Final major project: London Science Museum Quirkology Exhibition

The brief was from the London Science museum who were putting on a Quirkology exhibition. They needed an identity and several promotional items designed. I designed a series of posters, an item for sale in the gift shop, signage for inside and outside the museum, an exhibition ticket, and a 20-page programme.

Quirkology is defined as a peculiarity of character, mannerism or foible. The subject itself is inspirational. One of the quotes I found during the research stage was: ‘Sometimes I pretend to be normal but it gets boring so I go back to being me.’ Quirkiness is about being different and unique and I needed the tone of voice to communicate this. The logo helps to do this, setting the theme for all the other media to follow. The overall style is very strong and visually stimulating, something that the audience will relate to, and find interesting and appealing, encouraging them to understand what quirkiness is.

During the development stage I researched designers and artists that could offer insight and inspiration for my working process. I learned that a good designer never stops learning and a design needs to fulfill a purpose or there is no point to it. This is something I kept it mind as I progressed through the development. I kept each of the medias unique in their own right, but still connected them to the other designs with a quirky tone of voice. One of the designers, Jonathon Barnbrook, gave very influential advice. He believes that the creative process should be hard because it pushes one to try even harder. If it comes easily, then it means you are not pushing yourself to your full creative potential. When it comes to design it is okay to struggle and to take a step back and ask for feedback from peers. This is something I utilized throughout the brief but ultimately I made my own decisions. 

The visual communication of the outcomes are very strong and effective. The knowledge I have learned will impact my future as a designer and my learning throughout the degree course has given me the skills and confidence to build up a career in graphic design for myself.

A big part of the research stage was learning about the audience – the moodboard above shows who they are. It was important to understanding what they needed to see from the designs in order for the message of quirkiness to be effectively communicated.

 The above images show work in progresses for the theme of the media.

These are some of the final outcomes for the brief. The designs clearly show a quirky tone of voice, and the dynamic style makes them stand out and entices the viewership to take interest in the exhibition.