Description

About the work
“I originally conceived this poster for a national nonprofit client focused on racial justice. I consulted with the client and researched various aspects of the history of racial justice in the US under their guidance. With this design – ultimately not chosen by the client – I decided to capture the spirit of handmade protest posters, peace rally banners, murals, and other iconography from the Civil Rights movement. I came across the phrase, “No Justice, No Peace” which resonated with the mission of the organization, but we were a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and I wanted to capture a broader feeling of hope and accessibility. I decided to turn “No” into “Know” to give the piece an optimistic spin and speak to the educational aspects of the organization. To underscore the concept, I chose widely symbolic imagery of human hands releasing a soaring dove. After exploring a few stylistic treatments, I decided to bring the concept to life with a simplistic, hand-drawn, graphic illustration style inspired by screen-printing and American folk art, paired with a minimalist color palette derived from the pan-African flag. I drew the graphics by hand on an iPad in Adobe Fresco and set up the final layout in Illustrator.”

About the Designer
Emily Foran is a freelance multidisciplinary designer whose work has spanned art direction, branding, digital and print design, marketing campaigns, and production. She has 20 years of professional experience collaborating with clients and project partners whose values align with her own. Her approach focuses on creative concepting, visual storytelling, and the end-user experience. Her background includes designing over 100 public service campaigns for government clients including the CDC, FDA, and Office for Civil Rights. She works from a little house in the big woods in Maine where she resides with her husband and daughter.