A Smile in the Mind: Witty Thinking in Graphic Design
By Beryl McAlhone & David Stuart
Publisher: Phaidon Press Ltd
Best examples of graphic wit over the past 30 years.
A Smile in the Mind focuses on the graphics which give the most pleasure - the ideas that prompt a smile. These are the jobs that people remember, the projects that make designers famous.
The book selects the cream of witty work from designers across the world. It comprises the most comprehensive collection of graphic wit ever published. Humour is fragile under analysis, and this is not a heavy read that wipes the smile off your face. It has a light touch, even when explaining in business terms why wit works.
The authors break new ground in analyzing the kinds of thinking behind the images, in showing the 21 different ways of being witty and making the case for witty solutions. The book includes hundreds of examples for all kinds of graphics, covering the main business sectors including work from over 300 designers in the USA, Britain, Europe and Japan.
Its most intriguing feature is the collection of interviews with the world's top designers which reveal the secret of secrets, how to get ideas.
About the Authors
Beryl McAlhone is a writer with a special interest in design, and David Stuart is a founder member of The Partners.