Des Moines startup hopes to build community through design

… So—with the belief that posters are a great way to reach people outside your social circles—Ryan Morrison founded PosterZen. “I can go to a coffee shop and see posters for photography exhibits or concerts, but I wouldn’t necessarily have tried to search for it on Google,” Morrison said. “I think if somebody has a…


…So—with the belief that posters are a great way to reach people outside your social circles—Ryan Morrison founded PosterZen.

“I can go to a coffee shop and see posters for photography exhibits or concerts, but I wouldn’t necessarily have tried to search for it on Google,” Morrison said. “I think if somebody has a well-designed poster, I’m much more likely to think what they’re doing is cool and want to go to it.”

After years pursuing his passion as a photographer and working as a graphic designer, Morrison realized most people don’t know what they like aesthetically until they see it. So he and his team built a platform that allows users to input copy and then view their poster on a wide variety of designs. That way PosterZen users have their poster created in a number of different ways—all that’s left to do is choose one and download the file. 

Morrison also sites his family’s experiences as a reason he chose to pursue the company. “My mom also works in a small Iowa library and they do different things to try to involve the community that they need posters for,” he said. “But they have limited resources, can’t hire a graphic designer and are strapped for time.”

PosterZen became a resident at StartupCity Des Moines in February and at the end of August the four-person team officially launched its product. For only $1.99—a limited-time discount—users can design and download a custom poster for any event or occasion.

While Morrison hopes the startup will help connect members of the community, he also hopes that small businesses or organizations—like the library his mother works at—can utilize the platform for a polished, well-designed product. 

“As a business owner, you’re representing your business whenever you put something out there and you want to do that well,” he said. 

 

Learn more about PosterZen’s mission to help bring people together through aesthetically pleasing posters:

 

Credits: Opening image created on PosterZen. Ryan Morrison photo by Allie Lauritson with One:One Creatives. Video from Vimeo

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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One response to “Des Moines startup hopes to build community through design”

  1. […] Des Moines startup hopes to build community through design – “I can go to a coffee shop and see posters for photography exhibits or concerts, but I wouldn’t necessarily have tried to search for it on Google,” Morrison said. “I think if somebody has a well-designed poster, I’m much more likely to think what … […]