Generative Design
Kaija Saariaho’s Specters | Spring 2025
For this conceptual Classical music poster, I used several novel processes and techniques to generate a functional design that communicates the tonal style of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, known for pioneering the Spectralism genre.
The Process
To capture Saariaho's ethereal, eerie, textural sound quality, I used water and glass distortion. I photographed text placed behind and beneath a water-filled vase, then adjusted these images in Photoshop to match the poster's duotone palette. For ghostly figures, I enhanced my reflection from the original glass.
First Drafts
After capturing the visuals, I created two initial poster drafts. The feedback led me to move forward with the first poster since its text had better hierarchy compared to the ornamental elements of the second option. Plus, the heat-map like quality of the color palette connected more naturally with my ghost theme.
Polishing
Moving forward with the initial poster draft, I added the reflections as a background element for texture and depth. The simplified spiral graphic in the background provides texture while subtly guiding the viewer's eye throughout the design. After folding the poster into a pamphlet, I made small adjustments to account for gutters and margins.
The Fun Part
For the project's second phase, I experimented with TouchDesigner, a generative design software, to manipulate noise textures to produce various poster designs. I did this by taking the assets I had already developed and adjusting functions such as noise, scale, and color palette.
The Final Touches
For the final poster and program versions, I combined the strengths of my TouchDesigner experimentation and traditional graphic design layouts to create work that blends traditional graphic design with motion-based generative design.
My design journey captured Saariaho's haunting sound world through glass and water distortion—transforming text into ghostly apparitions. I refined the strongest draft, with its intuitive text hierarchy and heat-map palette, adding depth through reflective elements. TouchDesigner experiments breathed life into static designs, as I manipulated noise textures and color functions to create dynamic variations. The result? A perfect fusion of traditional design and digital experimentation—both visually striking and kinetically alive.