When it comes to subject matter for designs, posters can express a variety of different ideas with a multitude of different styles. Is it any wonder why something so versatile is so popular? In this week’s blog post, we look back on some stylish Silver winners and some thought-provoking new entries.
Originally submitted to Graphis’ Designers for Peace poster competition “United with Ukraine / Designers for Peace” (above, left) was designed by Portuguese designer and Graphis Master João Machado as a way to show support and stand in solidarity with Ukraine as the country continues to face Russian forces. A black tank points its piked nose to the sky, where it sets off paintball-like explosions in Ukraine’s colors. Various shades of blue and yellow are also splotched on the tank, showing it’s been hit by fallout from its own attacks or another tank. Between the color palette and the paint splatters, the poster is almost playful, though that feeling is ruined by the bit of blog red hidden behind one splatter that hints at how this conflict isn’t a game. Indeed, although the tank’s nose is pointed upward, its lights point right at the viewer, almost breaking the fourth wall and creating a sense of urgency to move before the tank plows you over.
Taking a break from our current competition, let’s look back at a 2023 Silver-winning poster by Byoung il Sun. The piece, “Fake News” (above, right), Fake news is a serious social problem. It is a concept with a message that illegal activities of spreading and sharing fake news can ruin our lives. A woman’s face superimposed on a sheet of crumpled-up newspaper full of headlines featuring the words “fake news.” In the upper left corner, a message reads, “We Can’t Stop Fake News From Being Made, But We Can Stop Sharing It.” Like the image, it is distorted and spread out. Working together, the words and picture are a visual and verbal metaphor in which our ordinary lives are distorted and ruined by fake news.
