Web Roundup
90’s Graphic Design Mood Board
The 90’s were a magical time – a time of the Docs, Game Boys, and the sweet, sweet sound of AOL dialing-up. As everything that was once old is new again, the 90’s are making a come back.
Design trends from this era can be found in posters, album covers and fonts. As artist Dave Perillo has shown, even some of our favorite old friends are back in action. Deservedly so.
What about 90’s design is worth reintroducing, you ask? We created a mood board of sorts to answer this question and hope it helps uncover the truth. Below you’ll find 90’s posters, graphics, album covers, products, and other elements that may inspire you to create your next design piece enhanced with 90’s elements. We have arranged the elements in four categories. We hope you find this helpful. Enjoy!
90’s Design
1 – Color like WHOA.
The 90’s was at once a wave of color and a dash of grunge. But for this moment, at least, we are rejoicing in glorious brilliance of it all. Think Pretty in Pink (literally), color pops, neon lasers and this 90’s cup design that kind of grows on you after awhile. Totally unapologetic!
2 – Chunky Fonts.
If you take a broad look at fonts in the 90’s, you will see a lot of thick lines and truly unique fonts driven by theme. Oh – and we loved a drop shadow!
3 – Photo Posters
The focus around many of the posters or album art in the 90’s was around one simple graphic or photograph. Many of these are iconic posters and I think their simplicity speaks volumes.
4 – From Bold & Vibrant to Black & White (and Red)
Though this era gave us a lot of pink, we also saw a lot of stark contrast – black & white – sometimes with pops of red.
What did you love most about design in the 90’s?
For more 90’s Graphic Design, head to the Go Media Pinterest Board.
Stop and Follow These Super Fun, Empowering Illustrators on Instagram
Follow these Illustrators on Instagram
Hate social media bringing you down? Hate scrolling and slowly feeling down about yourself as the posts roll by? Follow these ten illustrators on Instagram we suggest below and you’ll perk right up. We promise!
We are all about inspiration these days. We have started a Facebook group for creatives and hope you’ll join. Head to the We Are Weapons – Go Media Creative Crew on Facebook and request to join in on the conversation.
A few more notes before the inspiration begins:
- If you love this post, check out our post entitled: Girl Power: Follow These 34 Female Creatives Now
- Make sure to follow Go Media on Instagram!
selfcareisforeveryone
A space that honors the importance of choosing self-care over self-harm.
ladieswinedesign
Empowering creative ladies! Started by @jessicavwalsh
powered by awesome ladies worldwide in over 200 cities.
recipesforselflove
hellomynameiswednesday
THEY/THEM pls | queer trans artist & activist
onbeinginyourbody
A way of being | A space for embodied wisdom
positivelypresent
Original artwork © Dani DiPirro
DC-area artist + author
tylerfeder
illustrator trying her best
gemmacorrell
infamous anti-socialite and pug lady
bethdrawsthings
florencegiven
London Based Artist & Social Issues Advocate
70’s Graphic Design Inspiration
70s Graphic Design: Ideas from our Pinterest Board
As you may have noticed, companies and designers have been drawing inspiration from of our favorite decades lately. Graphic design inspiration from the 1970’s is all the rage. There is something about the thick lines, bold color choices and simple layouts that really speaks to us still. So today, we are throwing down some vintage inspiration from this decade in hopes that it inspires your next project. Enjoy!
For more 70’s graphic design and 70’s inspired design, head to our Pinterest board.
For more 70’s graphic design and 70’s inspired design, head to our Pinterest board.
Graphic Design Agencies to Follow on Instagram
Some of our most popular posts have included our posts about who we suggest you follow on Instagram, such as our recent post entitled, “21 Hand Lettering Artists to Follow on Instagram.” Today, we thought we would recommend our favorite graphic design agencies to follow on Instagram. We hope you enjoy!
OrangeYouGlad Design
“Brooklyn’s freshest little creative agency.”
Canales & Co.
A branding studio from Austin, Texas.
ONLY
Only is an award-winning branding agency based in Manchester.
HUGE
Huge Inc. is an experience design and digital marketing agency that provides strategy, marketing, design, and technology services to Fortune 100 companies. They have offices in Atlanta, DC, Detroit, Brooklyn, London, Singapore, Toronto, Los Angeles, and more. Follow them.
The Little Labs
Design, illustration and animation team based in Los Angeles, California.
New Garden Society
Design studio based in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Design Womb
A Chicago, Illinois based brand identity, package design and graphic design studio.
