Posters are a great way to promote a new event. Once you’ve settled on a design, they’re easy to produce and distribute, and can be a powerful tool in driving awareness and promoting genuine interest in your event. That being said, if you are a first time event organizer without access to the assistance of an experienced designer, choosing your poster design can be easier said than done!
Read on for tips from our event experts on creating an effective, visually pleasing poster for your new event.
Target Your Audience
You want your poster to attract attention and drive ticket sales for your event. In order to best achieve these results, you should select imagery, typography, and color schemes that reflect the vibe of your event and appeal to your ideal target audience. Think about it: would pastel pinks and blues and an elegant cursive font attract the attention of a potential attendee of your heavy metal concert? A bit of research into the likes and interests of your target demographic and checking out some poster designs for similar events can go a long way in determining whether or not you’re on the right track. Pinterest, Dribbble, and Behance are great websites for visual research when finding the proper look for your event.
Choose an Informative Headline
The headline must catch the attention of the viewer. In many cases, the name of your event or headlining acts may suffice, however, you might also consider a more descriptive headline to appeal to those unfamiliar with the event. Try straightforward lines like, “Party in the Park!” or “Concert Under the Stars,” which will both garner attention, and provide a high-level description of the event.
Convey Information Without Sacrificing Aesthetics
For the benefit of both your event and your audience, include relevant information regarding your event. Determine the essentials so you don’t overload the viewer with text. Include event name, venue, date, and time – and it’s always a good idea to include your event’s website and social profiles so interested viewers can learn more.
To direct the attention of your target audience, establish visual hierarchy on your poster using color, type weight, and/or scale. If you have a lot of information to convey, consider breaking it up around the poster. If you’re shooting for a minimalistic approach, consider utilizing negative space and a bold/brief headline to draw your audience in. Lastly, save room for logos if you have partners or sponsors for your event.
Consider Your Sizing Options
Standard poster sizes are 8.5×11″, 11×17″, and 18×24″. If you are designing a poster for a music festival, you are are most likely featuring the lineup for your event. As a result, you should use the larger sizes, such as 11×17″ or 18×24″, so you can feature your lineup at a legible size. Also, keep digital media in mind so you can optimize your poster for social media sizes during your design process. Standard social sizes include 1080×1080 pixels for Instagram, 1200×630 pixels for Facebook, and 1024×512 pixels for Twitter. Consider ways of cropping or resizing your poster to fit these sizes so your poster looks just as good online as it does in print.