Simplicity
Looking about the world wide web for inspiration, I recently stumbled upon designer Albert Exergian’s blog (http://exergian.tumblr.com/). It’s filled with his own take on poster designs for popular television shows. What struck me the most is how simple the work is and yet it still encapsulates the particular show’s essence. He uses simple shapes and bright colors in a very effective way.
Of course, it does require some knowledge of the show’s premise to understand what Exergian is trying to accomplish. The show True Blood, a show about vampires, is represented with two sideways triangles that one can only interpret as fangs if one already knew what the show was about. Even the poster for the Simpsons still calls for the viewer to remember that Homer Simpson’s hair is merely a thin, zig-zag line.
I think what I really like about his designs is how they engage the viewer’s past experiences. How those images are activated by simple shapes and lines. He has managed to simplify the shows to a point where any more work would pretty much lead to a blank poster. But what little he gives us says so much.
I hope to apply Exergian’s designs to a project I am currently working on: a poster for bicycle safety. Hopefully, I can design a basic design that clearly cues bicycle safety the way Albert Exergian has done so impressively.
