![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/776679c3-1190-4dfc-a448-2c573d437e50/4a288382-5642-4963-8edc-e7399bb9c3fb_rw_3840.png?h=711ff58b788cf2b226bc5feb93bab6ff)
Activist Poster Design
Homelessness Issue In Toronto — Expressing empathy, awareness and educating people on this issue. Homelessness in Toronto has been a persistent issue in the city for decades due to a range of factors such as: poverty, lack of housing, and mental health and addiction issues. With this knowledge, my purpose was to create awareness by attaching a real-life scenario in which citizens of Toronto can relate to.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/776679c3-1190-4dfc-a448-2c573d437e50/aa99e47d-a788-4378-bd74-6c2f840ad5ae_rw_1920.png?h=5c5179bfe67154ecb877a648b1e190c1)
Reference images
I began by photographing different subway stations as reference to study the environment and relate to the audience. When it came to designing and choosing the right visual depictions, I decided to go for a flat and stylized illustration with a similar color palette to the Toronto subway stations. The design is simplified and easily understood without any context.
I began by photographing different subway stations as reference to study the environment and relate to the audience. When it came to designing and choosing the right visual depictions, I decided to go for a flat and stylized illustration with a similar color palette to the Toronto subway stations. The design is simplified and easily understood without any context.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/776679c3-1190-4dfc-a448-2c573d437e50/4eabec18-7665-4205-ab0e-69a1ebeb6a6f_rw_600.jpg?h=ad85deb7d0423115cb10467b104ebc03)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/776679c3-1190-4dfc-a448-2c573d437e50/feabf203-8dc0-4134-b7f3-e7d17070350a_rw_600.jpg?h=c84bded6589baa8348821207bed0e723)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/776679c3-1190-4dfc-a448-2c573d437e50/185ae893-bfbc-4bf9-8a3c-95c447ddeaf8_rw_1200.jpg?h=6e218e829093b8280c8bef0a4b299caa)
Process
The narrative strategies I used was a real-life setting paired with an obvious foreground focal point of a homeless person (the elephant in the room). Another strategy I used was the symbolism of an imaginary house over the main subject which is instantly recognized as an iconic symbol for homelessness.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/776679c3-1190-4dfc-a448-2c573d437e50/690cb153-664b-440f-a41e-bee539d9583c_rw_1920.png?h=6d26a9ccc2223997755b2db4cbd44456)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/776679c3-1190-4dfc-a448-2c573d437e50/b5c5c18e-23ec-4c7e-b6c2-999ac77e3355_rw_1920.png?h=ed0d86ba29ab1d10823a85c8494a36df)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/776679c3-1190-4dfc-a448-2c573d437e50/db05f23d-fa4c-43cb-8701-ef3b4e218e62_rw_3840.png?h=62dc3839380c1660570c26486640f543)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/776679c3-1190-4dfc-a448-2c573d437e50/a23d3257-badf-4cf4-904c-3bfb2a2f5de4_rw_1920.jpg?h=a01093e2c2730e4c07e66a236a61b267)