Si Maclennan introduces two self-initiated posters, examining the orbits of satellites around the earth and the microscopic environment of a single animal cell
Computer Arts: Tell us about the project ... Si Maclennan: I've been wanting to do something under a creative commons license for a while, and had the idea to create something useful, rather than just eye-catching.
The idea is that schools, universities and and even members of the public can download and print these posters – for educational or aesthetic purposes.
CA: How did put the project together? SM: I spent a while researching themes, and finally stumbled upon a series of horrifically bad scientific illustrations on Wikimedia Commons. I reinterpreted and combined these diagrams, and expanded on the information they provided to try and give a better understanding of the subject.
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The project is an exercise in improving the flow of information and clarity of subject matter. The posters are created and made available in vector, so the user can print them at any size they like. I originally wanted to include an indication of scale on the posters, but realised there was more value in allowing the posters to scale limitlessly. There is a lot of detail and I didn't want to restrict people to a certain size.
CA: How did you get into design? SM: My first job out of high school was as a production assistant in the film industry. I imagined I'd be involved in production and project management for a long time. I got good grades in art class at school, but always thought of it as a passion or a talent. Never a career.
When it was time to study, I signed up for a course in multimedia production and design and found myself in at the deep end. I adapted, using what skills I had. My parents are both very creative and tried to expose me to as many creative outlets as they could, but studying design was my very first introduction to the subject.
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