by Jan White
Also by this author
EDITING BY DESIGN (FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD EDITIONS)
DESIGNING FOR MAGAZINES (FIRST AND SECOND EDITIONS)
MASTERING GRAPHICS
USING CHARTS AND GRAPHS
GRAPHIC IDEA NOTEBOOK (FIRST AND SECOND EDITIONS)
ON GRAPHICS: TIPS FOR EDITORS
THE GRID BOOK
THOUGHTS ON PUBLICATION DESIGN
GRAPHIC IDEA TRIGGERS
GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR THE ELECTRONIC AGE
COLOR FOR THE ELECTRONIC AGE
GREAT PAGES
COLOR FOR IMPACT
LEARN GRAPHIC DESIGN (VIDEO)
© 1980, 1991, 2004 by Jan V. White
Originally published by Watson-Guptill Publications, 1980
second edition published by Rockport Publishers, Inc., 1991.
All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan-American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.
08 07 06 05 04 5 4 3 2 1
Published by Allworth Press
An imprint of Allworth Communications, Inc.
10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
Cover design by Derek Bacchus
Page composition / typography by Jan V. White
ISBN: 1-58115-354-6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
White, Jan V., 1928–
Graphic Idea Notebook: A treasury of solutions to visual problems
Jan V. White. — Completely rev. 3rd ed.p.cm.
ISBN 1-58115-354-6
1. Graphic design (Typography) 2. Layout (Printing) 3. Magazine design. 4. Editing.
Printed in Canada
McKenzie
Writers conceive ideas in words. Designers imagine in images. Successful communication-in-print is an indissoluble blend of their skills, despite their traditional rivalry, misunderstanding, and professional prides and prejudices.
Such blending is not easy, especially when the aim is “CREATIVITY”—that desperate search for originality. Inventing anything from scratch is hard and, trust me, there ain’t nothing new under the sun. Inspiration comes but rarely. Awaiting the Muse’s kiss can be frustrating.
What to do? You can cop out, say “I’ll sleep on it,” and hope the brain will perform its magic as it sometimes does, but that’s a bit risky. It may not oblige by deadline. Settling down and thinking (i.e., working at it) is more reliable but hard. Cool it.
FESTINA LENTE, hurry slowly. First, find the obvious, then use it as a springboard. Work it up, develop it and what may start as a trite cliché can metamorphose into a fresh and striking visual. Such a caterpillar you turned into a butterfly has a huge advantage: your audience is likely to recognize and understand it.
Hence this book. Flip through the pages, relax, open your mind, and allow the images to trigger ideas. Examine them in the light of your specific problem. Or look for clues in the words.
That caterpillar may well be hiding in one of the categories into which the material is organized. If it isn’t, then random page-riffling is perfectly legitimate and probably ultimately more fruitful. This is an ideal cogitating-on-the-john-book.
If this is all so obvious, why do we do it so seldom in real life?
Publishing has been considered a risky business: first picture of printing: “Death and the Printer” La Grant Danse Macabre, Matthias Huss, Lyons, 1499.
Author presenting Work to Philip the Good? No! Author delivering MS to editor. History of Jason, Haarlem, 1485.
Carrier pigeons could fly up to 700 miles a day and were the most efficient means of fast long-distance communication in 1481 when this woodcut was made. It shows a town in Syria, from Mandevilie’s Travels in the Orient.
Entrepreneur and secretary? No! Circulation director and art consultant planning campaign. Thesaurarium artis scriptoriae, Caspar Neff, Cologne, 1549.
Clip-art is fine. Without it, word-and-picture communication would be even more difficult than it already is. It would certainly be less startling, less decorative, and certainly much less fun.
Clip-art books and CDs group images by subject to illustrate specific elements. The pictures tend to be literal depictions of physical objects and the collections perform a vital function as storehouses cataloged for optimal retrieval of something you already know about and are looking for. Like a verbal thesaurus, you get lots of alternates. Reject the one that looks most startling. Pick the one that makes the most sense with the message.
As far as they go, ready-made images are wonderful. Imagine working without such wonderful old woodcuts as these. For instance, any time you see some historical reference made to the publishing and printing trades, you’ll probably see one of the pictures at right. In 1568, Sigmund Feyerabend of Frankfurt-am-Main in what is now Germany, published the Ständebuch or Book of Trades, with 119 woodcuts by Jost Amman and text in rhyming poems by Hans Sachs. They have become part of our visual language. PAPERMAKER, TYPE FOUNDER, WOODBLOCK ENGRAVER, DESIGNER, ILLUMINATOR-ILLUSTRATOR, PRINTER, BOOKBINDER, PARCHMENT MAKER, PAINTER. A few more such jewels are shown on this page, purely for the fun of it. Besides, they are all in the public domain, so you can swipe them, scan them, use them without permission, without a fee, and without worry.
But this is not a clip-art book…this is a collection of visual ideas
The pictures are not intended to be realistic “illustrations” of specific subjects. Instead, they encourage you to go on random fishing expeditions, looking for ideas on how to handle abstract concepts. They are arranged in five groups. Some are logical, others subjective and instinctive, because one thought leads to another, and who knows how minds work?
