wpa poster

The Work Progress Administration (WPA) was the largest "New Deal" agency under president FDR. The original posters "..were designed to publicize health and safety programs; cultural programs including art exhibitions, theatrical, and musical performances; travel and tourism; educational programs; and community activities." (source)

Our assignment was to modernize the WPA posters, focusing on present day issues. I chose to focus on the plastic vs. reusable bag issue, something I have been trying to be more conscious of lately. Last semester, I gave a persuasive speech on the topic for a communications class, and what I found out then has really stuck with me. According to Reusablebags.com, 1 million plastic bags are consumed per minute! Plastic bags that end up as litter harm and kill animals, don't biodegrade, and are of the "12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation." (source) By choosing reusable bags instead, we can make an impact.

I was inspired by the layout of this WPA poster, for it's minimal text and very large, bold graphic which communicates most of the point. I really enjoyed doing this assignment in Illustrator.