Introduction to Poster Design
A course by 12caracteresDesign and Communication Studio
A course by 12caracteres, Design and Communication Studio
Learn the basic techniques to create conceptual designs that communicate and seduce
Posters are a unique form of artistic expression, illustrating cultural, social, and political opinions on the streets instead of museums. Design studio 12caracteres—founded by Samuel Aznar and Miguel Frago—specializes in creating highly impactful graphic solutions, rooted in a strong concept. The poster format is what has set them apart from the rest, combining design with emotional impact for clients such as TED, Oxfam Intermón, Ambar, Do Carñena, and Warner Music.
In this course, Miguel Frago, 12caracteres’ Creative Director, shows you his creative step-by-step process to creating a poster that is informatively direct and clear, capable of seducing an audience, and generating an emotion that stays engraved into the viewer’s mind.
What will you learn in this online course?
21 lessons & 23 downloads
What will we do in the course?
49 seconds
Poster history
12 minutes, 41 seconds
The poster: functionality and aesthetics
9 minutes, 44 seconds
The visual metaphor
4 minutes, 29 seconds
Techniques for generating images
7 minutes, 24 seconds
Special production techniques
3 minutes, 58 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by getting to know your teacher Miguel Frago, who will tell you about how 12caracteres began, and how they found a common perspective to visually communicate their ideas and concerns. Discover the studio’s main influences and their most prominent work.
Miguel briefly introduces the theory of the poster universe: what it is, what its functional needs are, and basic aesthetic guidelines. He also goes through the use of visual metaphors and the main production techniques to create a poster
Learn how to interpret a brief and face the creative process step-by-step, generating impactful concepts that unfold the solution that adapts to your commission.
Once the base idea is defined and you’ve mapped out your graphic style, design the poster’s main idea, selecting the typography and your other elements.
Finally, prepare a document to present your finished poster to your client and test its versatility by applying it to different print and digital formats.
What is this course's project?
Design a poster with the theme of your choice, following 12caracteres’ creative process.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
For students, illustrators, designers, graphic artists, or anyone with an interest in learning how to create posters with a strong formal and conceptual process.
Requirements and materials
You don’t need design experience to take this course, however, it's recommended to have basic drawing skills, and know how to use software such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, or another, where you can work with images and typography.
As for materials, you’ll need a pencil, paper, a computer with Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator installed.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
Un buen punto de partida para aprender a diseñar Carteles.
- 6 months ago
Está muy útil para quienes no tenemos conocimiento de base como diseñadores, da muy buenos cimientos.
- 1 year ago
Gostei muito da parte histórica sobre os cartazes e das referências apresentadas. Isso me ajudou a começar a pensar melhor na composição visual dos elementos, no conceito de espaço vazio, e em como tudo isso influencia a leitura da imagem. As aulas direcionaram minha busca por novos conteúdos e abriram novas formas de olhar para um cartaz.
- 1 year ago
Increíble curso, empecé con un proyecto de grado acerca de los carteles y este curso fue mi base en la mejor experiencia. Lo recomiendo!!!
- 1 year ago
muy buen contenido para el diseño de carteles
They’re passionate about designing posters related to cultural events, where they are able to let their fully express creativity and reap its full potential. They have developed posters for concerts and social events for organizations such as TED, Oxfam Intermón, Ambar, Do Cariñena and Warner Music.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
The poster: resources and context
- Poster history
- The poster: functionality and aesthetics
- The visual metaphor
- Techniques for generating images
- Special production techniques
- The irruption of the digital world
- U3
The conceptual part of the project
- The assignment: development and analysis of the briefing
- Create key concepts
- How to communicate the concept visually. Define the graphic style
- U4
The practical part of the project
- Sketch and define the central motif
- Production resources
- The creation of the central motif of the poster
- Shooting
- The typographic selection and layout of the main piece 1
- The typographic selection and layout of the main piece 2
- U5
End applications
- Presentation of the proposal to the client
- Adaptation of the poster to different printed and digital formats
- Final art
- FP
Final project
- Introduction to Poster Design
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You'll learn to create posters and covers using both hands-on and digital techniques, including collage, visual metaphor, typographic composition, and photography—blending traditional and modern methods to communicate strong visual ideas.
Yes, this course is designed for those with intermediate graphic design skills who want to deepen their creative and conceptual techniques applied to posters and publications.
Basic knowledge of software like Photoshop and Illustrator is recommended, as part of the course covers digital techniques for creating and laying out posters and covers.
You'll need access to graphic editing software, manual materials like paper, scissors, glue, cutouts, and objects for collage, plus a camera or smartphone for photography and a scanner to digitize textures.
The course covers both manual and digital collage, mixing old engravings, conceptual illustration, paper cutouts, and photomontage to create original images and illustrated covers.
Yes, the course includes designing posters for cultural events, concerts, and advertising campaigns, covering creative processes, conceptualization, and adapting to various formats.
You'll learn about professional printing techniques, special inks like thermochromatic ones, optical finishes, and interactive features such as posters with Bluetooth or lenticular effects.