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Design Category
Book design, 2004
Design firm
Plinko (San Francisco, California)
Collection
(2005) 50 Books/50 Covers of 2004
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The main goal in designing the Haggis-On-Whey books was to convey the extraordinary amount of information in a friendly, easy-to-digest manner. With an audience composed of both adults and small adults, it was crucial to help visually “soften the blow” of the shocking discoveries of the world-famous scientists. In order to achieve this, we created many charts and graphs, often using colors that hadn’t yet been invented, to allow the fragile reader to make sense of the knowledge that was surely causing both curiosity and hunger.
Personally, our biggest challenge in the project was the constant verbal and physical abuse that we suffered at the hands of Dr. Doris Haggis-On-Whey. Several times she would arrive unannounced at our office, only to unleash a string of profanity that would make Redd Foxx blush, had he been there. What was particularly embarrassing was that, despite her vast scientific knowledge, she had very little understanding in the way of current graphic design.
On one occasion we told her that we were working with Adobe Illustrator, and she flew into a violent rage and demanded to meet “this Mr. Illustrator, so that I may deliver precisely 72 lashings to his pasty little elbows.”
Despite Dr. Doris’ shortcomings, she did seem pleased with the book. One time she seemed delighted that “the hardcover is very useful for knocking all those smelly little children upon the top of the head.” We couldn’t be prouder.