AIGA Design for Democracy : League of Women Voters

Democracy Starts Here

The design for this nonpartisan “get out the vote” poster sprang from wide-ranging conversations between a young Venezuelan-American woman (Christina) and her aunt (Lana) about life in the world’s foremost democracy. Considering what might compel someone to vote, we decided to forgo bold graphics and instead invite people to slow down, read, and think deeply about the freedoms that democracy nurtures. Accompanying the passage by EM Forster is a campaign-worn slogan, recontextualized to breathe new meaning into the words. The poster, hand-lettered in English and Spanish by Christina Rigsby, celebrates 100 years of women’s voting rights and is part of a national exhibition by AIGA Design for Democracy and League of Women Voters. Download both posters free at aiga.org/vote.

Black Votes Matter

The AIGA Design for Democracy / League of Women Voters exhibition celebrates a century of voting rights uneasily, acknowledging that women of color didn’t gain that right until 1965. As a woman working on the project I found the discrepancy intolerable. And as a mother, I heard George Floyd’s dying plea as a call that cut across all racial lines, a petition to all mothers:  “Mama, vote.” : “Breathe, and vote.” Collaborating with artist Michael Ray Charles we visualized that call on placards, church fans, banners, and in this second submission to the AIGA poster exhibition. Download free at aiga.org/vote.

Related Work:  Black Lives Matter