Public Service Advertisement
For this assignment, I wanted to use all four design principles to create a simplistic awareness poster about drug and alcohol use and moderation. I utilized contrast in the text to emphasize each part of the message I was trying to get across. I wanted it to be clear that my overall message was “Drink in Moderation,” so I though it was appropriate to use a bright blue at the bottom of the page. The plain black backdrop contrasts with all images and text in the foreground, focusing all attention to the subjects. I used the same font all over so the reader would realize that this is all one simple statement being made. I also used a vignette on both images to show that they were both being compared by the statement being made in the text. The alignment is all centered so the reader can start at the top and work their way to the end (bottom) without any distraction or confusion. Each image is placed just below the text that acknowledges it. The swimmer addresses the idea of limits (presented in the first line) and when we read the rest of the text we understand why some limits should and should not be challenged.
Drug and alcohol awareness is aimed (for the most part) toward teenagers and other people who have not taken the time to consider the consequences of their actions. These people will not take the time out of their day to read a pamphlet or even a paragraph about substances or any other warnings. I made this a simple poster so the viewer would have no choice but to finish reading it even after only a glance. The message is simple and leaves the reader with an understanding of their actions and their consequences. The images sit boldly on top of a plain black background to draw all attention to the text, which is supported by each photograph.
I used layer folders in Photoshop so I could easily toggle placement of each piece of text uniformly. In addition, I merged certain layers together for the same purpose, such as the white and red texts that sit on each other. I used the feather modification to provide a sort of vignette around each photo image to give it a more professionally done look. A professional look will let the message be taken more seriously by the observer.
"Moderation"
Created by Austin Cook
