| Project | Poster design depicting monthly moon phases and symbolism. |
| Goals | Create concept art for a new product line of posters. Design should be visually interesting and have educational content. |
| Tools | Illustrator, Photoshop |
Design
I designed this poster to be 18 x 24 inches using a layout that looks like mandala art from far away, and educational details best appreciated up close.
The final poster design
Process
I researched moon symbolism and full moon calendar names, and brushed up on the movement of Luna around Earth. I sketched out all my ideas on paper before creating the final vector design.
Original sketches
Details
The outer rings are a circular calendar of traditional moon names throughout the year. The Celtic calendar doesn't align exactly with the beginning and end of months, so I offset it from the month names. Solstices and Equinoxes are also shown along the timeline.
The darker center ring of the chart shows the phases that the moon transitions through in one month. The subtle chevrons show the order they cycle through.
The very center of the diagram shows the earth and a top-down view of the sun hitting the moon: it demonstrates how each moon phase is lit, and how the moon's appearance changes due to its position around the earth.
I added a few more practical moon facts around the poster. The colors on the months represent the four seasons.
The bottom line-up of moon phases reflects moon cycle symbolism: New Moon is for planting seeds, and Full Moon is a time to blossom.
