Graphic Design I · Information Design · Fall 2025
The Koi Project translates centuries of mythology, biology, and symbolism into a single poster.
The Koi Project is an information design poster created for my Graphic Design I course, where the brief asked us to research and visually map the fullest range of meanings tied to a single subject, exploring how context, culture, and personal experience shape what something represents. I chose the koi fish, a subject spanning centuries of Japanese mythology, biological history, and modern economic significance, and gathered textual and visual research from each of those angles before designing a poster that layers photography, illustration, and data into one cohesive composition.
Project Overview
The subject offered almost too much material, koi carry meaning as a biological species, a centuries-old cultural symbol, and a luxury commodity all at once. The challenge was distilling that range of meaning into a poster that felt visually striking from across a room, while still holding enough layered, skimmable information to reward a closer read.
Challenge
I organized the koi's story into distinct informational categories, origin, breeds, habitat, diet, symbolism, and economic value, then wove them into a single photographic collage anchored by a large-scale koi and a traditional Japanese pagoda. A deep teal background with warm orange and red accents ties the piece together, while a mix of real photography, ink-brush textures, and clean sans-serif data callouts lets the poster shift fluidly between visual impact and readable detail.
Solution
Research
To map the fullest possible range of meanings, I utilized Claude AI to gather and synthesize extensive data across multiple perspectives: anatomy, lineage, dietary habits, cultural symbolism, pop culture, and economic impact.
AI-Assisted Text Synthesis
Additionally, I built a structured visual library categorized by theme (anatomy, symbolism, habitat, lineage). This ensured a broad spectrum of source imagery for the final photomontage and narrative layout.
Image Directory
Layout & Composition
Before moving to digital execution, I created a series of rough sketches and compositional studies to experiment with balance, scale, and hierarchy.
Initial Sketches
Next, I translated my sketches into greyscale layouts to focus purely on form, contrast, and visual rhythm.
Compositional Studies
I narrowed my studies down to three distinct concepts before choosing the final layout.
I selected the first direction because the central brush stroke naturally grounded the visual collage, which kept the
overall design balanced and gave
the surrounding stats plenty of
room to breathe.
Revised Studies
Color Exploration
Final Design
