Teaching Students Visual-Design Skills by Having Them Study and Design Posters

In a college course about designing and producing presentation media, it was found that the students were quite motivated to study posters, particularly those that promoted rock concerts, and apply visual-design principles (such as balance, emphasis, contrast, and movement) when creating their own poster designs. Students not only learned to consider effective color combinations, type styles, and attention-getting visuals, but also how to appeal to target audiences successfully. It was stressed, in the course, that both poster designers and designers of presentation media have much in common, in that they both must get across their messages quickly and effectively.