Project Description
"Trick or Write?!" is a Halloween-themed event poster created for Polarity, a student-run publication. The poster promotes a writing competition inviting students to submit short spooky stories for themed prizes. The visual direction plays with both pixel-art aesthetics and festive lettering to create a fun, memorable invitation to participate.
My Role
As the art editor, I designed the visual identity for this seasonal writing competition and developed the poster from concept to final version. I illustrated both the witch bear mascot and the pixel ghost, coordinated with the editorial team, and made sure the layout was bold enough to grab attention in hallways, but fun and readable for digital sharing as well.
The Challenges
The challenge was keeping the design playful without becoming visually cluttered. Halloween posters can easily become chaotic, so I limited the color palette to strong oranges and neutrals, and balanced detailed lettering with minimal pixel-style illustrations. I also had to include bilingual content and make sure it all fit in a way that felt cohesive.
The Problem
Many school-wide events go unnoticed without an exciting visual hook. For a writing competition, especially during a busy holiday like Halloween, we needed something that stood out from other club posters and actually made students stop and read. We also wanted to communicate that this was casual and accessible—not just for “serious writers.”
The Solution
The final poster combines bold, seasonal typography with a friendly, witchy bear mascot and an 8-bit ghost character to reflect both the creative and lighthearted tone of the event. The layered text invites participation while staying playful, and the clear call-to-action—"Any participant can get a prize!"—helped make the event feel inclusive and fun. It worked as both a hallway poster and a social media graphic, building interest and submissions.