A Smile In The Mind

Witty Thinking in Graphic Design.

The best graphic design does more than capture attention and make the audience linger. It prolongs the encounter, compelling the reader not only to notice, but to remember. This book is about making graphics memorable by using witty thinking. It argues that ideas which happen in the mind, stay in the mind.

McAlhone and Stuart begin by explaining what wit is and how it works. The make the case for wit in graphic design, seeing humour as the shortest distance between two people. The different routes designers can take are explained - including ambiguity, missing links, substitution and double-takes - to clarify the options available at the start of an assignment.

The book documents the power of intellectual playfulness as it invades even the corporate heartland of annual reports and the dry territory of technical literature. Designers can refer to examples for every category of graphics, from direct mail to information graphics, and for a variety of sectors from leisure and the arts to manufacturing and the law.

For the finale, witty designers answer the big question: how did they get the idea? They offer a peep into their private working methods, as they check out word lists, look at things sideways, or put several jobs on the table at once.

Gathering together the best examples of graphic wit over the past three decades, 'A Smile In The Mind' shows work from over 300 designers in the USA, Britain, Europe and Japan. Written with penetration and insight, but stopping short of heavy analysis, it offers designers a friendly read, a helpful source book and a trigger for ideas.