I created Chaos / Harmony for an experimental typography assignment that challenged us to design without traditional software. The goal was to tell a visual story using real-world materials. I used light, shadow, and paper cutouts to explore the emotional push and pull between balance and disorder. Later, I reworked the final result into album cover art for a fictional vinyl release, keeping the raw emotion but giving it a new context.
I had to communicate a full concept without relying on fonts, effects, or software tricks. I wanted to flip the typical relationship between chaos and harmony and show how they shape one another. When I turned it into a record cover, my next challenge was keeping that handmade feeling while making it look polished and intentional for a music audience.
I started in Illustrator, sketching layout ideas and experimenting with the visual tension between CHAOS and HARMONY. After finalizing a design, I used Cricut Design Space to cut it into cardstock. I mounted the stencil inside a lampshade and used a real bulb to cast dramatic shadows across the space. Then I shot the result with my phone, testing different angles and light sources to control mood and clarity.
Once I had the right shot, I used Photoshop for light cleanup and enhancement. That’s when it hit me, it looked like a record cover. The heavy contrast, sharp shadows, and flipped layout felt perfect for something ambient, post-rock, or experimental. So I mocked it up as vinyl art.
The final design blends emotion and visual weight. On the record version, “CHAOS” takes over the top, while the upside-down “HARMONY” fades out below. The tension between the two feels like a fragile balance slipping. The distorted shadows, empty space, and grayscale palette all support that vibe.
This project taught me to get out of the software and trust hands-on design. It reminded me that big ideas don’t need digital polish to hit hard. Reimagining the piece as album art gave it new energy and purpose. This is one of the most personal and creatively satisfying projects I’ve made, and it came from light, paper, and an idea.
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