Niika Studio
A creative agency in Melbourne.
HEY
Hey Studio is graphic design studio based in Barcelona.
Doink Design
A graphic design firm in Miami, Florida
Skidmore Studio
A brand consultancy & design studio in Detroit.
Impero
Impero is an independent creative agency based in London and Buenos Aires.
Flourish
Flourish is an Award-Winning brand and digital agency based in Surrey and London.
and don’t forget to follow us – your friends at Go Media, a creative agency in Cleveland, Ohio.
This Week’s Top Five Links (7/6/2018)
Here are five links, images or videos from the web that stood out to us this week. We thought we’d pass them onto you and share the love. We hope you enjoy them. Please tweet us and let us know what caught your eye or inspired you.
1- From Fastcodesign, Article – The Heartbreaking Art of a Former Border Control Janitor
2 – From Fastcodesign: Video – The Secret Behind Starbucks’ Iconic Logo
3 – From the Hootsuite Blog, Article – The 2018 Instagram Hashtag Guide
4 – From Medium, Article – Would You Have Hired Steve Jobs?
5 – From Medium, Article – How to Develop an Eye for Design
21 Hand Lettering Artists to Follow on Instagram
Hand Lettering Artists to Follow on Instagram
Wandering around Instagram, we found some really beautiful examples of hand lettering that we thought we’d share. We thought they might inspire and ignite your next project. Enjoy the hand lettering artists to follow on Instagram and please click on each image to learn more about the artist who created the individual piece.
For more hand lettering inspiration, check out our post “Letters We’re Loving: 30+ Hand Lettering and Typography Inspirations” and
one of our most popular articles, “100 Top Resources for Typography and Hand-Lettering”
Elizabeth Gray (thegraytergood)
Lisa Quine (lisa_quine)
Pierre Boisson (pedrodelabedida)
Katie Made That (katiemadethat)
Loren Klein (lorenkleindesign)
Talita Marques (marquestalita)
Maxime Bolis (maximebolis)
Saori (_lil.something_)
Jessica Renna (jessicarenna)
Michael Moodie (michael_moodie)
Loz Ives (idleletters)
Shauna Parmesan (weneedtotalkproject)
Tiffany Dewitt (livelongandletter)
Annick Martin (annick.martin)
Indysign (theindysign)
Jessica Nam (jessicanam)
Tearapart Intajak (tump_tearapart)
Emmy (redpolarbear_)
Devin Rista (devinrista)
Joanna Walters (jopeydopes)
Deirdre (the designer) (deirdrethedesigner)
5 Best Time Tracking Tools in 2018
Over the past couple of years, time tracking has become a big deal, as it very well should be. Though we’ve had these capabilities for quite a while, neither freelancers nor clients used the practicality of time tracking tools quite as much as they should have, often opening the way to invoice disputes and freelance time management issues.
These days, there are so many time tracking tools available that it’s become difficult to pick one. We took a look at what’s available on the market and picked our favorite apps, based on various freelancing needs.
Time Tracking Tools 2018
Toggl
Though this list is in no particular order, we had to include Toggl somewhere on it. Toggl has become one of the most popular time trackers for freelancers in recent years and it’s obvious to see why. The tool is available for almost all platforms and is very easy to use, although it isn’t a good choice for managing large teams or freelance designers working on various devices at once. Toggle does offer these options, but there are more competitive choices in that range today.
The upside is that Toggl offers plenty of options in its free version for small freelancers or those just getting started. For those working with larger teams or who have more projects to toggle than they can count off the top of their head, the full package paid version of this time tracking app may be the best choice.
Hubstaff
Speaking of teams and robust time tracking tools created for managing more complex projects and teams, Hubstaff has it all covered. This extensive tool is much more than just a time tracking app and includes screenshots, activity levels, setting of limits for each team member and project, GPS and location, invoicing, and even a payroll system that allows team leaders to pay freelancers with just one click when all is said and done.
Obviously, this is a tool for top tier freelancers or small agencies who manage entire teams of freelance designers. As further proof that Hubstaff was built with growing teams in mind, one of its best features is the scalable pricing they offer, including the option to make users active or inactive – and pay accordingly – making freelance time management incredibly easy for project managers.
Upwork Desktop App
Instead of randomly listing just any time tracking tools available, we’re making another exception on this list, to include time management tips for freelancers and remote team project managers. The Upwork Desktop App is, needless to say, exclusively linked to Upwork, the most popular freelancing network today. The platform’s time tracking and work diary features are also exactly what has made it so popular, creating trust for employers and ensuring that freelancers get paid.
