“Positive Posters is an international poster competition that publishes positive design in and around city streets all over the world. The aim is to inspire individuals and make a positive difference in the lives of people everywhere.”

How did the idea for Positive Posters come to you?

In March 2009 I was challenged by an industrial designer to explain how graphic designers could contribute to society in a way that would help people personally, emotionally etc. It was a fair challenge. From that discussion I later pictured major cities around the work being covered in a single poster at the same time each year that was socially positive. From that point on I have been working toward that goal. I believe 110% in the power that Communication/Graphic designers have to tap into people’s minds using clever imagery. It’s a talent that most people do not have and I think Positive Posters give designers the opportunity to use their trade to make an impact on people lives.

Do you think creativity could be a vehicle for change?

I think that all change begins with creativity. (Then it gets squashed by government, structures, middle management and bureaucracy)  When we let ourselves think, act and play creatively, we come up with new things that haven’t been done before and if we like, we can act upon these and create change.

What was the initial response like to the project and how has it grown since then?

The initial response was incredible. Our first meeting was help on a Tuesday night back in April 2009 and 50 people rocked up to our studio to hear me ramble on about this idea of holding competitions and covering cities in posters. I think the most interesting thing we have found is that the people who really get behind us are not designers, but people from all over the place who just love the concept.
We have grown a lot in one year. An additional full time team member is on board as well as 4 additional volunteers. We have also welcomed our first Principal Partner, Grill’d, the guys who make the burgers. They have come on board to help us put on things like the exhibition this year.

Do your receive many entries from war torn countries?

I wouldn’t say ‘war torn’, but the third most highest number of entries in 2009 came from Iran. (After Australia and USA). 

How do you go about checking for plagiarism in submissions?

It is of course impossible for us to check that each entry into the competition is original artwork of the designer. Like most design competitions, by agreeing that the terms and conditions, you confirm that all submitted artwork belongs to the designer and is original.

Can Design really make a difference?

Yes. Although I think it is difficult at times to measure this. How many people saw last years winning poster? We could make a pretty accurate guess there. How many people felt better about their day for seeing it? Now that is a lot harder to answer. Every now and then we get emails and messages from people letting us know how last years poster brightened their day etc. and I guess you can call that design making difference.

However, as the project continues to grow and develop, we are looking for ways to collaborate and partner with other organizations to help them incorporate design into the thing they are doing to increase their impact etc.
For example, we are currently working with The Salvation Army on a project which will see young homeless people be given the opportunity to display their own personally stories and messages visually to help raise awareness about the number of homeless youths living in Melbourne.

At the very least, design acts as a catalysts for creating change and difference.

Are the posters printed on recycled materials and do you print them all locally?

Last year the posters were printed locally by Finsbury Green who carbon offset all of their printing. Unfortunately the paper was not recycled. We couldn’t raise the money to afford that type of paper stock. This year our printers, Fish Print, are about as green as you can get. No water, soy inks, you name it, if its environmental they has got it going on. K.W.Doggett are helping us with the paper and at this stage we haven’t looked at stocks yet, but of course, if possible, we will be going for recycled stocks.

What do you think of Adbusters/Culture Jamming?

I like the idea of challenging the way in which we view and look at advertising and advertising space. We post our non-commercial designs in commercial spaces and that’s one of the things I love about the project. With enough support, we can mix it with the big corporations.

This is a hard questions to answer. Graphic designers need work, we need money, and sometimes that means going to work for Absolute Vodka or Nike or Coke, even if you don’t believe in the product or company that you are trying sell or promote.

How can people get involved and or submit work?

In the coming weeks we are going to launch what we are calling our “International Ambassadors Network”. The name needs some work, but idea is really cool. We will be taking applications from any/every city from people who would like to represent us in their city. If you love the competition and thing you could organize an exhibition in your city or past up some posters, they we will help you do it.

We are always looking for volunteers to help us run the competition and set up the exhibition etc.

Entries are now OPEN!.  All entries need to be submitted via our website. www.positive-posters.com

Tags: Nick Hallam, Positive Posters