This Illustrator project is a flyer for a dating site marketed toward a niche segment. The target audience is single individuals in the science community who are searching for companions that share similar interests. The intention is to create a platform where people are not distracted or intimidated by an oversaturation of vanity but where they can express their sexiness through ideas and their intelligence. Initially, this should appeal to college-age students in S.T.E.M. fields who do not have a lot of experience in face-to-face interactions and prefer to break the ice using social media.
The photo's use of the mean equation appeals to the S.T.E.M. segment because it is used throughout many scientific fields. To further the appeal to my intended audience I used a dry joke pertaining to the mean of a data set and the standard deviation to humor and complement my audience's scientific knowledge. The character in the picture was picked because they appear to have an aha moment as they contemplate the value of being average; moreover, to be average, you must know what average is, and that is what makes you special.
The image I used was a normal picture with no effects but shot with great lighting! In Illustrator, I used the image trace feature and picked the low fidelity option because it softened the presence of the character in the photo. Low fidelity also gave the image an animated feel more appropriate for the intended market. I used the brush feature to soften other parts of the photo that did not transition as well as other parts of the photo during low fidelity conversion. I used an eraser feature for the thought bubble using my apple pencil. For the math formula, I chose to use natural handwriting opposed to text because it was more effective in sending a message that the character has worked with these formulas as the targeted audience has. Next, I uploaded the image to canvas. The font is Playlist Script, a very smooth and appealing form of cursive writing. I selected this font because it is eloquent and inviting. Finishing up, I placed a lightly shaded red heart with an arrow piercing its center to send a subliminal message to my audience that their love desires can be found at www.nerdcupid.com.
This project revealed to me that I am awkward in nature, and that is okay, with specific interests and tastes that are not mainstream. When I created the image, I thought about what would be appealing to me and other people who I believe to be similar to me. That isn't something I have put much thought into in the past, so this project revealed some quirky characteristics about myself that I now appreciate. I've also learned that I tend to think about things on very complicated levels and when I try to communicate my ideas they are intricate webs of confusion to the listener and this causes me issues when communicating them. This project introduced me to the concept of keeping it simple. Keeping it simple was a pleasant experience.
I would like to learn how to say the most by saying the least. Also, I would like to continue improving simple concepts that are appealing to a vast audience. I usually avoid right-brain expressions outside of writing, but I believe simplicity can draw me into more creative projects. There are many features in Illustrator that I would like to continue learning, and I believe improving in that area will improve my creative expression as well.
