The Goal :
Following the USPS Forever Stamp guidelines create a fresh concept for new USPS Forever Stamp.
Images in Communication (DES321)
Deliverables:
Class:
Role:
Timeline:
Designer + Fabricator
3 Weeks
4 USPS Forever Stamp concepts, Instagram mockup, physical printed deliverables, clean organized project file.
Software Used
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop
Clip Studio.
Inspiration & Project Direction
At the beginning of this project, we attended a virtual artist talk with designers Antonio Alcalá and Heather Moulder about their process creating the Bluegrass USPS Forever Stamp. Hearing about the design guidelines and constraints used by the United States Postal Service helped set expectations for our own stamp designs. After this talk, I decided to create a stamp series celebrating Aretha Franklin, as she had not yet been honored with one.
This process involved learning:
How USPS stamp design guidelines influence layout and composition
How professional designers approach large-scale public design projects
How to identify a strong subject with cultural significance
Research & Visual Direction
While researching potential styles for the stamps, I initially explored the Art Deco fashion illustration style using a Christie’s Art Deco reference book. However, after further research I noticed a lack of Black female representation within that movement, which made it difficult to find references that felt authentic to Aretha Franklin.
Because of this, I shifted my visual direction toward brighter colors and a more modern portrait style inspired by graphic design history references.
This process involved learning:
How research can influence and redirect a design concept
How historical design styles impact visual storytelling
How to adjust creative direction when references feel limiting
Ideation & Sketching
Once I established a new visual direction, I began sketching ideas inspired by references from The History of Graphic Design by Jens Müller. Since capturing someone’s likeness through drawing is challenging for me, I focused on silhouettes and basic shapes to quickly generate multiple concepts.
During this stage, I explored four themes that represent Aretha Franklin’s life and legacy: her powerful voice, her bold fashion, her cultural legacy, and her role in the Civil Rights Movement.
This process involved learning:
How to simplify complex subjects using silhouettes and shapes
How to brainstorm multiple visual ideas before committing to a final concept
How to translate historical and cultural themes into design concepts
Vector Development
With my album artwork finalized digitally, I began adapting the design into vinyl record labels using a template to ensure proper sizing and bleed for cutting. This process also helped me begin establishing a consistent font direction for the project.
This process involved learning:
How vinyl labels communicate information like record speed,
track lists, and sides
How to adapt artwork into a circular format
How to maintain consistent colors across physical media
How typography contributes to the overall tone of the project
After establishing the visual style of the album, I designed a commemorative concert ticket inspired by real tour memorabilia and existing ticket layouts. I incorporated gothic graphic elements and a spider motif to keep the design aligned with the album’s darker aesthetic.
This process involved learning:
How to adapt an album’s visual identity into promotional artifacts
How to structure information within a ticket layout
How decorative elements can reinforce a theme
How to keep visual consistency across multiple pieces of media
Stamp Sheet Layout
click and hold to zoom!
Printing & Application
The final step involved printing the stamp sheet in the Foundry using the Roland printer and applying the stamps to envelopes as part of the project brief. After several printing attempts and file adjustments, I was able to produce the final stamp sheet and assemble the envelopes.
Seeing the stamps applied to real mail helped bring the project into a more realistic context.
Social Media Post
To expand the project beyond the physical stamp sheet, I created a conceptual Instagram post showing how the United States Postal Service might announce the stamp series online. The post was designed as a slideshow format, with four slides that each highlighted one of the stamp designs through slightly altered graphics adapted for a social media layout.
This process involved learning:
How to adapt print-focused designs into a social media format
How branding and announcements can extend a design project into digital spaces
Designing a USPS FOREVER STAMP
Concept