We See What You're Saying™
Words and Pictures
HERB LUBALIN sat at his board, leaning over a drawing pad, applying his informal yet iterative process to the design of a publication. At some point he would tear the page off the pad and place it under the next translucent sheet. Herb trace out the drawing underneath, changing some elements, repositioning others. He would continue this exercise until he was satisfied with the result.
While, in most cases the copy was furnished, he would apply his process to the copy as well. Occasionally he would rewrite few words or sentences, tailoring them to connect more with the images. Most, if not all of time, his clients were pleased. On this day, without looking up he said “designers should be designing the words as well as the images, telling stories so that everything works better together.
After ordering lunch at his favorite Asian restaurant LOU DORFSMAN handed his menu back to the waiter, looked across the table and finished his thought. “Designers? I never go to lunch with fucking designers, all they ever talk about is fucking design. Salesmen, teachers even bookies have more interest things to say. They know how to get your attention and then tell you a story you won’t forget.”
Speaking to the 11 person jury, at the Chicago International Poster Biennial, JOHN MASSEY wanted to help focus their collective efforts toward selecting the medal winning finalists. He asked the jury to think of the poster as a circle, but only that was only 95% complete. “For the poster to be successful the audience must be able to finish it, making the connections and completing the story the designer was trying to tell”.
Stories don’t have to be “story book” stories but they do have to engage, position, connect and deliver a reason why viewers should care. When the words and the pictures share a vision and a vernacular a connection is made and remembered. Whether “classical or extraordinary” the viewers will learn something real about those attempting to say some real.