“Hanging Stories”
When:
2025 - fall semester
What:
For this individual student project, we used clothing of our choice to create a story by first photographing the garments and then building a narrative and context through adding textual elements. The project focused on using storytelling, indirect associative communication, and dramaturgy as key tools.
Tools used:
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Adobe Photoshop
Process – Task 1
Task 1 involved telling a story by photographing clothing displayed on an assigned hanger. The task also required use of AI and Adobe software as tools for post-processing.
Idea to concept
Selma wanted to use a corset as the foundation to develop a design concept.
This was followed by brainstorming on different associations and symbolic meanings that a corset can carry.
Body pressure was Selma’s first and strongest association with a corset. Through further discussion and mind mapping around its symbolic meanings, she identified “tvang” (coercion, force, or compulsion in Norwegian) as a central theme to explore.
“Tvang”
The Norwegian word “tvang” refers to a lack of freedom or the feeling of being pressured or forced into something against one’s will.
Selma associated “tvang” with eating disorders, “tvangsekteskap” (forced marriage), intrusive thoughts, compulsions, etc.
Visualization
“Forced marriage” became the theme Selma wanted to convey, and she wanted to use a corset and a wedding dress as the main elements for the visualization.
Taking photo sketches with a phone, she experimented with different ways of combining the elements to create a sense of coercion:
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Photo sketches by Selma Bjørnseth Hegstad
Narrative & context
Selma wanted to use a film as a starting point for the narrative and visual direction. The film’s established context also opened up several possibilities for the content and visual elements.
The movie, Mustang, follows five sisters in Turkey who face consequences from their uncle and grandmother after innocently playing with boys from their school. Their freedom is gradually restricted as they are prepared for marriage. The film portrays both arranged and forced marriage.
Content elements – indirect associations & symbolism
While rewatching the film, Selma listed relevant elements from the movie. In total, she chose to incorporate these elements into her design:
Apple blossom
Corset and corset lace
Wedding dress
A pair of scissors
Technical approach
Original photograph from Lightroom
First draft from Photoshop
Final outcome for Task 1
Process – Task 2
Task 2 involved adding textual elements to help the viewer connect the image to its context.
Typography
The original Mustang movie poster was a major inspiration for this task.
For the film title, Selma used Freestyle Script Regular to create a sense of weight and downward-pulling movement, connecting the typography to the corset string and the folds in the dress. The red colour matches the scissors, creating repetition and strengthening the visual connection between the elements. A shadow effect was added to echo the shadow of the dress and make the typography stand out from the image.
Selma also used the Pen Tool in Photoshop to create a leaf shape within the title, creating an association with apples through its combination with the red typography. The red and green also create a complementary colour contrast. The leaf allowed Selma to replace the AI-generated flower with a more playful, childlike flower while maintaining the connection to the apple.
Grange Heavy was used for the text connected to the corset string. The rotation and combination of lower/uppercase letters create a sense of tension and movement, making the text appear twisted and pulled together with the string.
For the credits, Selma used Rama Gothic Condensed SemiBold, chosen to closely resemble the typography of the original poster.
The final poster design by Selma Bjørnseth Hegstad