People may not realize it but design posters make all the difference when it comes to the creation of awareness, or advertising or when one is simply trying to relay some information. Ever since the printing press was invented, posters have been in use especially for the purpose of marketing.
However as time went by, more and more people have seen the need of posters for so many uses, not just for public use, but for personal use as well. As a matter of fact, the need became so dire that it became a market demand and that is why there are quite a number of poster manufacturing companies to supply for the demand.
It has always been paramount that when trying to get across some information, one should be able to catch the eye of the target audience and what better way than with the use of poster design? It is important to know however, that there are certain elements in place that will lead you into creating sustainable design posters. Thus as is expected there are quite a number of things that one has to put into consideration when creating their poster.
The purpose behind it
To begin with, one has to keep in mind the purpose for which the poster is being created. Now even though people might see it and think of it as yet another poster, the designers usually have to think them through in terms of creativity and design methods. The first step of knowing the purpose of the poster will help in setting a tone or the mood for the poster. It will determine whether it should be a serious poster with dull colors and formal writing styles, or if it is an informal poster that gives the designer some freedom to get as creative as possible.
The target audience
With the purpose of the poster in mind, it gets easier to do other things. When you know the purpose of the poster, you will automatically know the target audience of the poster, and if it is not clear or evident, you will have to find out. The reason why knowing your target audience is important is because different people of different ages react to what they see differently.
And because the nature of the method in which you will be relaying your message is in visuals, you would not want people who are meant to see the poster go right by it without giving it a second thought, all because you got an aspect all wrong, so it is best to know your target audience and avoid such a scenario all together.
Focus of the poster
The next step in the creation of your poster is getting the right way to put across the message. Whether it is an ad campaign, an invite or just spreading awareness, it is important that the main focus of the poster is on the message being relayed and not something else that just so happens to also be in the poster, like a certain word or a picture or illustration.
The last thing you want is to reach your target audience and give them a different message from the one that you were really trying to get across. So in order to avoid this, you have to make sure that the dominant element in your poster is what you are trying to market or advertise or create awareness about.
There are certain ways in which you can go about this. One, you should consider the topography that you have chosen to use. Is it ideal? Does it appear appealing to the eyes and is it also readable to the target audience?
If you will be able to keep in mind the above guidelines you can be sure to create a poster that will satisfy the need that led to it being made, and it will also not only reach its target audience, but also insight a reaction towards it.
Raymond Bilger 
Daryl Green