We worked closely with @muteswansociety to find the answer to this question: How can a story about a magnificent creature with many misconceptions be told visually?
The
Challenge
Mute Swans are iconic birds and naturalized residents who have bred in the wild in Canada for more than 18 generations. Some bias against Mute swans arises when they are labelled “non-native,” “alien,” and “invasive.”
Our
Approach
We designed a three-piece digital collage series – featuring Mute Swans and framing them artfully. Photography, vintage wildlife illustrations, and expressive linework are combined to showcase their beauty, habitat, and life-long pair bonding.
Vintage Wildlife Illustration
Vintage wildlife illustration is a well-known design concept that has been repeatedly used on Canadian postage stamps. With this concept in mind, we integrated the vintage wildlife illustration into our design to create a bridge between people and Mute Swans.
Expressive Linework
The elegant S-shaped neck is irresistible, which inspired us to illustrate the pink gradient swirl wrapping around each swan to highlight their elegance. Every series portrays the swans in a yellow frame – interlocking with all the other graphic assets to create the sense of how mute swans engage with their surroundings.
Three-piece Digital Collage Series
Post Card Print
Large Format Poster Print
