Stop, Think, Go, Do

Much graphic design cannot afford neutrality; it must

grab attention in crowded environments.

ENTERTAIN

Always leave ’em laughing—a lyric in a 1903 song by

Tin Pan Alley great George M. Cohan—is the unofficial

mantra of stand-up comedians everywhere. It might be

appropriate for graphic designers, too—as well as always

leave ’em thinking . . . remembering . . . and doing! A

large amount of graphic design is straightforward or

neutral—“The facts and nothing but the facts, ma’am.”

But much graphic design cannot afford neutrality; it

must grab attention in crowded environments and im-

plant the seed (whatever it may be). That is exactly when

the graphic designer must call upon various talents—one

of which is to be an entertainer. Through wit and humor

(or the graphic design equivalent of song and dance) the

receiver is lulled into embracing the message. Entertain-

ment is not just showbiz—it is design biz.

Entertainment and play certainly overlap. However,

to entertain implies acting for an audience, while play

suggests entertaining oneself. Paul Rand said that play

is the most integral part of the design process. “Without

play, there would be no Picasso,” he wrote in Graphic

Wit (1991). “Without play, there is no experimentation.

Experimentation is the quest for answers.”

It may not be an experiment, but what could be more

entertaining—ergo memorable—than the series of posters

for Amtrak (page 132), where torso and full-body drawings

of everyday commuters have locomotives grafted to their

heads. If a client heard the idea, they’d probably think

the designer was “loco,” which happens to be one of the

campaign’s headlines. But to look at these surreal images

and read the demonstrative headlines (typeset in a version

of Railroad Gothic—what else?) is an “aha” visual, as

natural for the theme of “Trainiacs,” as any more straight-

foward image—and thrice as memorable.

Likewise, the oddball “Be Stupid” (page 134) campaign

for Diesel clothes uses truly goofy and equally surreal

situations (accompanied by provocative headlines)

129