The Kiss
of Society
[ Service ]
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Visual Identity
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Logo Design
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Poster Design
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Package Design
[ Introduction ]
The Kiss of Society project is a bachelor's thesis that critically examines the experiences of LGBTQ individuals in Poland. The project focuses on the impact of these issues during adolescence — a crucial period of identity and personality development.
It serves as both a study and a commentary, expressed through design, highlighting the psychological traumas caused by societal attitudes and acts of intolerance.
[ Type ]
BA dissertation
[ Year ]
2019
The first design phase involved creating a series of posters based on research and statistical data from the report "The Social Situation of LGBTQ People in Poland. Report for 2015–2016". The posters were made using a mixed-media and collage technique, which, combined with bold colors and strong dynamics, references the Constructivist movement. Additionally, the visual language draws upon the red ideologies of the past century, which played a significant role in the discrimination of LGBTQ+ communities.
The posters were printed and displayed in various locations across Poznań, with their presence monitored for photographic documentation. The goal was to observe and analyze the public reaction to them. Most of the posters disappeared within a few days. The most controversial one — the poster featuring the slogan "Poland is the most homophobic country in the European Union" — received the strongest backlash.
Simultaneously with the first design phase, research was initiated through surveys and interviews exploring the life experiences and childhood memories of LGBTQ individuals in Poland. Participants were also asked to submit handwritten letters of the alphabet, written with a marker. These letterforms were then combined to create a custom typeface specifically designed for the project.
Based on the experiences shared by the research participants, five key categories were identified in which abuse or violence against LGBTQ individuals most commonly occurs in our society. Combined with the photographic documentation of the posters' fate, a series of packaging designs for The Kiss of Society products was created: brass knuckles, pepper spray, a stun gun, a telescopic baton, and a knife.
Each package features quotes from the study participants, corresponding to one of the five categories, serving as a statement on the reality of discrimination and violence.
