Abstract
This study introduces Posters with Purpose, a volume that documents in-depth conversations with three globally acclaimed poster designers from the United States, Europe, and South Korea. As a designed artefact, this book is not merely a record of interviews and images—it serves as a visual metaphor for the values it explores—advocacy, empathy, and visual integrity. Conceptually, it unfolds as a palimpsest, layering personal stories, cultural contexts, and visual narratives that reveal the designers’ altruistic motivations and ethical practices. Grounded in cross-cultural perspectives, the posters featured in this book respond to critical contemporary societal issues—climate crisis, racial injustice, and gender inequality—foregrounding visual communication design as a tool for cultural commentary and contextualising the poster outside of consumerism. Posters with Purpose situates the poster as a persuasive and empathetic medium that transcends both language and geography, effectively resisting ephemerality and commercialised design culture. This research considers how the materiality of this book amplifies the messages of the images by using layout, texture, and pacing to deepen the reader’s engagement with visual narratives. The stories and images merge personal expression with urgent collective concerns, creating a vessel for visual narrative that bridges personal expression and shared social responsibility. It also reflects on how this publication repositions poster design within contemporary design discourse as an ethically driven, socially engaged, and materially resonant form.
Presenters
Lisa WinstanleyAssistant Professor, School of Art Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Visual Integrity, Poster Design, Visual Narrative, Materiality, Book As Palimpsest
