: I aimed to design a brief animation where a butterfly flies into the screen and lands on a flower, leading to a fade to black that showcases my logo text. What appeared to be a straightforward concept, was harder than I thought. One of my primary challenges was making the butterfly’s wings flap in a way that appeared natural. Initially, I attempted to use rotation keyframes on layers imported from Illustrator; however, regardless of how I adjusted the anchor points or expressions, the wings continued to spin awkwardly rather than flap smoothly. I decided to abandon the original wings and recreate them directly within After Effects using solids and simple shapes. This decision allowed me to take control over the animation, and it finally began to resemble my vision. It taught me that at times, the best solution is to start anew with a simpler method.

Timing presented another obstacle. I had to coordinate multiple keyframes for position, scale, opacity, and audio to ensure everything transitioned fluidly over 10 seconds. The landing bounce, fade to black, and text reveal all needed to feel cohesive. I also faced difficulties with audio initially, uncertain about where to find royalty-free music and how to integrate it into After Effects, but once I found the YouTube Audio Library, that finishing touch truly helped tie the piece together.

In spite of the challenges, I’m proud of the progress I made independently from creating layers and utilizing expressions to resolving export settings. I realized how much consideration and technical precision go into what may look like a simple motion. I take pride in the warmth and character I infused into this animation, and I believe it effectively reflects the brand’s essence. In summary, this project illustrated that animation can be challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. I now have a better grasp of how to break down a vision into manageable steps, and I’ve recognized my growth not only as a designer but also as a creative problem-solver.

When I designed my conceptual illustration, my intentions were for the design to embody the deep betrayal that maquiladora workers, particularly women, faced under NAFTA. The narrative extended beyond factories; it showed the illusion of opportunity and the harsh reality of exploitation. I decided upon industrial colors to illustrate erasing workers’ identities, leaving only the bland production machinery. The viewpoint of women employed in these factories was nameless; they were recruited for their ease of control, closely monitored, and ultimately discarded when they became a burden. I aimed for my design to produce a similar feeling of being destroyed by a system that valued them for their labor, not as human beings. I examined actual photographs from maquiladoras to provide a visual foundation for the story. Observing pictures of tightly packed sewing stations, where workers cramped beneath bright lighting, influenced my perception of the physical environment I aimed to show. The infinite lines of machines and individuals highlighted that these factories were not hubs of opportunity; they represented an empire of endless labor. This understanding impacted the repetition and structure of my final work.

I examined authentic photographs taken within maquiladoras, but the design evolved once I began to sketch. I was determined not to show violence. The genuine heartbreak portrayed was in how the exploitation became almost routine. During my initial sketches, I explored the concept of workers blending into the machines, gradually losing their human characteristics. These sketches influenced how I constructed the final layout, duplicating the human figures with the mechanical structures until they nearly vanished.

As I moved further into the design, I understood the importance of illustrating the emotional and social repercussions and highlighting the physical effects endured by workers. Incorporating health statistics anchored the project even more effectively. Charts depicting the elevated rates of respiratory ailments, gastrointestinal issues, and injuries among maquiladora employees made it clear that the damage was not a hypothetical but a real-life tragedy. The comparative graph illustrating the differences between maquiladora workers and other demographics, such as housewives and those employed outside maquiladoras, emphasized how significantly worse the conditions were within these factories. I strategically placed this evidence toward the conclusion of the design, as it served as a compelling final argument against the notion that NAFTA generated genuine opportunity.

This was a part of my ASF side-spread. I wanted to include real-life data showing the detrimental effects the maquiladora factories caused workers. This graph shows health data maquiladora workers faced major health risks, including respiratory illnesses, injuries, and long-term health problems.

This graph illustrates a comparison of health issues across work groups. Compared to housewives and non-maquiladora workers, maquiladora employees report significantly higher rates of musculoskeletal symptoms, difficulty breathing, and other health issues. These disparities highlight the physical toll of factory work under poor conditions.

Reflecting on the final piece, I believe it encapsulates the complex betrayal central to the maquiladora system. It went beyond merely broken promises; it included lives taken, health compromised, and identities destroyed for profit. Through my choices regarding color, structure, and the elements I decided to include (and exclude), I aimed for the design to prompt viewers to face the human toll frequently obscured by trade agreements that typically present only one perspective.

This is the final design that I decided to go with for my poster. My inspiration was Theophile Alexandre Steinlen. He was a French painter who had a very unique painting style. I used my typography to reflect his writing style by tracing his handwritten letters and forming them into the words I wanted them to say. I also attempted to create drawings with brush strokes that were reflective of the ones in his paintings. Below are the paintings that I used for reference.