Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

Summary of design ideas for the school festival poster

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
A Vocaloid producer who is also a music writerAraki Jakkan
I’ve worked in a variety of roles—regardless of pro or amateur settings—including live event PA, cameraman for video and photography, restaurant staff, and logistics center staff. I now spend my days as a part-time writer. I’ve contributed to music and manga websites with feature/review articles, and wrote the liner notes included as a bonus for 1st PLACE Inc.’s “IA SUPER BEST.” As for my music background, I started playing guitar in junior high and focused on band activities during my school years. For over 15 years since then, up to the present, I’ve continued releasing original tracks as a Vocaloid producer. My areas of expertise are Japanese rock, Vocaloid, and manga.

Posters are essential when preparing for the school festival!

Posters don’t just stay within the school—these days they spread on social media too.

To reach lots of people, eye-catching design is important.

Here, we’ll introduce design ideas for school festival posters that many people will notice.

There are many creative touches you can use, like color, shapes, and typography.

You can use these ideas as they are, but it’s also fun to add your own style and try a fresh design.

Let’s create posters that spark everyone’s interest and make the school festival a success!

Summary of design ideas for the school festival poster (11–20)

artist-photo style

If you want something that looks cool but also gets a laugh, try going for an artist promo photo vibe.

“Artist photo” (ā-sha) is shorthand for an artist’s promotional shot.

You’ve probably seen the promo photos of your favorite bands or idol groups, right? Use those as inspiration: take your photos and turn them into a poster.

You can go all-in on coolness, or imitate a famous promo shot for comedic effect.

By the way, if you tweak the contrast and background with editing software, it’ll look even more like a proper artist promo photo.

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Colorful, pop-style illustration

Posters that build excitement for a school festival are wonderful, aren’t they? One idea I’d like to suggest is to finish it with a colorful, pop illustration.

For example, how about placing a large character in the center and surrounding it with lots of items related to the festival exhibits? Including many objects will make the colors more vibrant and give it a lively feel.

In that case, I’d also recommend paying attention to the typefaces you use.

A pop-style font should match the illustration nicely.

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like a Japanese language dictionary

As a unique idea, I also recommend presenting it in the style of a Japanese dictionary.

You’ve seen a kokugo (Japanese language) dictionary before, right? The idea is to convey information following that format.

例えば、学校の文化祭を説明する場合は「文化祭」という項目を作成し、その横に読み方を記載し、続いて詳細な説明を付けます。

Try looking at an actual kokugo dictionary and making your piece as authentic as possible.

The more you choose words that likely wouldn’t appear in a standard dictionary, the more interesting your work will become.

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stippling

Easy at-home art: Pointillism (rose) making / Pointillism Art Rose / How to Draw #StayAtHome

stippling

Pointillism, which expresses gradations by layering dots or very short lines and varying their density.

Start by sketching the image you want to draw with a pencil.

You can also trace the image onto tracing paper.

The higher the density, the more impactful the result, so use a thicker pen for foreground elements and a finer pen for background elements, add many dots in shadowed areas, and work patiently and steadily.

It takes time and your hand may get tired, but one of its charms is that even beginners can easily give it a try!

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Leverage a free logo maker

【Free & Commercial Use OK】4 Logo Makers to Easily Create Stylish Logos 😄

You might be someone who wants to create a stylish logo but isn’t confident with image editing or design.

In that case, here’s an idea: use a free logo maker.

There are several types of free logo makers, and all of them let you create a logo that fits your needs without any specialized knowledge.

Start by trying major services like Hatchful or Wix Logo Maker.

If you’d like a bit more control over the design yourself, the design tool Canva is also recommended.

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Near-futuristic illustration

A poster design featuring illustrations brimming with a near-futuristic feel can give viewers a fresh sense of surprise and excitement.

A composition using machines and robots as motifs not only enhances a cutting-edge worldview, but also perfectly matches the creative vibe of a school festival.

By incorporating futuristic design elements into the background or central area, you can make participants and visitors feel as if they’ve stepped into a slightly different world than usual—and elevate the festival mood!

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Design ideas for the school festival poster (21–30)

Anime-style character illustration

Among character illustrations, how about trying a style inspired by anime films, like the works of directors Makoto Shinkai or Mamoru Hosoda? Anime-style illustrations are friendly and highly recommended.

In particular, if you create digital illustrations using a computer or tablet, I think you’ll find a different kind of appeal compared to hand-drawn analog works.

If you decide on the characters’ clothing and the background to match the cultural festival’s theme, the poster will likely convey its concept more clearly.

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