Posters

Posters are useful to attract attention and deliver concise information about a particular subject. Because of this, they are a favourite communication and education tool for non-profit organisations. When you add cartoons, posters can also surprise the audience and even make them chuckle - a sure way of ensuring the poster and hopefully the information it conveys will be remembered.

Bioversity Cacao Producers Project

Bioversity International, Peru 2019. This poster was commissioned to raise awareness of Peruvian cocoa farmers regarding the threat of Cadmium in their produce.
client feedback

"Alan is a genius at synthesising ideas into formats that attract attention and get the message across. Apart from being a great artist, he is professional, rapid, flexible and positive and able to work in English and Spanish without a problem."

Rachel Atkinson, Bioversity International, Peru

Gifted to Paul Butler, old friend and colleague at Rare. 2015. This cartoon banner hangs above Paul's bed and is a testimony to his colourful and highly effective career in conservation.

Rare Values Awards trophy poster

Rare EVAN Awards, Rare, USA 2012. The cartoon is not actually a poster; high-quality printed copies are framed and presented at the annual EVANs awards to acknowledge high-performing staff members. An award goes to one staff member per year for one of 5 different organisational values.

Gap Aid

'Don't use dodgy transport'.
'Don't be too conspicuous'

The two posters above were commissioned by GapAid, a charity that provides practical information and support to students travelling abroad on their gap year. UK, 2010.

The Global Canopy Programme

Land fill
The dangers of Aluminium.
Composting
client feedback

"Wow- they look fantastic, thank you. I know that the deadlines are ridiculously tight and I really do appreciate all the hard work you are putting in to meet them. Go Ape absolutely loved the cartoons, especially the corporate one, so much so that they would like you to do a couple more." - A. Crichton, John Krebs Field Station, Oxford, UK

"The proofs look fantastic! We really like what you've done with the concepts and think the messages are very clear throughout. They are superb! Excellent stuff...I'll be in touch again next week but in the meantime thank you so much for all your incredibly hard work and the fantastic ideas & cartoons you've provided. We're all delighted with the end product and I'm sure that everyone visiting GoApe will love them too! Thanks again for all your fantastic work! We're very pleased with the results." - J. Pike, John Krebs Field Station, Oxford, UK

The three posters above are about recycling and were commissioned to feature as large billboards in forest recreational centres in Britain. UK, 2007.

Board 1: an exotic encounter in a British forest
Board 2: exploring the Borneo rainforest using ropes
Board 3: viewing the canopy from above
Board 4: landing on the canopy!
Board 5: back home, with a new mission

The five panels above tell a story of a young boy and his exploration of the forest canopy in Britain and Borneo, accompanied by a remarkably enlightened orang-utan. Commissioned to feature as large billboards in the forest canopy walkway centres of Go Ape! in Britain.

Note: the layout of these panels is my own work for the purposes of presentation on this website.  

The Maned Wolf Conservation Project

Maned Wolf Conservation Project, Bolivia 2006. Texts by Louise Emmons. This poster is all about how persisting belief in folk medicine is affecting the endangered Maned Wolf in parts of South America.
Maned Wolf Conservation Project, Bolivia 2006. Texts by Louise Emmons. This poster focuses on the need for pet vaccination programmes in rural communities as a means of preventing the interchange of diseases between wild and domestic animals.
client feedback

"The AZA Maned Wolf SSP was delighted to play a small role in funding the conservation posters created by Alan Hesse and Louise Emmons. The information is presented in a fun and unique way, but the message clearly gets through to both children and adults. The first and second editions of the posters have been distributed to schools, national park staff, rural communities and local institutions and NGOs across lowland Bolivia, northern Argentina and parts of Peru. They are a very effective educational tool!"
Melissa Rodden, Maned Wolf SSP Coordinator, National Zoological Park, USA

Find out more about poster commissions