Poster Blog Post

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ROCKY POSTER

 

My infatuation with this poster comes from it’s creative use of white space to attract the viewer’s eye to the important information and imagery on poster. Firstly, the text is one color which makes it easier for the audience to read and understand what the poster is about. Secondly, the artist plays with two colors (red and white) to create the actual picture within, and makes a symbolic image of “Rocky” the boxer at the top of a set of steps; reminiscent of a critical moment in Rocky’s training in the film. And finally, the artist specifically used the color combination of red, white, and blue to convey the message that the movie is about an “all-american” boxer fighting to win something.

Week 3 Post: National Poetry Month Poster

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The poster promoting National Poetry Month is creative and unique. The eye is immediately drawn to the large red type displayed across most of the poster, which stands out against the plain white background. The letters look “messy” in a variety of sizes and angles, but this design works effectively for the poster because poetry is supposed to be creative, unique and individual. The letters seem to be floating out of the image of the hands, which connects to how poetry is supposed to flow. The designer probably chose a sans-serif font since the letters would look messy, chaotic and hard to read with added serifs. The sans-serif font also keeps the poster from looking too formal. I like how the rest of the poster is simple – minimal black text in an attention-drawing font with a white background. The black text matches the black-and-white image of the hand nicely, so the hand doesn’t look out of place. Also, the blue box on the bottom of the page provides separation and serves as a nice contrast to the red “National Poetry Month” type. I think the poster does a good job at promoting National Poetry Month and capturing the essence of the event.

 

WEEK 2 The Phantom of the Opera

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The beautiful poster for Andrew Webber’s opera-adapted film – The Phantom of the Opera – features fabulous design. The mixture of red and black conveys a mysterious, sad and dark phenomenon, which fits the touching but hopeless love in the film. Half of the phantom (the man in the poster)’s face is inside the dark color and the other half is behind the mask. It is just like him in the movie that he always lives in the darkness and hides the true self behind the mask.  The light on the girl, Christine’s, face implies that she is the only hope inside the phantom’s life. He wants to touch and own her.

The typeface also fits the poster and the story. Since The Phantom of the Opera talks about a classic love story happened in an opera house back to the 19th century, the classic font fits the story well. The larger size of “phantom” and “opera” highlights the main character and place of the story.

 

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Poster Critique

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The poster I chose to critique is the movie poster from Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. This poster is well designed because it effectively conveys a lot of information about the movie: The design of the labyrinth in the background, Jareth on top demonstrates that he’s the one in power, the complexity/overlapping of the creatures exemplifies the tagline, which is “where anything seems possible and nothing is what it seems.” I think the text that was chosen is appropriate to the film. It’s a novelty type, but the use of all capital letters and the brassy ombre fits in with the aesthetic of the rest of the images.

Week 3 Post

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For my poster critiques I chose the concert info posters for Dave Matthews Band. What draws me to these posters is that illustrations are changed to fit the concert venue. For example, the poster to the left has racehorses because the concert was to be held in Saratoga, which is known for its racetrack. The poster to the right has wave because it was to be held in Palm Beach. These posters do their jobs well. Immediately you’re attracted to the picture. Next, the giant Dave Matthews Band at the top. If you’re interested in the concert its very easy to look next to the date and venue written right next to the title. Both posters use a serif typeface that’s easy to read and draws the eye. They both have a very relaxed tone to them, which is consistent with the relaxed feel of the artist’s music.

 

Week 3 Gelb

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poster-designs-29{Save Water…Save Life}

In this poster, the eco-friendly message is conveyed through its simple and clear design. Combining the natural element of the growing life of the budding seedling coming out of the faucet represents the need for the seed’s need for water and our need to conserve Earth’s limited fresh water supply in order to create a more sustainable future. The chrome of the faucet against the blue and white background is shiny, clean and even reflective–possibly of a more sustainable future? Portraying the give and take relationship between nature and modern technology, the poster’s design effectively raises awareness to remain conscious of our water usage and cognizant of our environmental impact. I like the way that the reader’s eyes are drawn first to the vibrant green leaves growing from the faucet which is turned upside down so as to not let any water escape which continues the theme of the poster.

Power of Words

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This poster struck me as standing out from all other posters I searched primarily due to its color and white space. The first image I saw was the bigger white hand which intrigued me because I was wondering what the hand represented. After I saw the smaller hands reaching up and the type below the message hit me. The message the this poster conveys for Amnesty International is simple, yet powerful. The color is enough to grab your attention, but not overwhelming. The white space is what makes the poster so powerful. I feel as if the poster did its job and the message of the organization is clear.

 

WWF Posters

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80_grdI’m a big fan of Word Wildlife Fund posters. You might need to enlarge it to see it, but all those tiny colorful dots represent “all the world’s tigers.” I thought this was especially effective to their message, because it shows the viewer visually that there aren’t too many tigers left and that we need to save them. I also think this poster works well as an infographic, because it splits up the amount of tigers by region funneling down to South China–where only 20 tigers inhabit. It is incredibly minimalist, which I think makes it also look more modern and striking. The black, bold capitalized “ALL THE WILD TIGERS OF THE WORLD FIT ON THIS POSTER” at the bottom of the page gives it a very ominous tone and leaves the viewer with an empty feeling in their stomach. The design gives the issue and element of surprise and prompts the public to help the cause.

 

Week 2 Gelb

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Flickr_wordmark.svg

As a popular platform for image sharing, Flickr uses Frutgier Black in their wordmark. I think that the boxy-shaped letters of the Sans-Serif typeface has a clean feel that makes it easy to read. I like the square dot over the letter “i” that maintains the square style of the letters. Also, it is important to note the stylistic choice that was made to use five blue letters and one pink letter at the end. By having the first five letters “flick’ in blue, it isolates those letters and emphasizes the word “flick” which in my head makes me think of how it sounds like “pic” which aligns with the company’s role as an image host site. Similarly, the single and last letter “r” is a deep magenta that leaves the eyes on a bright, enticing note. I like that the wordmark conveys just enough playfulness and curiosity, but without taking away from its sense of professionalism.

 

NordstromLogo

Similar to the font “Optima,” the Nordstrom wordmark is a custom typeface specifically designed for Nordstrom’s use only. With the slightest flares at the end of the letters, it has subtle yet classy and refined style that exudes Nordstrom’s branding as a respectable household name. In addition, I like the tiny variations in its weight and thickness as it easily leads the eyes across the evenly spaced and capital letters. The use of all capital letters exudes a sense of strength and pride in the company. The Nordstrom wordmark is classic and elegant. As an avid shopper and supporter of Nordstrom, I’ve always been able to count on Nordstrom for quality service and products–Nordstrom’s powerful logo is justified as Nordstrom stands apart from the rest (just like the letters through the use of kerning).

 

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I like the design of this poster because it is straightforward and to the point. There is no elaborate typography or coloring to convey a message. Instead, the designer of this poster decided to use basic images to convey the message that reading is fun and makes children use their imaginations. Therefore, parents should encourage their children to read more.

I think this poster in particular drives home the point that graphic design doesn’t always have to consist of elaborate typography with gradient coloring and fantastic pictures. Sometimes the simpler the design is, the better and more effective it is. I don’t feel that here’s any need for improvement with this poster because it hits the nail on the head upon first glance – reading is fun; reading is engaging; kids should read more. The design and the message are so clear that children and adults alike can understand it.