For a long time, now, I’ve been a contributor to the ephemera that surrounds us. This morning, I’ve joined the ranks of many poster designers (both wretched and exalted) on gigposters dot com.

In the graphic design community, the word “ephemera” is used often - sometimes to describe resources or references, and sometimes to describe visual work of all kinds collectively. Wikipedia currently considers “ephemera” to be:

“transitory written and printed matter, not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day.

Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, baseball cards, bookmarks, cigarette cards, greeting cards, letters, pamphlets, photographs, postcards, posters, stock certificates, tickets, and zines.”

Don’t you find it interesting that, in this description, they initially emphasize the temporary, disposable aspect of the definition, then list examples of that are generally kept or preserved?

I suppose that, in order to do my job, I have to think that good design deserves a place - if not necessarily in history, then in our collective memories. Good ephemera lasts more than a day.