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Made Difficult
I try and make every job that I do different from any other job that I have ever done before. That´s my way of making graphic design difficult.
160 pages, Unknown Binding
First published December 22, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 21, 2012
Frickin' amazing! I've always felt like I lacked some essential talent for creativity. This book unlocks some of the mystery of how to create really good, original design. The key is changing how you look at the problem, rather than trying to come up with an original solution to the existing problem. "If I could express the uniqueness of what the problem was trying to communicate with an image which was valid only for that problem, then I could invent a unique image. In other words, defining a unique problem should inspire a unique solution."
p. 17 Don't need great design for interesting content. Need it for boring content. Use boring design for interesting content--they shouldn't compete.
Use existing images in a new way to make them your own. Great ideas don't need a lot of embellishment--die cuts, gold stamping, embossing, etc. Common images carry great communication power--almost guaranteed to be effective if used in a fresh way.
p. 71 Look for relationships between two concepts to make one image.
ex. logo for a play about the personal triumph of a defeated boxer -> simple image relates triumphant fighter and woman => arm up with boxing glove; woman's hand on wrist.
ex. illustration for a speedwriting course -> relationship between speed and writing => pen with fast motion lines
p. 87 "Take any idea or graphic direction as far as you can take it. And then, after you think you've taken it as far as you can, you'll find that you can take it further."
ex. magazine illustration of heavy traffic -> ultimate heavy traffic? >1 car in same space => street scene with cars overlapping
p. 95 portrait not just likeness. Should have point of view/opinion about subject. That determines everything else: style, level of detail, level of realism, hardness, softness, decorativeness, period, medium, etc.
ex. illustration for a course on running a business at home -> how can you tell if someone's working at home? => guy in suit on top answering phones; under desk, he's wearing pajamas.
ex. logo for film Julius Caesar -> one image to convey Caesar once adored, later destroyed => statue head broken on ground
p. 119 upset reader's equilibrium with images that appear normal but are actually impossible or have their own internal logic
ex. logo for NY Art Director's Club exhibition -> art directors present awards to each other but bitter rivals => two guys in suits shaking hands, each with a third arm behind his back, ready to murder the other
p. 131 bad design not client's fault. Show him only your best design at a time. Even stupid criticism can be used to improve the design.
p. 17 Don't need great design for interesting content. Need it for boring content. Use boring design for interesting content--they shouldn't compete.
Use existing images in a new way to make them your own. Great ideas don't need a lot of embellishment--die cuts, gold stamping, embossing, etc. Common images carry great communication power--almost guaranteed to be effective if used in a fresh way.
p. 71 Look for relationships between two concepts to make one image.
ex. logo for a play about the personal triumph of a defeated boxer -> simple image relates triumphant fighter and woman => arm up with boxing glove; woman's hand on wrist.
ex. illustration for a speedwriting course -> relationship between speed and writing => pen with fast motion lines
p. 87 "Take any idea or graphic direction as far as you can take it. And then, after you think you've taken it as far as you can, you'll find that you can take it further."
ex. magazine illustration of heavy traffic -> ultimate heavy traffic? >1 car in same space => street scene with cars overlapping
p. 95 portrait not just likeness. Should have point of view/opinion about subject. That determines everything else: style, level of detail, level of realism, hardness, softness, decorativeness, period, medium, etc.
ex. illustration for a course on running a business at home -> how can you tell if someone's working at home? => guy in suit on top answering phones; under desk, he's wearing pajamas.
ex. logo for film Julius Caesar -> one image to convey Caesar once adored, later destroyed => statue head broken on ground
p. 119 upset reader's equilibrium with images that appear normal but are actually impossible or have their own internal logic
ex. logo for NY Art Director's Club exhibition -> art directors present awards to each other but bitter rivals => two guys in suits shaking hands, each with a third arm behind his back, ready to murder the other
p. 131 bad design not client's fault. Show him only your best design at a time. Even stupid criticism can be used to improve the design.
October 21, 2015
Impressive.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews