Since I first laid eyes on these book covers, the images have been stamped into my memory. The first thing that struck me was the title. Who names their work of fiction RED ? Then my mind began playing tricks with me. Why do you think the book is red when it is clearly Black? I was even more befuddled when I came to rest upon BLACK , for I was seeing green. The third book in the series, WHITE , is actually crimson. Red. How intriguing. My initial thought was, How ridiculous, to give a book such a dumb title. But the more I considered the matter, I came to the conclusion that it was a brilliant ploy. These books catch people's attention. They spark immediate interest, and one can hardly resist picking up a copy and leafing through the pages. The story is fast-paced, bizarre, and lives up to the cover.Mr. Ted Dekker's books are a prime example of effective design. People are drawn to the merchandise without even fully understanding the reason.
Good insights, again. What happens when one level of sensory information (the main color of the cover) contrasts or conflicts with another level of information (the text that boldly announces another color)? The conflict may not be resolved accept through reading the book, or may never be resolved. Then the question becomes, can good design be achieved without a logical resolution? Can the conflict itself be the theme of the design?
ReplyDeleteSM
In response to your question: can good design be achieved without a logical resolution?
ReplyDeleteThat, I believe, depends on the nature of the design. Good design conveys meaning. If the object of the design is to convey an illogical concept or idea, then I believe that a conflicting design would be entirely appropriate. Nonsensical design should not convey logical resolution. So I think that, in this instance, conflict itself can be the theme of the design. Jackson Pollack paintings are a wonderful example of conflict and non-resolution as a theme of design. If the design successfully conveys the idea that the designer desires, then the design is 'good', and has achieved its purpose.