Issue 78

Opinion

Editorial, John L. Walters
Information design, the main focus of this issue of Eye, has given rise to some soul-searching…
Contents, the editor
Eye 78 Winter 2010Features 8 Critique: A soul adrift in neon limbo The credits of Gaspar…
A soul drifting in neon limbo
Typography, Visual culture, Rick Poynor
The stroboscopic credits of Noé’s movie suck the viewer into an immersive maelstrom of lettering. Critique by Rick Poynor
Understand, visualise, survive
Design education, Education, Max Gadney
Max Gadney argues that information design should be a compulsory part of every graphic design course

Features

Reputations: David Gentleman
John L. Walters
‘I did absolutely anything that came my way, which I’ve done throughout my life. But what I know about design, as opposed to wood engravings or illustrating, I learned from stamps – my interest in refining an idea down to an absolute minimum.’
The little journal that grew big
Lance Knobel
How Dave Eggers’ design ethos contributed to the success of his publishing ‘empire’, McSweeney’s
Hail that cab map
Mark Porter
Mark Porter on an interactive site that reveals the urban energy of New York
Head Trip
Simon Esterson
Simon Esterson applauds the vivid drama of a pharmaceutical brochure
The way ahead
Paul Stiff
Paul Stiff explains why the British road sign system simply works
Pin point
Jack Schulze
Jack Schulze praises the ‘US space programme’ of mapping
Undergrowth
John Ridpath
Untangling the internet with IA’s metro ‘snapshot’
Bullet point
Christopher Wilson
Christopher Wilson is struck by flaws in the graphic analysis of JFK’s death
Strip science
Rob Waller
Rob Waller decodes the multimodal layout lessons of Rupert Bear
Drawn to the land
Angharad Lewis
Angharad Lewis appreciates the human touches of Wainwright’s guide
Tool-shop for a counterculture
Ken Garland
Ken Garland hails the ultimate buying guide for the anti-capitalist revolution
Future projections
Saki Mafundikwa
Saki Mafundikwa examines a map that confronts western prejudices
Branches and roots
John L. Walters
John L. Walters on the break-ups and tearful reunions of Rock Family Trees
Life’s little detours
Eric Heiman
Eric Heiman salutes the ‘Edward Hopper of design and comic art’
Do it yourself
Fraser Muggeridge
Fraser Muggeridge reads a trusty manual that shows how to fix almost anything
Culture compass
Andrew Losowsky
Andrew Losowsky on the ‘nonsensical authority’ of the Approval Matrix
Graphic language
Tony Pritchard
Tony Pritchard swears by the elemental beauty of the Periodic Table
Icons for the people
A new V&A display and a book trace the method of visualising data pioneered by Otto Neurath in the 1920s
Paper planet
John L. Walters
Joost Grootens, whose background is in multimedia and architectural design, is reinventing the atlas for the 21st century
Love of lexicons
Rick Poynor
The dictionary framework allows readers to find random nuggets of information, forging connections that reflect the arbitrary nature of life.