YEAR 5 VISUAL
COMMUNICATION -
ECO-FRIENDLY POSTER DESIGN.

INQUIRY: THE GRAPHIC DESIGN PROCESS CAN CREATE
IMPORTANT MESSAGES TO COMMUNICATE TO THE WORLD.

TASK 1: ARTIST STATEMENT AND
CREATING A TIME-LINE OF POSTERS THROUGH THE AGES.
• 1A: Write an Artist’s statement by answering these questions:
• What do you know about posters?
• Have you ever made a poster?
• Why do we make posters?
• How do you think you might create a poster?
• Which elements of art do you see in a poster? E.g. line, colour, shape, balance,
cropping, hierarchy, scale, contrast, pattern, type.

TASK 1 CONTINUED:
• 1B: After discussing and viewing the various posters through history, create a
timeline. Example below. You can hand draw / collage the time line or create on
your ipad. An example picture should be beside each. E.g. a poster by Andy
Warhol from the 1960’s. Be creative in your presentation. (Assessed).
POSTERS THROUGH TIME.
16TH CENTURY
19TH CENTURY
World War 2
1960’s
21st Century
PICTURE
PICTURE
PICTURE
PICTURE
PICTURE
PICTURE
TODAY

A LOOK AT POSTERS THROUGH HISTORY.
16th Century
The first posters took the form of printed notices. They
started to replace the town-crier and were largely text-
based.

A LOOK AT POSTERS THROUGH HISTORY CONTINUED
• 19th Century
• Visually interesting posters were
appeared with pictures and text.
Improved printmaking meant 3-
colour posters. Mostly theatre
companies and book publishers in
London & Paris created them. They
were mostly very large so that they
were understood quickly and able to
be seen from a distance.

A LOOK AT POSTERS THROUGH HISTORY CONTINUED
• 20th Century: French painter, Jules
Cheret created many captivating
posters between 1860’s-90’s.
Including vibrant performers and
night-life.
• Later, Artist Toulouse Lautrec
created posters of the Moulin
Rouge. They were known for their
expressive nature, humour and
strong colours and lines.

A LOOK AT POSTERS THROUGH HISTORY CONTINUED
• World War 2: with the outbreak of
war the role of the poster changed.
Suddenly the power of persuasive
images and words was seen as being
able to change the course of history.
Before TV & movies, the poster was
the cheapest & effective way to get a
message across. It could reach 100’s
of people and communicate in bold
& clear ways.

A LOOK AT POSTERS THROUGH HISTORY CONTINUED
• 20th Century: the importance of the
traditional paper poster declined as
photography, radio and TV became more
important.
• 1960’s: Posters began to have a role in
protesting, advertising and promoting
festivals and music. The silk screen process
became the common method.

A LOOK AT POSTERS THROUGH HISTORY CONTINUED
• 21st Century: Posters are most
often printed digitally and are
used alongside other forms of
advertising such as TV, radio
for political, social and cultural
purposes with persuasive
images and text. Often slogans
are included and logos.

A LOOK AT POSTERS THROUGH HISTORY CONTINUED
• TODAY: Posters are created in large formats. They are displayed alongside TV,
radio, social media, internet and are digitally created using various apps.
Designers are highly trained in visual communication skills. Posters can
communicate a strong message, or important information, promote products or
raise awareness.

DESIGN ELEMENTS AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES USED
IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION & DESIGN.
• The design elements and
principles shown here are
A vitally important part of
visual communication and
design. Graphic designers
use these elements and
principles in all of their
work, just as you do as an
artist when you plan & use
colour, line, shape, pattern,
texture, in your paintings.

TASK 2: LEARING ABOUT DESIGN ELEMENTS &
PRINCIPLES.
2A: ’TYPE’ = TYPEFACE = THE FONT USED FOR WRITING. TYPEFACES CAN HAVE
STRONG PERSONALITIES AND CAN INFLUENCE THE MOOD OF A MESSAGE.

2A: TASK- CREATING MEANING OF A WORD
THROUGH TYPE.
In your visual diary CHOOSE 2 OF THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND EXPRESS THE
MEANING OF THE WORD THROUGH THE TYPFACE YOU CHOOSE. SKETCH THE WORDS
ONTO PAPER AND USE COLOUR AND TONE TO ENHANCE THE MEANING.
STICKY
SCARY
STRONG
ELEGANT
FAST

TASK 2: LEARING ABOUT DESIGN ELEMENTS &
PRINCIPLES. CONTINUED….
• TASK 2B: 1 poster design 2 different ways.
Considering Colour, Type, Proportion, Contrast,
Cropping, Hierachy – Choose an existing poster
and change it.. Do in your visual diary.
• Do this by:
• Re-drawing the design
• Changing the colours.
• Changing the hierarchy of the pictures (make 1
picture more important /bigger than others)
• Changing the contrast (the lights and darks in the
image)
• Changing the name of the product or title.
• Changing the ‘type’ (font).

TASK 3: CREATING A SMALL PRACTICE POSTER.
• Reflecting on your knowledge of how to use ‘type’, colour,
hierarchy, contrast and other design elements and principles;
create a poster of na eco-friendly product.
• You may choose between 1: an eco friendly holiday lodge OR
2: eco friendly face masks.
• In your poster design you need to consider:
• What images you will include,
• Choices of colours, type, composition, cropping, contrast, line,
tone.
• Include a heading / name for your product.
• Explain the product – what are its best features?
• Do this in your visual diary. This is a practice piece , so it may
be in sketch format.

TASK 4: MOOD BOARD /
MIND MAP.
• Reflecting on your knowledge of posters,
design elements and principles and
experience creating posters and designs in
this unit.
• Choose an eco-friendly product ( you may
like to talk to your parents and friends to get
ideas).
• Create a mood board / mind map which
shows your research and planning for a
poster.
• Include; images, information about the
product, other posters you have seen of this
or similar products, sketches and notations,
colour considerations.

TASK 5: HIGHLY FINISHED POSTER
• By referring to your mood board and reflecting on
your knowledge of posters, design elements and
principles and experience creating posters and
designs in this unit.
• Create a highly finished poster of your eco-friendly
product. This must be created on the large heavy
weight paper you collected. You can include
elements that are hand drawn, collage, elements you
have created on your ipads and put all together into
the one poster.
• The design elements and principles must be
considered.
• Make sure you are communicating your message the
best way you know how through your poster.
• This piece is assessed.