Getting paid once a job is done is a plague that freelancers have had to deal with forever. Using time tracking tools for bothe time management and to record work hours is essential, but adding a system in which getting paid is almost guaranteed turns it into a full package deal. Using Upwork is highly recommended for freelancers who are just getting started, along with all of its tools and its time tracking desktop app.
Qbserve
Qbserve, an automatic time tracker for Mac that includes team management and invoicing, is a more recent favorite and a dream come true for busy design pros and freelancers of all types. Typically, busy freelancers will forget to turn on their time trackers or switch between projects, while time management at work or in the home office becomes more important than ever. And that’s just if the freelancers are working independently. Add a team to all of those projects and busy schedule, and things really turn into a nightmare.
The team behind Qbserve seems to have thought of everything and provided a solution to it. Qbserve keeps track of activities on a Mac and provides constant feedback on productivity, helping freelancers and remote teams to develop better work and time management habits. It can also automatically generate invoices based on data, along with a slew of other settings that can be adjusted for design freelancers who want to focus more on work and less on managing stuff and typing up reports and invoices.
Timely
Less a time tracking tool and more of an all around time management tracker, Timely links directly to your calendar and planned events to help attain an overview of your work hours, downtime and everything else going on. Essentially, your schedule becomes your time tracker.
In this app that combines scheduling and time tracking in one place, freelancers can use their calendar and the app to out different times of your day to work on different projects, then use the app to pick a project or task, start the timer and get to work. Obviously, this isn’t a tool for managing remote teams, but for the individual freelancer, it literally allows designers to see which hours made money and which went to waste.
Hope you find these tools! You may also like our post on Must-Have Tools for Digital Marketers
Web Roundup: 77 Poster Designs to be Inspired by
Poster Designs
What’s better than a post dedicated to great posters? Here’s another one chock-full of poster designs you can be inspired by. Click on each poster for more information and to link to our Poster Pinterest Board.
50 Poster Layout Design Inspirations, Do’s and Don’ts
You’ve been asking for tips on poster layout design and we’re here to help. Today, we’ll be using a sampling of inspiring posters to show you how to design your own.
Must-Have Tools For Digital Marketers
With all the tasks a digital marketer has to face on a regular basis, anyone who dares take this career path should be, at the very least, a jack-of-all-trades. The ability to create great content is a must. Having a little more than just a basic understanding of SEO helps as well. Then there’s the world of social media and email campaigns, both of which a digital marketer must competently run.
Thankfully, we live in a world when there are tools for just about everything, including all the things required of those in the world of digital marketing. Here are some of those tools that digital marketers must have to help them do their job well.
Google Analytics
With the amount of information that Google Analytics provides, tracking just about everything that is related to the traffic to your website in real time becomes indescribably easier. Google has already given us so much, and Google Analytics is proof the search engine giant doesn’t seem to get tired of giving.
Hootsuite
Over 15 million users make Hootsuite one of the most popular tools used by digital marketers for social media management and analytics. Hootsuite boasts of many features, but getting the ability to schedule social media posts in advance and therefore save a lot of time is the primary reason digital marketers must have it in their toolkit.
MailChimp
If you’re running email campaigns, using MailChimp would be your best bet. MailChimp is easily one of the world’s most popular and powerful email marketing platforms with eight million daily users. Whether you’re a pro or a newbie email marketer, using MailChimp should be easy enough thanks to its very straightforward platform structure.
Charlie
Customer relationship management or CRM is an integral aspect of digital marketing, and Charlie is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get to know a person well, which is a crucial element of CRM. With the help of Charlie, digital marketers learn a lot about people as it tells them everything it can about other people, from their interests to what their social media profiles say about them.
HubSpot Marketing Free
Getting visitors to your website is one thing. Converting them to leads is another, and HubSpot Marketing Free has proven to be pretty handy for doing just that. This free pop up tool generates email leads from your website and gives you the skinny on them, from their employers to the pages they have visited, all in real time. You also get to learn with the help of the tool which pages are doing better conversion-wise.
Wistia
Any digital marketer worth his salt knows that YouTube isn’t the only platform for the amazing videos that you create. It’s not even the best one, simply because of the control limitations. With Wistia, you can add CTA buttons and view heatmaps with ease, among other things. Wistia also allows you to learn the viewing patterns of people who play your videos.
