This was an assignment done for my Graphic Design II class this semester. The idea was to take an existing country, give it a new name, logo, tagline and flag to help change their image. Then to create an infographic around those elements. I my first instinct was to Japan since I lived there for 10 years and it is a place very close to my heart. I grew up in the countryside and wanted to show that there is more to Japan that just sushi, anime and giant robots. However, I also spent my sophomore and junior years of high school in Shanghai, China. Ultimately, I decided that China was in more dire need of a makeover because most people see it as a polluted, over-populated, communist nation. Which it is... but there is so much more to this country that makes it unique, beautiful and another country I love very much. I decided to focus on reminding viewers of the rich history and culture of a country that has been around for thousands of years. The tagline I chose is "Rediscover Kataya" which goes back to my goal of reminding people that China is so much more than what most people think of it as. The banner along the lefthand side is the tagline written in Chinese calligraphy. There are several colors that hold a lot of significance in Chinese culture (green, blue, red, yellow, white and black) so I decided to stick with that as a color palette. I really wanted to avoid too much red since it would definitely be reminiscent of the Communist Party, however, it is such a prominent color in Chinese culture I decided that I couldn't leave it out. I decided to design a lot of my elements with a calligraphic style because it has been considered an art form for centuries and is an aesthetic I particularly enjoy. I also found it to be a nice juxtaposition between the dirty, crowded, smoggy cities most people typically associate with this country. The flag is a calligraphic style drawing of a lotus flower, which is a traditional Chinese symbol for re-birth since it is such a beautiful flower but grows out of the mud. On the flag I have a blossoming flower to symbolize the fact that China is currently a successful country. I also added a bud about to bloom, which symbolizes a new chapter in their history about to begin. The logo I designed features a sun rising over the skyline of Shanghai, their largest, most modern city (also my home for 2yrs) with the symbol for double happiness in the center. The red ring around the outside it to differentiate it from Japan's rising sun, a long time rival. The green in front is a rice field. The whole logo is meant to represent the sun rising over a new era for China bringing prosperity for both technology and agriculture. The map towards the right side of the board is an outline of China with photos used to represent famous feature from the six main geographical regions. Again, to remind people that there is a huge variety of things to do an see in China.
