Definition of Poster Design
Posters are a genre of art that is designed to be printed and exposed on a vertical surface, for example, a wall. It is part of graphic design and its objective can be to inform, advertise, campaign and so on. Posters more than any other two-dimensional artworks, place emphasis on the functional aspect of art.
Posters can be defined as printed advertisements, it being a medium that is often used to promote an event or a product. Posters are a quick visual response to what is happening, a response that attracts the viewer and makes him or her associate a particular image with a certain message. These printed designs are very closely related to the current social situation, the culture, the people and their comments on everyday issues of the time. A poster designer is inspired by current events, trends and behaviours and this is communicated to the viewer visually through their artwork.
The other crucial aspect of poster design is the way it is presented. It is destined to be exhibited in a public space such as the street. It has to stand out to be seen and has to charm the audience and get them to listen. Announcements interfere with our opinion, likes or dislikes and this is very tightly related to the aim of poster, to convince the viewer of the designer’s viewpoint. There is no set rule on how to achieve this. A designer has to fully depend on his or her own creativity, taking also into consideration tendencies and the social, cultural background of the area that they are working on. Poster needs to have an immediate response and that is why it is so important that it understands the overall situation and use it for the purpose of showing something new and innovative.
Posters usually consist of images and typography although there are examples of posters which may use just words or just pictures. They can also vary in size. However it all depends on the purpose of each design and what it is to achieve.
Although posters do not have as broad a history as other genres of art, they can be considered as a relatively young type of art and form an important part of many national and private collections.
Image created by the author.
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13 August 2011
