Design Today

Contemporary poster design, especially in recent decades, has gone through a number of transitional phases. In the 1990’s the design profession witnessed an unprecedented democratization of tools made possible these developments resulted in increasingly more affordable methods of producing printed design ephemera. Furthermore, our ability to instantaneously access seemingly unlimited amounts of information via the internet has significantly altered our relationship to print media, and more specifically, the poster. This shift has become so pronounced that the role of the poster in contemporary society serves only a fraction of the purpose for which it was originally conceived—as a tool for disseminating information. With the internet serving as our primary portal for consuming information, designers have more freedom than ever before to explore the possibilities of the poster. 

Analogous to the birth of photography in the 19th century—a catalyst which resulted in a loss of interest in realism and shift towards impressionism, abstract expressionism, and dadaism—the contemporary poster is undergoing a similar change in course. Therefore, the desire of young designers to create visually intricate expressions of concepts is a natural response to this opportunity. The juxtaposition of typography, photography, and illustration—popular in the early 90’s—gave way to more complex combinations of visual elements toward the beginning of the new millennium. For instance, the visual translation of information through data processing software—its integration as a layer in order to produce a rather complex image—opened new avenues of visual language creation for contemporary designers. The main difference between this new visual language and those of previous generations can be defined as a difference in requirements and intent. While in previous generations, type, photography, and illustrations were employed solely in the service of communicating a message, contemporary designers consider the poster purely as a canvas for visual experimentation. Thus, creating opportunities to challenge the notions of perfectionism and precision in design. 

The increasing importance and interest in the design process and its visual manifestation in final work is another fundamental characteristic of this new language. Through this, designers celebrate uncommon approaches to generating images and type: mundane and imperfect visuals, disguised contents (text or image) and their fortuitous collisions, bizarre crops, and the use of vandalized typefaces. Contemporary designers are no longer fearful of unpredicted incidents happening throughout their design process, rather, they attempt to merge these into their final work as another layer of meaning. Deconstruction, systematic visual chaos, and the use of broken and geometric typefaces are all attempts to reveal the elements that construct the poster—and eventually the essence of this medium and its creator.

International cultural exchanges, globalization, and the worldwide web have resulted in the birth and propagation of an international style, however this does not suggest the termination of traditional graphic design in individual regions. Some designers
aim to integrate local conventional approaches with these international movements, in an attempt to reach a personal language and partake in a much larger movement. Additionally, the number of author-designers—those who define the medium, format, visual design, and even the content itself—appears to grow continually. As a result, the poster, as well as many traditional forms of printed communication, are becoming vehicles for conveying ideologies and manifestos, posing questions, and examining concepts. More analogous to a personal laboratory, the poster has become a place where aesthetic elements and various modes of communication are explored and analyzed.