The brief was to create an 11×17 poster to increase visibility of the Senior Sniffer Sanctuary within the community. The posters were to be posted throughout the community and on the Sanctuary’s social media platforms. The target audience is people who own senior dogs. To be effective, it had to include all relevant information about the Sanctuary and at least one image from the customer-provided image bank that supported the Sanctuary’s message.
The design concept is intended to evoke a serene, nature-inspired retreat that symbolizes safety, compassion, and rejuvenation for senior dogs. It draws on the Sanctuary’s focus on providing a haven with specialized care, using earthy, inviting visuals to appeal to pet owners seeking a nurturing environment for their aging pets. The design aims to blend emotional warmth with practicality, encouraging engagement through play and connection.
I chose the dog image at the bottom as the unofficial logo of Senior Sniffer Sanctuary. The dog running with the ball at the top is intended to tie into the CTA of registering for a doggie play date. The design meets the audience’s requirements by depicting happy dogs. My initial design also included an image of a senior dog resting. My instructor felt that it was too busy. I reluctantly removed it and went with the bone graphic to frame the CTA instead.
The message emphasizes a compassionate environment and specialized care for aging dogs, addresses owners’ concerns about their “aging pup,” and portrays the Sanctuary as a supportive haven. The subhead “A Safe Haven for Senior Dogs” highlights protection and belonging, and is reinforced by the image of the happy, active dog. It promotes fun and socialization through the doggie playdate CTA, suggesting it fosters joy and activity for senior dogs.
I used the design elements of line, shape, space, texture, color, contrast, and typography. I cropped the grassy field at the top in a linear fashion. The shape of the bone provides a connection with dog treats. I ensured there was appropriate negative space to avoid a cluttered look. The image of the grass, as well as the dog’s fur at the bottom, both use texture. I chose the colors (green and brown) to both evoke a warm, earthy feel and provide contrast between the various items. I extracted both from the images: the green from the ball in the running dog’s mouth, and the brown from the dog’s ears at the bottom. I used two typefaces to provide hierarchy and aid in readability.
I combined both symmetry and asymmetry in the design. The top half of the poster is asymmetrical, with the head and subhead offset to the left, contrasted with the running dog offset to the right. The text question is left justified, while the text response is right justified. From there, I switched to mainly center justification for the CTA in the bone shape and for the dog at the bottom. The text frames containing the sanctuary information are balanced with each other to fill the vertical space between the CTA and the dog. The placement of these various elements balances the poster.
Contrast and emphasis are achieved through bold headings and standard-weight body text, as well as through different colors for the various text items.
The text frame placement provides movement, starting from the upper left corner, flowing down and to the right before reaching the CTA in the center. The eye should then move back to the left for the address, then jump to the right for the social media, and finally back to the center at the bottom with the dog.
All of the design elements are tied together to provide unity. Using colors from the images in the text provides a subtle connection for the reader.