Ideas in clichés
Ideas in mime
Ideas in time
Ideas in fact
Ideas in type
This is the Table of Contents. It is easier and quicker to flip the pages. Some of the captions identify or describe the images themselves, some are possible interpretations of an abstract concept or a metaphor. All are just stabs at meaning. None claims to be The Right One or The Only One, because there’s no such thing. Interpret them—or twist them—to fit your story. Their only purpose is to trigger a thought and spark an idea, which is the purpose of the book as a whole. For an example, see the next two pages.
EXAMPLE
Assume you are trying to find a visual to embody the idea of “making a decision.”
These are all images in this book. Each embodies some aspect of “decision-making.” Choose the one that exemplifies the thrust of your story most clearly. When looking for image ideas, flip the pages to find them, because they can’t be indexed. (Verbal meanings of images depend on context and purpose.) There are no photographs, because drawings can be exaggerated to lay bare the inherent idea—which is what you’re looking for…
Any time thinking comes up, the image of Rodin’s Le Penseur immediately comes to mind. Sure, it is a cliché, but it communicates so well precisely because it is so obvious. Is an editorial comment justified?
Does conscience enter into the decision? The angel and the devil fighting for the soul are ancient symbols of bad and good, con and pro, no and yes. Besides they can be dressed in costumes appropriate to the subject and thus telescope thinking into a visually more suggestive message.
Here are 3 symbols in 1: the jeweler’s loupe that concentrates attention on the word Yes… the problem symbolized by the words “yes” and “no” weighed in an advantage/disadvantage scale… the effete gentleman who overacts his reaction
by his stance and exaggerated hands.
Lots of choices are available: this one, that one, or maybe…
When people think, they pace the floor. A balloon shows what they are thinking about. This idiot can’t decide what the question is.
Lifting the top of the head and showing something inside symbolizes the act of imagining. Since the subject is Thinking, itself, how about putting a tiny Le Penseur inside there instead of the man’s own mugshot?
“Let’s survey a focus group and plot their preferences on a Cartesian scatter chart.”
Wallowing in indecision just doesn’t lead anywhere!
“Frankly, I’m of 2 minds about this so I’ll have to figure out a compromise.”
Use a decision tree to come to some sort of logical conclusion… maybe better than a dartboard!
“Toss a coin… and if you’re disappointed by the result, you know your answer!“
“Yes, let the gladiator live… No, death to him!”
Sleep on it.
Ideas in clichés
Symbols
Visual metaphors
Ideograms
Image triggers
The lightbulb above the head is a cliché. Does that make it worthless? Of course not: it is just the obvious and commonly understood symbol for “Idea!” that can be useful in the right place. Depends on how you handle it.
The lamp in the Statue of Liberty’s hand is a carefully-drawn depiction of a real object that contains a symbolic light. A sacred symbol like that ought not to be mocked by a cartoon.
The composite lamppost, opposite, is just a fun assemblage of “street furniture,” and obviously a silly exaggeration.
Three light fixtures, and there are infinitely many more. Which version might be appropriate depends on the context and meaning of your message. These three just indicate the subject and perhaps light up an idea. (“Sparking an idea” might be dangerous.)
The bunch of pictures that follows is an arbitrary and idiosyncratic collection of images grouped by relationships that might well trigger a means of representing an abstract idea without literally “illustrating” it—precisely because they are clichés, so everybody understands them. What a valuable language!
Chesnuts
Ask youself: “… and the moral of the story is—?” The answer will probably be a proverb of some kind or a folk saying—most probably a cliché platitude. Don’t wash your hands of it, it may fit them like a glove as base for illustration. A literal visual translation may well elicit a groan as puns do. But you did it! You got attention!
“My cup runneth over” is not brilliantly original, but it can be funny if the coffee falls on a stuffed shirt……
Animals
This source of metaphors and similes is so rich and varied (and so often used) that the animals themselves are often clichés. A good anthropomorphic visual can make them fresh. Just take the animal phrase and illustrate it literally.
Characters
Metaphors for any and every sort of personage are part of our common cultural literary and cartoon heritage, from nursery rhymes onward. Just identifying them is enough. You know what each represents. That’s why they are so useful.
Batman
Bugs Bunny
Dalmatians
Donald Duck
Humpty Dumpty
Jiminy Cricket
Mickey Mouse
Olive Oyl
Popeye
Star Trek
Wizard of Oz
and…
Costumes
What is a statue without a fig leaf, a painter without his beret and blue smock, or a bad conscience without its hair shirt? The way we dress is full of symbolism. Then add fashion, historic costume, tribal characteristics, tattoos, makeup, professional equipment—what a rich field for graphic interpretation.
The interpretation lies both in the body language of the figures as well as the expectations of character the period costume itself suggests.
Objects
Everyday objects carry meanings, even when they are not specifically symbols in themselves. They can stand for a thought that is immediately apparent to the viewer: a hand holding a tiny plant means “Growth,” and a watering can implies “Nurturing.” Apples can carry all sorts of interpretations.
*Eve didn’t offer Adam an apple but rather fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.
Signals
Icons of all sorts surround us. They are a wordless language of their own. The bunch shown here are a mere drop in the bucket. Everyone understands them, so why not use them? (The signs that carry words are on page 97 under Displaying, and flags as ABCs on page 150.)
Identifying standards like the Roman SPQR existed long before flags were invented. (Senatus Populusque Romanus, Senate and people of Rome.)
Do colors carry meaning? Well yes, but interpretations vary by social class, nationality, even mood. Rely on common sense.
RED: Hot, passionate, bloody, burning, revolutionary, active, aggressive, loving, vigorous, broke
PINK: Fleshy, sensuous, girlish
ORANGE: Warm, autumnal, gentle, informal, affordable, ripe, wise
YELLOW: Energetic, bright, cheerful, sunny, active, stimulating, noticeable, idealistic, cowardly
GREEN: Natural, fertile, restful, calm, financial, prosperous, youthful, abundant, envious
KHAKI: Military, drab, warlike
BLUE: Cold, serene, calm, loyal, clear, tranquil, excellent, watery, hygienic, conservative, trustworthy
DARK BLUE: Romantic, moonlit, discouraging, stormy
BROWN: Earthy, mature, ready to harvest, obstinate, reliable, conscientious, stolid, parsimonious
SEPIA: Old-fashioned, faded, old
PURPLE: Royal, powerful, luxurious, churchly, pompous, ceremonial, vain, mourning, funereal
WHITE: Cool, pure, true, innocent, clean, trustworthy, simple, honest
GREY: Neutral, secure, stable, mature, affluent, safe, retrospective, discreet, wintery, old
BLACK: Authoritative, respectful, strong, practical, solemn, dark, morbid, despairing, evil, dead
GOLD: Sunny, majestic, rich, wise, honored
Key words
Find an idiomatic word or two in the headline and use that as a base for illustration. It can be compelling, if it is colorful or unexpected. But this is a very dangerous game, because it can skew meaning and divert attention to unintended interpretation. For instance, “A MAMMOTH PARADE” is not necessarily a parade of mammoths.
Think. Is there a better symbol for that word than Rodin’s Le Penseur? (Significant: this was the centerpiece for his “Gates of Hell”) To twist it somehow, maybe you just add “I told you so.”
Idioms
Comparisons: The words “as” or “like” in the phrase is the secret here. They can even be left out altogether and just implied (e.g., paper-thin). Most compare a concept to something that can be visualized. Here’s a bunch done in alphabetical order—a bit less arbitrary than just putting them down at random. They are not “rebuses,” which substitute pictures for syllables within words as in Less idiomatic but more precise, (and instructive) are comparisons of the unknown with the wellknown and easily recognizeable.
Left to right: Ulm cathedral (world’s tallest) 528 ft. Gateway Arch, St.Louis, 630 ft. Statue of Liberty, New York 305 ft. Washington Memorial, 555 ft. Pyramid of Cheops, Giza, 481 ft. Eiffel Tower, Paris, 1052 ft. Chrysler Building, New York, 1046 ft. Empire State Building, 1472 ft. World Trade Center, New York, 1353 ft. Sears Tower, Chicago, 1454 ft. without mast
Mt. Everest (at 29,035 ft) is as tall as 20 Sears Towers. The Sears Tower measures 5 inches high on this page. If you stack 20 of the little drawings of the Sears Tower on top of each other, they would reach to the ceiling (plus a bit more), assuming your room is the normal 8 ft high. That is how high Mt.Everest would be—and a good example of comparing the known with the unknown.
A few wore: old as Methuselah………open like a book……………paper-thin…….playful as a
kitten…….plain as the nose on your face………poor as a churchmouse…………pretty as a picture…………quivering like an aspen…….rich as Croesus…………right as rain……………… right of Genghis Khan……….runs like the wind…………sharp as a tack…………shrunk like a raisin……………………slow as molasses………………smart as a whip………….smooth as a baby’s bottom………sober as a parson…………spinning like a top………….strong as an ox…………stubborn as a mule……….tight as thieves…………tough as nails………….whirling like a dervish……………weak as a kitten………. wise as an owl……….working like a beaver…….wrinkled as a prune…………and so on……
Setting
Location puts the story in its geographic context. The way it is rendered (atmospheric or naturalistic, exaggerated or simplified) can make it trite or revealing. Think of it as a stage backdrop. The scene can be generic landscapes or specific places that evoke recognition, or even symbolic objects and backgrounds.
Houses
Use the home of the story’s individuals as a character-yielding, interest-giving, context-explaining background. Winston Churchill said “We shape our houses and then they shape us.”
Exaggeration
Whether it is intended to be funny, charming, sarcastic, biting, or just plain poisonous depends on………………(fill in your purpose.) Effectiveness lies in the one-two punch: normal at first glance, startling when you study it a bit deeper. Caricature exploits fearless overstatement of the visible characteristics of individuals, in order to show up their foolishness, lovableness, or otherwise. If words are needed, the technique has failed.