Canva
Creating images for blog posts and social media becomes so much easier with Canva. It features built-in templates and optimized sizes, both of which make it easy for you to create custom-shaped or sized images for most social media platforms.
The above are just a fraction of the wealth of tools that are available to digital marketers today. What’s more, these tools are the free ones or at least the free versions of their paid and more feature-laden selves. Imagine what you can do with tools that charge for additional features that can only make your digital marketing life even easier.
Author Bio:
Andrea Ladera is an SEO professional for My Biz Niche. When not helping websites get to Page 1 of the SERPs, Andrea (she also answers to Andy) walks her Yorkie around the block, among other things. She also does yoga.
Nine Items You Should Buy with Your Tax Refund this Year
Now that tax money is rolling in (with any hope) we’ve got our eyes on some items that will make our lives as creatives a lot easier. (And more fun.) Here is a round-up of items we’re thinking of purchasing with our tax refunds this year.
What do you have your eye on? Let us know in the comments section.
An interactive sketchpad
There’s nothing better than a traditional sketchpad for getting ideas down and drawings out. But interactive sketchpads are pretty darn cool, in that they can transition your notes to files that you can open in PS or Illustrator in the blink of an eye. Try the: Bamboo Wacom Slate.
Tickets to Weapons of Mass Creation Fest
Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, the premier design, art and music conference in the Midwest, is back for its eighth year! Come to see the ultimate WMC Fest experience, as we’re going back to our roots and celebrating the ideals our grassroots festival was founded upon. There will be TED-X style talks, interactive workshops and panels on topics like battling burnout and how to practice understanding, music, meet-ups, food trucks and bowling, too! Learn all about WMC Fest 8 and buy tickets here. Starting at $85 for the entire weekend.
A new desk set-up
The most people spend the majority of their time is at their desks – well, other than in bed, of course. So, it’s worth it to spend a few bucks to make it comfortable. Try the: Jarvis Standing Desk.
A legit flash drive
I don’t know about you, but I have 17 flash drives floating around my desk, each one on its last leg. It’s about time I grew up and treated myself one that won’t let me down. I have my eye on the: SanDisk 128GB Extreme Pro USB 3.0 Flash Drive.
Laptop backpack
I attempted, with all my might, to make it down to Creative South this year, but was unable due to several flight cancellations here in Cleveland. While I waited, I was shopping for a new laptop backpack that would have gone really well with my outfit. I feel like I deserve to buy this Mancro bag for myself, even though I don’t have any future travel plans. I think it will cheer me up, though it won’t replace the incredible time I missed.
Subscription to Go Media’s Arsenal
We’d be remiss if we didn’t suggest that you join our Arsenal Army and instantly access our entire product library for only $15 per month, including all of our mockup templates, vectors, textures, tutorials, business resources and more. Learn more here.
A fun new keyboard
Anyone else geek out about keyboards? This is a perfect opportunity to grab one that feels great underneath your fingertips, like this Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard, that comes in several different colors and connects with up to three devices simultaneously.
A planner
Okay, I know I am a little late to the game on this, but I have just realized how badly I need a planner. I really miss having a to-do list to create, then check off. I found this pretty serious one by Erin Condren. Looks like I’m going on deep.
A donation to…(fill in the blank)
Whatever organization you feel needs help right now. Because the world needs it. Here are some ideas.
Indie patch inspiration that will get your creative juices flowing
We’re sharing indie patch inspiration
Who else is obsessed with patches? Here are some we fancy. We hope they get your creative juices flowing. You never know…you might be the next Michael Jackson of patch design. But remember that these are only here to serve as inspiration. You are your own unique unicorn, so do your own thing. Have fun!
Click on each patch for more information.
Great Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for the Creative in Your Life
Gifts for Graphic Designers
Valentine’s Day is coming up. This is a holiday that so many of us love and so many of us….don’t. If you happen to enjoy it, here are some gifts to give the creative you love. If you don’t have a Valentine, treat yourself. That’s an order.
You can also get a special gift basket for your loved one, you can customized it and add everything you want, or check the next gifts.
Valentine’s Day: the most romantic, lovey-dovey, glorious day of affection, gifts, and expressions of love of the year. Or it’s a day you wish you could sleep through so you don’t have to look at even one gushing, bouquet-carrying, heart-shaped-chocolate-eating, drunk-on-love person.
Click on each image for more info.
Inspiration of the Day: Chinese New Year 2017
Chinese New Year 2017 Art
Happy Chinese New Year everyone! The Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is underway! These festivities will last through February 15, 2018.
