Travel and design are as core to everything I create as color. Color is the language, but design and travel almost always serve as the inspiration.
Like everyone, I think I take pretty great photos when traveling. At least, I enjoy them. I routinely revise them and recently I was Inspired by one of my favorite photos I took while visiting Oaxaca, Mexico.
I've had a love for maps and travel posters my whole life, so I wanted to create one from this photo, so that I could enliven my space with the colors and vibrancy of this memory. I made several versions where the photo was central to the design, but that didn't fit what I wanted, and for me it was a little too on the nose. So I worked in reverse. I created a simple design that was more in line with my vibe, and then pulled the colors from the photo to form a distilled color palette. I dropped my favorite colors in place, arranged them to my liking and felt that spark every designer knows when the piece clicks into place.
I didn't want to make it too obscure what the poster was about, so I added the basic information of name and location, and it felt complete.
The trip itself was incredibly meaningful and Oaxaca is a place I'm still drawn back to. Knowing where the colors originated from adds an extra layer, like an easter egg. It's not an interpretation of a place, it is that place, just distilled and presented in a way that colorfully lifts the room and offers a reminder of that time.
I've made a few more since, which I'll likely share and may even make available as well. I'm still figuring out what this series is, or what it could be, but I've really enjoyed creating it and I hope you enjoy it as well.
If you'd like to purchase this print, click here. Or, if you'd like to explore commissioning a poster based on your photo, please email me adrien@asapgif.com