Harper's Index. (November, 2021). Retrieved from https://harpers.org/harpers-index/?issue_month=11&issue_year=2021

For this Just the Fact design, I wanted to challenge myself by incorporating animated "corporate memphis" style. I also wanted to include graphics that represented America both through shape/graphic elements and colour choice. This was most evident in using the American flag as a bar graph. This intial draft had some inconsistencies with margin, white space and writing that I later fixed up.  

Derived from:

Harper's Index. (November, 2021). Retrieved from https://harpers.org/harpers-index/?issue_month=11&issue_year=2021

After receiving feedback from Haram, I adjusted my design so that it was more polished. This included changing the direction of the arrow, and changing the year, so that it said "2022" instead of "Now". This would make the design more useful and relevant for a longer period of time as "Now" is constantly changing. I also ensured there was a better use of margin. I was unhappy with the background colour as I felt it was flat and boring. However, Haram suggested that blue would be a better colour than the pink I initially used. Overall, I am happy with how the design is coming along but I still want to incorporate 90s and (20)20s elements into the design. 

Derived from:

Harper's Index. (November, 2021). Retrieved from https://harpers.org/harpers-index/?issue_month=11&issue_year=2021

One of the changes Haram suggested was playing with the fonts. I decided to choose a font that was thicker and consequently easier to read. He also suggested that I changed the tone of the flag so that it better suited the colour scheme. To incorporate the 90s and (20)20s fashion into the design, I changed the avatars so that they reflected popular looks of the time. I tried to keep them cohesive but using similar colours and tones. 

The biggest change I made from the previous design was adding more elements in the background. I included the green grass and white picket fence as an allusion to the typical "American dream" home, as well as the use of weather to suggest that this fact is a disheartening change in society. Not only did I use sun and rain elements, but I also conveyed this through the flowers on the ground and the downcast expression on the 2022 avatars. 

Overall I am happy with how the design looks, but I am slightly concerned that the information is not being effectively conveyed through the graphics.