Flat Design / Vector Minimalism vs WPA Poster
フラットデザイン / ベクターミニマリズム / WPAポスター
Flat Design / Vector Minimalism comes from UI Expression and WPA Poster from Public Design. Both are read here as style. They are reached for with some of the same intent, which is where they get confused.
Flat Design / Vector Minimalism
Reduces information to plain planes and color, portable across screens and media.
WPA Poster
Carries a public purpose broadly and forcefully through simple imagery and few printed colors.
| Flat Design / Vector Minimalism | WPA Poster | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 2010s– | 1935–1943 |
| Family | UI Expression | Public Design |
| Kind | Style | Style |
| Cues | Uniform planes / Simple shapes / Few shadows / Clear color | Simplified landscapes / Bold sans-serifs / Screenprint color / A clear call to action |
| Best used for | Light, understandable explanation · Large sets of consistent figures | Inviting participation in community, culture and public services · One-glance positive action for many people |
| Type | A rounded sans-serif | Heavy geometric sans in short imperatives |
| Composition | Simple silhouettes and clear hierarchy | One symbolic place or figure, large; information confined to top and bottom |
| Material | Three to five colors; shadows only when they mean something | Three to five flat colors, the paper's own tone, simple shading |
| Caution | Figures easily become generic. Define your own ratios, lines and color rules. | Don't borrow only the nostalgia. Be clear about who is being asked to do what, publicly. |