IRAN ART EXHIBITION: GET FAMILIAR WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF POSTER DESIGNS
They’re those snazzy one-pagers that seek to capture your attention while also serving up bite sized information.
You’ve seen them everywhere, plastered on the walls of the streets or tucked away in an email attachment.
While there’s a myriad of types and they all are varied in terms of themes and designs, they are all united in their goal to be persuasive and eye-catching.
Today, we’ll have an overview on all the different types of posters, running the gamut of advertising to travel, and find out what makes them special.
And to also inspire you with some examples.
Different types of posters:
1. Advertising
2. Informative
3. Motivational
4. Movie
5. Event
6. Travel
7. Research
1. Advertising
What are they?
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: Ad posters are typically used by brands of varying sizes for promotional purposes. But they’re also often used to champion a cause.
Either way, ad posters are designed to be heavy hitters in terms of sparking emotion in the viewer in order to incite action – whether it is to make a purchase, improve brand opinion, make a donation to a cause, or even a lifestyle change.
Why are they special?
Unlike other posters, which are usually more forthcoming in their goals, advertising ones are typically designed to house subliminal messages, are laden with symbolism and are meant to provoke, inspire, and even distress.
In short, if an ad poster is well-designed, it’s impossible to feel neutral about it.
Compared to other posters, ad posters are typically designed to have a “wow-factor” and can be hilariously funny or undeniably persuasive.
2. Informative
What are they?
Informative posters are exactly what they sound like – one-pagers that serve to well, inform.
They can vary in terms of their design, as some will look like infographics while others just contain visuals, but their goal remains the same across the board.
They all contain a multitude of factual information that aim to educate the viewer as much as possible.
Why are they special?
Unlike other posters, informative posters are always going to be fact-based and serve to help viewers become more data-informed.
Compared to other visuals where viewers can skim quickly and move on, readers of informative posters usually stay awhile to educate themselves.
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: However, unlike research posters, which we’ll be discussing later in the article, informative posters don’t require any background knowledge of the subject and are generally created to educate the layman.
They can also be more fun and whimsical in comparison.
3. Affirmation or Motivational
What are they?
Affirmation or motivational posters are one-pagers that have the sole purpose to inspire.
They usually contain motivational quotes or clever, catchy copy represented with large and bold typography, overlayed on inspirational background images that work to tug on the heartstrings of the viewer.
They’re always positive, and aim to make the viewer feel good.
Why are they special?
Unlike other posters that serve up information at either a bite-sized or longer format, affirmation and motivational posters aim to incite mainly positive emotions in the viewer.
These types of one-pagers are actually used as pieces of art, which some folks will feature in their homes or offices, or tools to help people improve their lives and can be referenced over and over again. This impactful motivational poster reminds viewers to live life to the fullest.
4. Movie Posters
What is it?
Fairly self-explanatory, but the movie poster is used to advertise or promote a film and serves as the cover of all promotional materials.
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: The one-pager’s very important job is to pique the viewer’s interest to search for the trailer, so in short, the movie poster has a high stakes role.
What makes it special?
Movie posters are a part of the ad poster family, but they stand out because their purpose is a little more focused and their message a lot more clear. It exists to create buzz around an upcoming film, or allow the viewer to make a decision towards buying tickets to see one currently in theatres.
More importantly, movie posters are designed to contain as many elements from the film as possible.
The costumes also clue fans of the trilogy into how authentic the film’s representation of the book will be.
5. Event Posters
What is it?
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: Event posters are also rather self-explanatory. They exist to drum up buzz and awareness for an upcoming event, and also to offer up bite-sized information and a little call-to-action. If done right, the event poster can build anticipation for your event and pique the interest of would-be attendees to learn more from your website.
Why is it special?
Event posters stand out because the poster’s design needs to be able to quickly and effortlessly tell the viewer what they can expect from the event, so the elements on the poster have to match the theme and mood.
This is because the poster has to do the important job of “selling” the event, but it also has to attract the ideal attendee.
6. Travel
What is it?
Before the days of social media, where people could not easily scroll through a feed and marvel about the beauty of a destination, there were travel posters.
Their aim was to inspire viewers to see the world, and also used by travel agencies and airlines to promote their services.
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: Which is why all the travel poster examples that you see are mostly vintage collectables, with modern versions mimicking the art deco / modernist style of the originals.
What makes it special?
Travel posters are special because they’re one of the few posters that can embody timelessness while still being modern at the same time.
They also have the primary goal of inspiring luxurious wanderlust in its viewers, encompassing only the most attractive elements of a destination – usually a key landmark. What’s more, a travel poster has the very important job of capturing the most beautiful, quintessential moments of its destination.
7. Research
What is it?
Research posters are typically used by the academic community to display their findings at conferences.
They’re text, data-heavy, but also leverage charts and graphs and other data visualizations to get their point across.
Why is it special?
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: They stand out because, unlike informative posters, research posters more serious in nature and oftentimes contain jargon and are created specifically for a target audience that already has a background knowledge in the topic.
They’re also perhaps the most text-heavy of all posters and require a lot more time and attention from the viewer.
Wrapping Up
When it comes down to it, there are certainly a handful of different posters with varying goals.
Whether it’s to tap into the emotions of the viewer, inspire towards a call to action, inform and educate – there’s no doubting that a poster is certainly a small but mighty communication medium to get a point across.
