This discussion panel program is a design I have repurposed again and again. It’s clean, modern and perfect for a law school – printed on an oversized piece of paper, commonly called “legal” (as opposed to “letter”). Folded in half, this common page size gives this discussion panel media an almost square 8 x 7-inch canvas and a very versatile grid structure.

Discussion panel media is always disposable. It serves its purpose for an hour and is unceremoniously trashed afterward. With this project, one of the goals was to create a design that would endure and find its way into bags and pockets. I was thrilled when one of the student organizers came by the office to sheepishly ask if I, “wouldn’t mind if he… um… hung on to… um, one of these posters… that is, if I didn’t mind too much.” I was delighted.

This design for discussion panel program and poster reverted to a classic modernist cover – riffing on one of the great strengths of Futura, which plays so well with this format – and offering a large square or rectangular image with text set left-aligned above, in the style of a 1950s or 1960s paperback. This works beautifully on trashy 1950s pul fiction as well as high-brow legal discussion panels about the constitutional powers of the various branches of government.