This post’s purpose is to share my work in photoshop. I had to create an advertisement to encourage a target audience to engage with the piece. Seeing as it is summer, I thought it would be fun to create a summer farmer’s market poster to encourage others to support local, and promote healthy, organic produce.
Content:
- Support local — The pandemic took a financial toll on local businesses and forced many to close down. As restrictions slowly begin to lift in Toronto, many people are looking for normalcy in their lives. Not only will the public be able to purchase unique goods, but they are also supporting Canada’s economy, which is essential during these times (The Leslieville Farmers’ market).
- Health/educational benefits — Although it is convenient to buy products from mass produce grocery stores, it takes away from the intimacy of meeting the vendors. The people who attend the market will obtain fresh, unadulterated products and learn about sustainable food production (The Leslieville Farmers’ market). As for grocery stores, it is not easy to be confident in the quality of the product.
- Building a community — During the pandemic’s peak, studies show that 81% of Canadians feel their mental health has worsened with concern and fear of social isolation (Shields). The lack thereof human connection and distancing has burdened many families and friends as it is a basic necessity for social interaction. Attending and immersing oneself in rich, vibrant culture and community is a segue into meeting and connecting with new people, whether a local producer or a neighbor.
Target:
- Age — The market itself accommodates everyone though it generally attracts an older age bracket. Specifically, individuals in their mid-thirties to their late forties are the target demographic, including families. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and promoting proper eating habits to our children is essential as a parent. By attending the market, the whole family can learn about food sustainability, and children are engaged in an active environment with the freedom to meet other kids their age.
- Greater Toronto Area —The farmer’s market is in Leslieville, a 15-minute drive east of the downtown Toronto core or 40 minutes on public transit. The short distance can interest people living in Toronto; however, the market would attract those living in Leslieville. It would be for individuals who may not have many grocery store options that offer fresh, organic produce.
- Income / Lifestyle — Farmer’s markets are typically more expensive than supermarket prices though they consider lower-income consumers (Salisbury et al.). Therefore, the poster is for families or individuals in the mid to higher-range income bracket—people who have the means to spend more for higher quality products and find value in organic goods.
Design: Bauhaus Design Principles: (Iakovlev)
- Colour — Primary colours are the focal point in the design with accents of secondary colours. The mixture of colours conveys an energetic and festive experience on the page. Though they are still objects, the intentions were to make it feel like there was a movement with the pops of bright colour. The Leslieville website projected a playful and childlike style; thus, the design intended to communicate and mirror this tone.
- Minimalistic — The use of geometrical shapes was to project a minimal and simplistic layout. Instead of overwhelming the reader with images of products, the shapes signify the market’s liveliness while also being interpreted as goods. For example, the orange semi-circles on the poster can are orange slices. The farmer’s market does not solely contain food as various vendors sell other goods.
- Typography — In terms of typography, the bolded, playful typeface signifies that the market is family-friendly or welcome to all. It is not strict or conforms to formal guidelines other than health and safety protection. Instead of the traditional way of reading, the text moves the eyes in different directions. The purpose of this was to emphasize excitement on the poster and hopefully with the viewer
Process:
As someone who has not experienced the different activities in Toronto, I was interested in discovering more about what the city offers. Growing up, I remember going to farmer’s markets with my father. I cherished those moments, and they inspired me to check if Toronto opened any local markets this summer. To my surprise, there were many markets in the area. Still, I decided to choose Leslieville Farmer’s Market as it had positive reviews.
I found the Bauhaus structure visually appealing when deciding on my design layout. I felt it would appeal to my audience. To start, I searched for examples of posters that helped me develop a standard baseline of how I wanted to showcase my work. I experimented with different typography and lines similar to some of the reference images. I searched for a font that provided a similar template as the Bauhaus style. I configured the text on the page to make it look abstract. Afterward, I decided to include one food graphic. I chose a jar of honey which I retrieved from the creative commons website, which I dragged and dropped into photoshop. Then I added the graphic to my layers and removed the background so that only the honey was visible.
Next, I used the type tool to include essential words such as organic, fresh, and local. As well as information such as the market’s location, the date it is open, and my call to action. To fill in the remaining white space, I created different shapes with the marquee tool. I used the blending mode tool with my figures, text, and graphics to add dimension to my poster.
While creating the poster, I labeled each layer and grouped them into folders. Finally, I moved the placement of my images until I reached a suitable outcome. Although there is not much information on the poster, it provides enough sufficient details in hopes it will attract viewers to attend the market.
MLA Citations & URL Links
Iakovlev, Yarosla V. “Best Online Color Tools for Graphic Designers.” Zeka Design, 29 Mar. 2021, https://www.zekagraphic.com/what-is-bauhaus-design-history/.
“The Leslieville Farmers’ Market.” The LFM, https://www.leslievillemarket.com/.
Shields, Roslyn. “Mental Health in Canada: Covid-19 and Beyond.” CAMH, July 2020, https://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/pdfs—public-policy-submissions/covid-and-mh-policy-paper-pdf.
Salisbury, Karli, et al. “Is Local Produce Really More Expensive? A Comparison of Direct Market and Conventional Grocery Produce Pricing.” Journal of Food Distribution Research, vol. 49, no. 1, 2018, pp. 13–21., https://doi.org/https://www.fdrsinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ JFDR_49.1_4_Curtis.pdf.
“Jar of honey and wooden spoon / Löffel mit Honig” by wuestenigel is licensed under CC BY 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/32778883543
“* Paper Texture 1 *” by pareeerica is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. https://www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/2683238976