Many designers, we found, were inspired by this joyful holiday. So today, we’re sharing some of their work. Enjoy! For more information on each artist, make sure to click on the image.
| Cover image art: year of the Rooster: Francesco Faggiano |
by Antonius Setiadi K
by Folio Illustration Agency
by IDEO
by Jessica Ciccolone
by Thom Hill
by Andy Hau
by Jenn Liv
by spacescass
by Tommy.L
by Kay Wolfersperger
by Lemongraphic
by Wren Sauer
by Oddds
Where Can I Learn Graphic Design? – A Newbie’s Guide
Where Can I Learn Graphic Design?
Are you new to the world of graphic design and wondering where you can find resources to further your knowledge on the subject? You’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re sharing some of our favorite online resources with you. Some of them are free, others require payment. We hope you find them helpful as you begin to develop your career as a kick-ass graphic designer. We believe in you!
Learning graphic design online
What this will entail: this will include one-of-a-kind artwork – including business stationery, brochures, packaging, illustration, infographics, typography, posters, prints, t-shirt design and more. Skills needed: Adobe Creative Suite, illustration, communication skills, understanding of printing practices, business prowess. How? Learn the technical skills through online sites. Have the opportunity and funds to learn in a classroom setting? We highly recommend it! But you can learn a wealth of information on the web. Here are some places we recommend checking out:
Read Blog Posts:
- We love the quick tips Adam Dachnis shares in his series of posts about the basics of Photoshop. These include: Learn the Basics of Photoshop in Under 25 minutes | Basics of Photoshop: Basic Drawing with the Pen Tool | Designing a Website
- The post, “Learn Photoshop: All of the Basics for Beginners,” by Steven Snell, is not to be missed.
- You can’t miss our series, “Become a Master Designer,” written by our President, William Beachy.” This series teaches you about fonts, colors, contrast, spacing, depth, motion and more. Find that here. Not to mention the rest of our tutorial collection.
- Head to Tuts+ for many free tutorials on graphic design – all aspects!
- Start collecting your favorite blogs, check in with them daily for articles and inspiration. Some of our favorites include Under Consideration, The Dieline, Smashing Magazine, Grain Edit, Serial Thriller, Abduzeedo, Designspiration, It’s Nice That, Sidebar.
Watch Documentaries / Movies / TED Talks:
Design is One: A movie about Lella and Massimo Vignelli, the famed couple who brought us their New York subway map and other numerous graphic design projects.
Helvetica – a feature length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture
Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight – Glances into the everyday moments of Milton Glaser, the brain behind the iconic I <3 NY logo and New York Magazine.
Sign Painters – Sign Painters explores the history of the time-honored craft of sign painting.
Start Learning Online:
Adobe – Where better to learn Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator?
Go Media’s Arsenal – We can’t go without mentioning our tutorials! Do not miss our best-selling series on Adobe Illustrator, including Adobe Illustrator 101 a Tutorial for Beginners, Adobe Illustrator 102: Illustration Using Vector Art, and Adobe Illustrator 103: Texturinzing Vector Illustrations, Modifying Type, T-Shirt Design
Creative Live – Creative classes, inspiration, and tips in photo and video, art and design, and more. Classes priced individually.
Skillshare – “Bite-sized” classes in not only design but business, technology, photography, film, writing, crafts and more. Classes are $12 billed monthly or $8/mth billed annually.
Lynda – Courses in business, technology, and creative skills taught by experts. Free trial available. Starting at $19.99/mth.
Udemy – Course in development, business, IT and software, personal development, design and more! Check out the platform’s biggest and most popular PS course by Manfred Werner.
Phlearn – Aaron Nace’s site is a lively and engaging place to learn about all things design. Check out his free tutorials or head directly to his YouTube channel.
Proko – Beef up your illustration skills over at Proko’s YouTube channel.
Ledet – Offers 2 to 5 day hand-on Adobe training classes (in person). Watch and enroll for them here on their site.
The Illustration Academy – intense, immersive illustration experiences. Online workshops available.
Skillcrush – Becoming a better designer means learning to communicate with your colleagues. Hit up Skillcrush’s 10-day bootcamp and become better friends with your developer. If you like the course, you can further explore the world of web design throughout Skillcrush and on sites like Code School.
