DAVID ADJAYE POSTERS

PROJECT

This project challenged me to design a 30×40” informational poster about an architect using only 100% black type and a single type family—no images, colour, or decorative elements. The poster was purely functional and informational, relying entirely on typography to communicate content.

The focus was on using fine typographic control to establish hierarchy, organize complex information, and create visual interest through scale, weight, spacing, alignment, and structure. It was an exercise in designing through constraint and demonstrating how clarity and impact can be achieved through type alone.

RATIONALE

My typographic poster translates David Adjaye’s architectural philosophy into type. Through bold scale, sharp angles, and controlled hierarchy, the composition creates a sense of structure, depth, and monumentality—echoing the spatial presence of his buildings. The large, dominant “DAVID ADJAYE” asserts his influence, while the layered and angled text introduces movement and dimensionality, transforming typography into a metaphor for architecture.

Rather than simply presenting information, the poster constructs space through type—mirroring Adjaye’s balance of modernity, cultural depth, and experiential design.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Develop advanced typographic hierarchy using a single type family.
Communicate complex information clearly without imagery or colour.
Use scale, weight, spacing, and alignment as primary design tools.
Design within strict constraints to strengthen precision and intentionality.
Translate conceptual themes (space, structure, monumentality) into typographic form.
Refine sensitivity to composition, rhythm, and visual balance at a large scale (30×40”).