Stevenage Showdown: 5 years of posters

As Stevenage Showdown 2027 is in the pipeline - I have been looking back at my previous 5 years of designs. Stevenage Showdown is one of my favourite posters - because it offers much more scope for creativity and ideas - Stevenage Showdown: 5 years of posters

Stevenage Showdown 2022

My first Stevenage Showdown poster leant into the 'Showdown' aspect - and I combined it with my interest in American West History - but taking inspiration from a book cover from Tom Calvin

I was reading this book at the time and had fell in love with the cover design - plus a darts show with the motif of a gun fight, especially called SHOWDOWN, made perfect sense

I created the town, gunfighter and cameos of all the players - as well as the Wild West Font - but VIVIDLY remember that it didn't look like a darts poster - so I added the board behind the cowboy.

Looking back, i love this poster, yet would never do it again - it just doesnt sell darts!

Stevenage Showdown 2023

Taking inspiration from an entirley different source - THE X MEN. I was in a phase of using pop culture to base my designs on (something I am not entirely out of) and liked the concept of the focus points (the players) within the design as opposed to on top of it

Its not a million miles away - and I actually still really like this poster - because it leaves a lot of room for the text, info and sponsors (even though I have really over done it with the strokes!)

Stevenage Showdown 2024

2024 had a BIG SHOW theme and really leant into the 'SHOWDOWN' once again. I remember that font was also used on a WSDT poster and i really liked it - plus there was a point in my life I was obsessed with stage sets and curtains on a poster - to symbolize the Opening of a show and the poster being the first time you see the event

It was decided this year that trophies were important to show too!

Stevenage Showdown 2025

NEONS! I loved this one - it felt like i was turning a corner in my design work. I do enjoy the visual of neons and 1980s style - especially for a poster where a big part of the point is to catch peoples attention as they are scrolling on their socials

Its even got a Dartboard in it again - which is always important, to show people in that split second that they see it, what its a poster for!

I still use Neons in posters from time to time - but it all started with this

Stevenage Showdown 2026

Textures! I love working with colours and aim to make every image unique - it was this basis that lead me to wanting to see if I could create a WHITE poster. I was also experiementing with textures and overlays. This poster has the effect of a painters pallette and has a lot of weird and wonderful paint patterns to match the players shirts, the dartboard has survived too!

I am delighted to say I will be designing the Stevenage Showdown 2027 graphics as well and am excited to reveal it - Its nice to know that its, once again, very different to what we have done previously!