Interview with Marty Neumeier: A babe falls in the woods

Graphis, Mar/Apr 2002 by Barnett, Chris

The "Rebellion" issue was based on a simple premise: in order to innovate, one has to destroy preconceptions. At the cover meeting, designer Bambach raised her hand and said, "Why don't we just burn the magazine?"

Pg.98 (1) Wit cover, Summer 1997. Concept, Creative Director & Illustrator: Christopher Chu, Photographer: Jeanne Carley.

To symbolize the concept of "Wit" in design, creative director Chu envisioned the designer's hand as a clown. The clown image later joined a European circus to become its traveling trademark.

Pg.98 (2) Draftsmanship cover, Autumn 1997. Concept: Marty Neumeier, Creative Director: Christopher Chu, Photographer: Jeanne Carley.

The obvious choice for this "Draftsmanship" cover would have been a drawing. Instead, Chu and Carley brought a wooden artist's model to life using perspective, lighting, and a draftsman's understanding of athletic movement.

Pg.99 (3) Depth cover, Spring 1999. Concept & Creative Director: Christopher Chu, Illustrator: David Wilcox.

"Depth" the theme of issue number 11, was defined as the ability to communicate on a number of levels. What made the best cover was not an illustration of the levels themselves, but the surface ripples that hinted at the depths below.

Pg.99 (4) Pagecraft cover, Spring 1998. Concept & Mask Design: Nancy Bernard, Creative Director: Christopher Chu, Photographer: Jeanne Carley.

For practitioners of "Pagecraft," Critique editor Nancy Bernard assembled a voodoo mask from the detritus of design. The eyes, for example, are IBM Selectric font balls excavated from the deepest, darkest recesses of Critique's storage room.

Pg.100 (1) Teamwork cover, Summer 1999. Concept & Creative Director: Christopher Chu, Illustrator: Jason Holly.

One of Critique's best-loved covers was conceived and executed by Jason Holly. He

envisioned "Teamwork" as the skilled cooperation of different performers on behalf of an audience.

Pg.100 (2) Mentoring cover, Winter 1999. Concept: Marty Neumeier, Creative Director: Christopher Chu, Art Director: Chris Willis, Photographer: Jeanne Carley.

The "Mentoring" cover is an apt symbol for Critique's core belief-that all successful designers stand on the shoulders of other successful designers.

Pg.100 (3) Clarity cover, Spring 2000. Concept: Marty Neumeier, Concept & Creative Director: Christopher Chu, Photographer: Jeanne Carley.

The "Clarity" cover is a reference to the "crystal goblet" principle, which holds that the content of a message should be undistorted by its communication. The text on the "spill" is paraphrased from Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style."

Pg.100 (4) Workstyle cover, Summer 2000. Concept & Photographer: Geof Kern, Creative Director: Christopher Chu.

Time management was a central theme of "Workstyle." Photographer Geof Kern constructed a visual pun by combining a clock face and a human face, reminding us that what we really sell is our time.

Pg.101 Economy cover, Winter 2000. Concept & Designer: James Victore, Creative Director: Christopher Chu.

Designer James Victore presented only one concept for his cover on "Economy," which itself is a demonstration of economy. The whole job took less than two hours and cost nothing to produce.