THE MODERN POSTER: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATION THROUGH VISUAL SYMBOLS AND METAPHORICAL IMAGES

The presentation will examine the interplay between cognitive processes and digital image manipulations involved in poster design – from initial conception to the final result.

Particular attention will be paid to concepts, iconography and cultural references by exploring the nature and form of the poster as a medium of social and cultural representation and how the design process is shifting within the context of an increasingly digitized world.

The printed poster is the visual conclusion of a complex array of decisions made by the graphic designer during the creative path. Normally, the public only sees the final outcome of this long and complex journey. What happens along the way, including conceptualization, image manipulation and, most of all, image selection, remains invisible.

Through several case studies, the presentation will examine in detail not only the printed poster’s meaning and iconography, but also, the impact of digital technology on the creative process itself. Multiple visual variations of the same concept will be presented, allowing the audience to question and debate the validity of the selection outcome.

The presentation is based on an in depth analysis of the speaker’s posters, most of which have been selected, exposed and published in various international design competitions. Other topics including ethics, the decline of the poster and the future of graphic design will be also discussed.