Solidarity by Design
A year-long research project exploring poster designs from OSPAAAL, an international solidarity organization founded in 1960’s Cuba. The design history of these works is introduced and explained through a fully interactive web gallery. This site, along with a variety of print products, were presented at my graphic design senior thesis show.
Project type:
Web, Print, UI/UX
Tools:
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Readymag
Project preview image used for online promotion
THE APPROACH:
Cuban solidarity posters were a creative way of encouraging collective action between nations, especially those occupied by imperialist governments. Therefore, the visual language for this gallery needed to convey these core ideas of unity and resistance without overshadowing the artwork.
Part of the brainstorming process was abstracting said concepts to discover unexpected solutions. Resistance was visualized through stretched type pushed to the boundary of a page. Unity became small circles grouped together to assemble larger shapes, or used as connectors between words. White forms on a black background seemed to vibrate at the edges. The overarching feeling is that of the moment before decisive action is taken.
Gallery landing page
Assortment of screens from gallery site
Video preview of site
the website:
I constructed the gallery using Readymag, a platform I chose for its wide array of customization options and designer-friendly interface. Because this topic is so action-forward, I was unwilling to compromise on motion design. Using this resource made it much simpler to add complex animations while meeting tight deadlines.
Full color zine layout
Fold-out poster inside full color zine
Fold-out poster inside grayscale zine
Printer-friendly grayscale zine layout
The Printed Products:
By nature of the thesis show's layout, viewers were unlikely to stand by and go through the entire web experience during the event. I condensed the site's information into a zine and printed it in two colorways in order to provide an alternative experience for busy viewers. Other print freebies like stickers and postcards were made to attract visitors to my table and direct traffic to the gallery site.
Postcards with project name and content from gallery
Vertical postcard print
Horizontal postcard print
Postcard backing with relevant information
Sticker designs featuring site branding and works from the gallery
The signage:
The final touch to my thesis presentation was making signs to hang behind my table. Using a large format printer, I produced two additional printer-friendly posters and a banner to promote my project from a distance.
The show:
I presented my work to an audience of students, parents, alumni and professors at SUNY New Paltz in May of 2025. It was massively rewarding to see viewers taking an interest in this somewhat obscure subject as a result of my year's work. For more information about the research process from start to finish, you can find the project case study at the button below.
Presenting my project to passersby, featuring the gallery site, posters, and all printed works
A bird's-eye view of the takeaways on my table
