We recently published a 20-year retrospective of our posters. While organizing the posters we realized we had a whole section on social causes. From my experience, I know that posters have the ability to send a fast message to an audience, especially when the work pushes the status quo and makes the recipient question his or her beliefs and feelings. And, it’s a great medium for how we like to design.
Not only did I look for that kind of immediacy and strength when I judged projects for Ideas that Matter in 2004, but I also drew on an understanding of what we do well when we planned our project that was awarded an Ideas that Matter grant in 2003.
The idea that a designer can apply for a grant to send a message — whether it’s a poster or another form of communication — is exciting and encourages applicants to focus on what they do well in order to make a difference for their non-profit client.”