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Finding the Sunny Side: A poster series for Louise Sandhaus
Spring 2026  ·  Poster Design, Spatial Design




Context


While attending the Off Register Book Fair in Santa Barbara, CA, I had the opportunity to meet Louise Sandhaus. She was overwhelmingly generous, and a fantastic person to talk to. A few months later, Jayme Yen, a professor of mine, requested that I create a poster series for a talk she was set to deliver for our department.

Louise’s Website

Challenges

 
Throughout this project, Jayme pushed me to explore typography as conceptually and minimally as possible. It was also a large undertaking to use such a small amount of semantic information to communicate the complex theses of Louise’s talk: That design in California is governed by a uniquely volatile ‘landscape’ of upheaval and complication.

Solution


The final print deliverables include a modular set of three compositions that can be applied in varied and spatially unconventional ways. Each poster contains the same typographic lockup, physically distorted and scanned to communicate landscape-scale disruption through typography alone. The tabloid-size prints establish a unique visual identity among other printed posters by combining vibrant Risograph ink with the dull warmth of craft paper.

Deliverables


  • Set of three distinct posters (11x17, Risograph) for unique installation around campus
  • Digital flyer options for social media




Final Deliverables





^ A ‘cluster’ of tabloid-size posters placed in a collaborative graphic design workspace.




^ Digital flyer for social - Risograph colors are approximate, and tones were adjusted for digital vibrance


^ A composition on glass that works like this...


...And like this. ^




Research





^ Touchpoint sources for my initial research phase.



^ Mind-mapping to turn key concepts into feelings, visuals, and further references.




Collecting References




^ Here, the typography takes a back seat to the concept. The facade between poster and audience is broken.


^ This composition creates a very strong sense of space, and it’s buzzing with energy. Other Strelka posters can be found here.


^ This GIF is difficult to look away from. It also subverts the facade by using distortion.




Construction / Material


^ One of many paper studies, focusing on lighting and ‘faultlines’.


^ Compositional sketching, type selction, and creating the final lockup.


^ Finding final wrinkle composition. 46 wrinkled comps were produced before final selection.


^ Digital mockups of ‘clusters’ before print production.


Oh heavens! You’ve seen all there is to see. 


Here’s another cool project.



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Please don’t hesitate to send me an email at theomilnerhansen@gmail.com. We could talk about our favorite teas -- Mine’s earl grey. 

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