02.Field_NotesSample_Log

NO. 085 · sightedlogged 2025

THE MOVING ORGANISM

The Moving Organism poster mounted on a wall

The whole story: first direction, decisions and all.The short version, focused on the finished work.

OVERVIEW

What is it?

An exhibition identity for The Moving Organism, photographer Sierra Allen’s series celebrating dancers captured in their natural elements.

Project
The Moving Organism
Client
Sierra Allen
Type
Graphic Design / Brand Identity / Event Promotion
Role
Visual Identity, Print & Social Design, Merchandise
Tools
Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator
Timeline
5 weeks

THE BRIEF

Sierra needed promotional materials to carry her exhibition across print and social media. I designed a set of posters, coordinated Instagram graphics and event merchandise, all built to highlight the energy, form and individuality in her photographs.

First direction: dancer photographed in motion, layered over blurred teal and slate geometric shapes, with a scribbled figure and plain sans serif type First direction: three overlapping photos of a dancer inside a bold black organic outline, over blurred teal shapes First direction: a dancer mid-floorwork framed by blurred geometric shapes, with the title set in a circular arc
My first direction layered blurred geometric shapes over Sierra’s photos. It felt too static for what she envisioned, so I moved toward something louder and more hands-on.

APPROACH

What was the brief, and what design decisions did I make?

The brief
Promote Sierra’s exhibition across print and social media, highlighting the energy, form and individuality in her photographs.
Design decisions

  1. Collage as the concept

    Custom lettering that looks cut from construction paper, inspired by Sierra’s love of collage.

  2. Type that moves with the dancers

    The letterforms bend around the dancers’ outlines, carrying the same movement as the bodies they surround.

  3. Halftone for energy

    Monochrome halftone photos add a printed, tactile contrast that pairs with the paper-cut type.

IDENTITY

Five lockups, one system.

Stacked wordmark with “by Sierra Allen” Stacked wordmark with “by Sierra Allen”
Wordmark with the dancing-figures doodle Wordmark with the dancing-figures doodle
Wordmark above the dancing-figures doodle Wordmark above the dancing-figures doodle
Compact two-line wordmark Compact two-line wordmark
“TMO” monogram “TMO” monogram

SOCIAL

Click any post to flip through all eight.

Instagram post 1: Two dancers in motion, one leaning back with an arm raised, framed by the paper-cut title type Instagram post 2: A ballet dancer in arabesque between the stacked title and the date, framed by the paper-cut title type Instagram post 3: Two dancers reaching toward each other, one crouched low, framed by the paper-cut title type Instagram post 4: A dancer bending sideways with one arm raised high, framed by the paper-cut title type Instagram post 5: A dancer balancing upside down in a floor pose, framed by the paper-cut title type Instagram post 6: A ballet dancer in arabesque beside the date and address, framed by the paper-cut title type Instagram post 7: A dancer bending sideways, arm raised, in an alternate color layout, framed by the paper-cut title type Instagram post 8: A dancer in a deep lunge with long braids swinging, framed by the paper-cut title type

BEYOND THE BRIEF

The brief stopped at posters and social media, but I wanted to see how far the identity could stretch, so I carried it onto apparel, totes and a hat.

White T-shirt printed in navy with the stacked wordmark, the dancing-figures doodle and the exhibition date Folded T-shirt with an orange hang tag and a neck label carrying the wordmark White and navy tote bags printed with the wordmark, the exhibition date and halftone dancer photos Navy baseball cap with an orange brim, embroidered with the dancing-figures doodle and a small wordmark

DESIGN DECISIONS

  1. Collage as the concept

    Sierra kept coming back to collage, so I designed custom lettering that looks cut from construction paper: chunky, oversized and a little imperfect, the way a hand-cut shape would be.

  2. Type that moves with the dancers

    Instead of setting text beside the photos, I shaped the letterforms around them. They bend and give way to the dancers’ outlines, so the type carries the same movement as the bodies it surrounds.

  3. Halftone for energy

    With full creative freedom over the photos, I turned them into monochrome halftones. The contrast gives them a printed, tactile texture that pairs with the paper-cut type, and Sierra liked it enough to ask me to push it further.

REFLECTION

What did I learn?

Designing for another artist’s work meant my job was to frame her photographs, not compete with them. Client feedback pushed me past a quiet first direction into something much bolder, and taking the identity further than the brief asked showed me how well a system holds up once it moves off the screen and onto real objects.

SEE ALL WORK