Demystifying Graphic Design: How Posters Work 
Ellen Lupton, Curator, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
-
-
1. Introduction
1:58 -
2. Assignment
1:27 -
3. Tell a Story
8:41 -
4. Activate the Diagonal
6:23 -
5. Simplify
8:38 -
6. Overlap
4:54 -
7. Focus the Eye
7:07 -
8. Assault the Surface
6:33 -
9. Visiting Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
7:03 -
10. Creating a Poster
10:39 -
11. Final Thoughts
0:53 -
12. Learn More with Ellen Lupton
0:36
-
Project Description
Design a film poster.
ASSIGNMENT
Design a film poster, using the six core techniques to create narrative, tension, and excitement. Will you tell a story? Simplify icons? Use overlap or diagonals to create movement? Or will you — if you dare — assault the surface?
Select a movie with a simple object in the title, such as Rear Window, 12 Angry Men, The Matrix, or Gone Girl. Use the attached list for inspiration. Draw by hand, jump on the computer, or experiment with materials. Try a few different approaches, and be sure to play!
DELIVERABLE
Share your poster in the project gallery. A complete project might include:
- Movie title brainstorm
- Sketches
- Final poster design(s)
Don't wait to upload your project all at once! Dive in, ask questions for student feedback, and update it over time.
RESOURCES
Books
- Buy Ellen's beautifully illustrated book, How Posters Work
- Explore Design as Art by Bruno Munari
- Also see: Graphic Design: The New Basics, Second Edition by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips
Links
- Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
- Typography That Works: Typographic Composition and Fonts (Skillshare Class) with Ellen Lupton
Files
- Design Principles: Download the class slides below.
- Project: See below for movie prompts and slides from The Birds poster project.
__________
This class is presented in collaboration with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Resources
Student Projects
