I. Calendar Design (2025)
II. Bite into Life Photobook (2024)
III. Poor Things Marketing Photobook (2024)
IV. A handwritten film note about Maya Deren (2024)
V. My Drawings (Portrait)
VI. Art Direction (Collage-based)
I. Calendar Design (2025)
(Tool used Adobe InDesign)
II. Bite into Life Photobook
(Tool used Adobe InDesign)
Design Reflections
My small photobook is a guide to healthy eating, primarily focusing on fruits and vegetables that are beneficial for our health.
Conventional health books in the current market tend to be conservatively designed and academically oriented, with an emphasis on text over images, which can make reading tedious. Therefore, in designing my photobook, I used many vivid and contrasting colors, and I incorporated numerous images that I personally hand-drew. I believe that the combination of text and images will make the reading experience more engaging and interesting.
In the process of designing the layout, I initially planned to use existing images of fruits and vegetables from Pixel or Pinterest, but I found them aesthetically unpleasing and lacking in consistency, so I started drawing on my own instead. In our fourth-week class, we learned that current design in society trends favor 2D images because they are clear and straightforward, as well as human-friendly, and also reduce the time cost for designers. During the drawing process, I realized this profoundly and found that 2D images also better suit a minimalist style, which is the style I preferred.
Conventional health books in the current market tend to be conservatively designed and academically oriented, with an emphasis on text over images, which can make reading tedious. Therefore, in designing my photobook, I used many vivid and contrasting colors, and I incorporated numerous images that I personally hand-drew. I believe that the combination of text and images will make the reading experience more engaging and interesting.
In the process of designing the layout, I initially planned to use existing images of fruits and vegetables from Pixel or Pinterest, but I found them aesthetically unpleasing and lacking in consistency, so I started drawing on my own instead. In our fourth-week class, we learned that current design in society trends favor 2D images because they are clear and straightforward, as well as human-friendly, and also reduce the time cost for designers. During the drawing process, I realized this profoundly and found that 2D images also better suit a minimalist style, which is the style I preferred.
My design inspiration comes from a game I recently played called LocoRoco. The use of color in the game is very colorful, but the outlines of each object are kept simple, so even though bold colors are used, it does not lead to visual fatigue. Therefore, in designing my photobook, I also employed a diverse range of colors and many contrasting combinations, while simplifying the lines of the fruits to avoid cluttered appearances. Additionally, when drawing the fruits, I endowed some of them with lifelike features by adding facial details. I also employed some directive typography, such as the phrase “one apple a day keeps...” below the apple on page six, aiming for a subtle interaction with the reader. Furthermore, in my design, I extensively utilized various shapes, such as waves, circles, and clouds. I believe these shapes not only add a playful element to the pages but also help to enhance the consistency of the style.
In the typography section, I also followed the hierarchy rule when setting up the text. For example, I intentionally enlarged the main title while reducing the size of the paragraphs. This approach not only ensures an aesthetically pleasing layout but also maintains a clear typographic hierarchy without reversing the importance of elements.
In the typography section, I also followed the hierarchy rule when setting up the text. For example, I intentionally enlarged the main title while reducing the size of the paragraphs. This approach not only ensures an aesthetically pleasing layout but also maintains a clear typographic hierarchy without reversing the importance of elements.
III. Poor Things Marketing Photobook
(Tool used Adobe InDesign)
This photobook is a marketing campaign I created for a mock film release at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It’s more than just a promotional booklet—it’s a way to translate the essence of a film into something tangible. Inside, I included key elements such as the film’s synopsis, character introductions, promotional materials, and an analysis of costume choices and cinematography techniques, all carefully curated to reflect the film’s tone.
What excited me most about this project was the opportunity to bring the film’s identity to life visually. I paid close attention to bold color palettes, typography, and layout choices to ensure that every detail aligned with the film’s mood and aesthetic. This project challenged me to think beyond design and really consider how a film’s visual language can be extended into its marketing materials.
What excited me most about this project was the opportunity to bring the film’s identity to life visually. I paid close attention to bold color palettes, typography, and layout choices to ensure that every detail aligned with the film’s mood and aesthetic. This project challenged me to think beyond design and really consider how a film’s visual language can be extended into its marketing materials.
IV. A handwritten film note about Maya Deren
(Tool used Procreate)
This handwritten film note is part of an assignment from CIN402H5: Avant-Garde Film and Video, a course I took during my undergraduate studies. The task was to analyze the experimental filmmaker Maya Deren, exploring what shaped her cinematic style, how her early life experiences—such as her recurring "figure of double" motif—manifested in her films, and how works like Meshes of the Afternoon and At Land broke conventional narrative structures.
For the visual design, I wanted to create something that felt as experimental and enigmatic as Deren’s films themselves. I chose deep red and black as the dominant color palette because they evoke mystery, psychological depth, and a slightly surreal, eerie atmosphere, much like Deren’s work. Her films often blur the boundaries between dream and reality, and I aimed to reflect that through my layout, which plays with visual layering, fragmented imagery, and nonlinear composition.
For the visual design, I wanted to create something that felt as experimental and enigmatic as Deren’s films themselves. I chose deep red and black as the dominant color palette because they evoke mystery, psychological depth, and a slightly surreal, eerie atmosphere, much like Deren’s work. Her films often blur the boundaries between dream and reality, and I aimed to reflect that through my layout, which plays with visual layering, fragmented imagery, and nonlinear composition.
A key design choice was the use of circles and geometric shapes throughout the piece. In avant-garde cinema, geometry often plays a significant role in visual rhythm and abstraction. Len Lye’s A Colour Box, for instance, utilized bold geometric patterns as an expressive tool, and I incorporated similar elements to echo that experimental spirit. The use of repeated circular patterns and cut-out compositions also symbolizes the looping, dreamlike quality of Deren’s editing style.
Ultimately, this project was not just an analysis of Maya Deren’s work but also an attempt to visually interpret her cinematic language, drawing inspiration from the avant-garde ethos she helped shape.
Ultimately, this project was not just an analysis of Maya Deren’s work but also an attempt to visually interpret her cinematic language, drawing inspiration from the avant-garde ethos she helped shape.
V. My Drawings （Portrait）
(Tool used Procreate)
VI. Art Direction（Collage-based）
(Tool used Procreate)
@ Xinyu Zhang