Women’s History Month
Type
Promotional Design/Poster
Software
Adobe Illustrator
This poster celebrates the City College of San Francisco Women’s Resource Center’s theme for Women’s History Month, “Solidarity & Survival,” through the concept of a quilt—a historic medium of storytelling, creativity, and resilience among women. Each patch features icons symbolizing themes from the brief: a leaf, globe, and flower for ecological concerns; a fist for empowerment; a megaphone for activism; a book for knowledge; and scales for justice. Inspired by Women’s History Month colors, I chose a purple and green palette to convey unity and strength. The quilt is positioned at the top of the layout to balance its visual impact with space for event details below.
Sketches
I began by researching protest art and imagery representing feminism and Women’s History Month. From there, I explored ways to combine the key ideas from the design brief into cohesive designs, focusing on symbols and visuals that could effectively communicate the themes of solidarity and survival.
Iterations
I faced challenges with color and contrast throughout the iterative process, especially considering the differences between on-screen and printed colors. After lots of experimentation, I decided to change the entire color palette, drawing inspiration from Women’s History Month colors. This shift better aligned the design with the brief’s themes and overall message. I also fine-tuned the typography and added a QR code to provide easy access to more information.
Final
Through this poster design, I gained a deeper understanding of how quilts have served as a powerful medium for storytelling and community building among women. I also explored tools in Illustrator that I don’t often use, enhancing my technical skills. While this was one of the more challenging projects I’ve worked on, the critiques and feedback I received played a key role in helping me refine my ideas and successfully bring the final design together.
