“Hugs and Kisses” is a work done in Adobe Illustrator that uses all elements of design. For color, I used values of pink, brown, and green that complimented each other and helped keep the idea of Valentine's Day in the work. The repetition of hearts also helped solidify Valentine's topic. The letters each had their unique shapes, some utilizing form and an example is the key that is a part of the ‘U’. The main theme is a bow and arrow (mainly represented in the “H” and the “G”, with hearts spaced out strategically throughout the work. Texture was used in the gems that decorate the ‘S’ in hugs and corner the ‘K’ in kisses. The final element, line, was used for the border and part of the key to imply that the end is an ampersand. Looking at the body copy of the work, I used alignment with the key, hearts, and a grid to decide where to put the text. I broke the connection between the body copy and the header using a container so that the proximity wasn’t close enough to interfere with the workflow. The main tools used were the shape tool, the pen tool, and the curvature tool.

      Looking at the work now that I’m finished, I can’t say that I like it. I know that I marked off all the boxes for the assignment, but the finished product isn’t for me. Next project I feel like I can work with requirements better, making the main focus less clunky, and having a better idea of what I want when I go in to work on it. This exercise however did teach me more about Adobe Illustrator and the principles of design, so I do see the value in having done it.