These 3 illustrations were completed for HBR to accompany the article "Cultivating the Four Kinds of Creativity".
The article was printed in the January-February 2023 issue.
HBR Monthly Magazine Cover January–February 2023
"Integration and Splitting"
integration: seeing how two different things are actually the same and can be grouped together
splitting: seeing how similar things are actually different and can be separated
Round 1:
I decided to combine the first two kinds of creativity (integration and splitting) as they were compared in the article as being opposites to each other. I first thought of a blocked shape that is in one viewed direction to be separated into slices of different thicknesses. When viewed in reverse, it is multiple shapes now becoming one.
Round 2:
We decided on a single hero shape that would traverse all 3 final images: a flower.
"Figure-ground Reversal"
figure-ground reversal: being able to see that what's important isn't the thing in front of your face, but what's actually in the background
Round 1:
I chose different interpretations of a foreground object that is blurred while a background object is in-focus. A basket of oranges with the basket being in-focus and the fruit being out-of-focus. A blurry, fuzzy caterpillar out-of-focus with a leaf in-focus. Then, to mirror the shapes of the hero illustration, a blurry block shape in front of an in-focus shape.
Round 2:
Now that we knew our flower shape was king, everything fell into place.
"Distal Thinking"
distal thinking: imagining things very differently from the here and now, almost like projection of ideas; building for today knowing already what you want the future to be capable of to build then
Round1:
I have a shape transforming from that hero image into a new shape that is completely different. There will be faded shapes in between showing the steps needed to get to the brand new shape. And lastly, I have another idea with a third eye splitting into a light spectrum, creating this new world shape.
Round 2:
It's a flower now.