Online Courses Review – Lists some great online resources
100 Best Photoshop Tutorials (from Basic to Advanced) – by our friends at PSD Stack
eBooks, Books and online resources on design and business:
How to Draw the Marvel Way by Stan Lee
The Elements of Graphic Design by Alex White
Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team by Alina Wheeler
Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton
Logo Lounge by Catherine Fishel and Bill Gardner
Type Matters by Jim Williams and Ben Casey
Drawn to Business by William Beachy
Thread’s Not Dead by Jeff Finley
Graphic Designer’s Pricing Toolkit by Go Media
Making and Breaking the Grid: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop by Timothy Samara
Above the Fold: Understanding the Principles of Successful Web Site Design by Brian Miller
Logotypes and Letterforms: Handlettered Logotypes and Typographic Considerations by Doyald Young
What to Do When It’s Your Turn (and It’s Always Your Turn) by Seth Godin
All Marketers are Liars: The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works —
And Why Authenticity is the Best Marketing of All by Seth Godin
Package Design Workbook: The Art and Sciences of Successful Packaging by Steven DuPuis and John Silva
Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
Authority Ebook by Nathan Barry
Trust Agents by Chris Brogan
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
How Pleasure Works by Paul Bloom
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Design Currency by Jenn and Ken Visocky O’Grady
The Voice of Knowledge by Don Miguel Ruiz
Getting Things Done by David Allen
The Art of Non Conformity by Chris Guillibeau
Mindfulness in Plain English by Gunaratana Bhante Henepola
Rework by Jason Fried
Brains on Fire by Robin Phillips, Greg Cordell, Geno Church and Spike Jones
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Built to Sell by John Warrillow
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Hiring the Best by Martin Yate
SEO Quickstart Guide by Go Media
96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire by Paul Falcone
The Talent of Edge by David S. Cohen
Accounting Made Simple by Mike Piper
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Advertising Effect: How to Change Behavior by Adam Ferrier
Decoding the New Customer Mind: How and Why We Shop and Buy by Kit Yarrow
Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing and Advertising by Ryan Holiday
Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson
What resources have you found helpful in your journey to becoming a graphic designer? Please share with us in the comments section below!
The Elements of Great Poster Design
Great Poster Design Tips:
Recently, we received an email from a Go Media friend asking a simple, yet incredibly complicated question: “What are the qualities of a good poster design?”
And while we’ve done many a blog post about posters that inspire us, we haven’t covered why they have done such a great job of doing so.
So today we are going to do our best to answer that question – as simply as possible.
As we all may know, a poster’s job is often three-fold; it serves to advertise and communicate information while acting as a piece of artwork.
A great poster communicates a message clearly.
Of those three tasks, the poster absolutely must deliver a message as clear as a bell, so that it is as digestible in as little time as possible.
To accomplish this, make sure your poster flows well to do that:
- make sure it is easy to read from a distance
- grabs the viewer’s attention with a main image or headline, then
- answers the questions who, what, when, where and how and
- leaves the least important details to the fine print
A great poster is simple.
In order to communicate your message, your poster should be relatively simple. If you bombard them with too much information, they’ll leave overwhelmed.
Remember:
- Less is more.
- Let it breathe! Leave enough white space so that the viewer can absorb the information.
- Choose complimentary color palettes
A great poster captures your attention.
When designing your poster, certain elements will capture the attention of your viewer above others. These include playing with:
High contrast
Dominant images
Bold and/or playful typefaces
Extreme minimalism
Bold color palettes
A monochromatic theme
A great poster motivates your viewer to take action.
Many posters serve to advertise shows, concerts, movies or other events. Your goal is to entice the viewer to respond to your art in some way, shape or form – by making a call, hitting up a website or heading to a show. Can you think of an out-of-the-box way for them to take action immediately, such as with a coupon code, QR code or by enticing them to enroll or sign up by a certain date for some wonderful reason?
A great poster knows where to call home.
When designing, it’s vital to keep in mind where it will call home. If it will exist in one environment only, you can cater its size and color to that environment. If not, make your choices understanding that this poster could live almost anywhere. Picture it both living in a dark dingy club or a on a bright red gallery wall.
A great poster starts a conversation with your viewer.
Most folks are on the move when they encounter a poster. If it’s clever in concept, they will be more likely to take time to interact with it. So, take the time to start a conversation with your viewer. Evoke an emotion in them. Make them laugh, think. Take them on a journey – if only for a moment.
A great poster is just plain lovely.
Yes, posters serve to communicate and call your viewer to take action, but they also serve as pieces of artwork. This only helps to reinforce their message. Enjoy the process!
Follow us on Pinterest for more posters we love!