The Calvin & Hobbes Super-Stupendous Guide to Design
By Joshua on March 09 2009
Even if the only thing you've ever designed is a mashed potato volcano with gravy lava, you're a designer. We all design in some way or other. The best of us get paychecks for their designs. The worst of us have to appreciate our elegant disasters for free. The best designs reach out and pull us in with their creativity, wit, and ingenuity. From the cardboard box of Calvin & Hobbes' wisdom, five ways to better your designs:
1. Learn to see things differently
One of Calvin's most powerful traits is his childlike ability to see things differently than the grown-ups around him. Where they see mundane reality, Calvin sees the fantastic, the monstrous, and occasionally, the downright weird.
Like Calvin, designers must also learn to see things differently. Where others see text, designers see a typographical baseline. Where others see a photo, designers see the golden ratio. In everything, we should learn to see the underlying beauty that holds it all together.
2. Take time to educate yourself
While anyone can learn to see things differently, designers can't just depend on their vision to get by. They also need to be able to explain that vision to others. And for that you need the proper background and vocabulary.
That doesn't necessarily mean going to an art school and majoring in design. There are some fabulous resources available to those who are willing to take a little time to teach themselves.
3. Originality isn't everything
In the world of art and design, originality is highly prized, but sometimes the emphasis is a bit too strong. The point of design isn't to be original, but to speak a message effectively.
If a highly original design does it, so much the better. But sometimes the traditional is all you need.
4. Pay attention to the details
One crucial part of learning to see differently is the importance of details. A great designer has the ability to recognize when changing things "just so" will take a design from good to brilliant.
5. Keep exploring
In the end, a designer always needs to keep exploring, to learn new things, to learn new ways of seeing, or to relearn old ways. Exploring is what keeps things feeling new, regardless of how many times you've layed out a page or designed a logo. What are you waiting for? Go explore something!
All images excerpted from It's a Magical World by Bill Watterson.
What our readers said
Great post. Nice to see my favorite comic strip ever used in such a great way. Keep up the good work.
Wonderful! I was smiling and thinking from start to finish. Delicious!
Wonderful post. Nice idea.
I couldn’t agree more with mdrisser.
Excellent post and use of the best comic strip ever.
Love C&H. What astute observations in your post!
Thanks guys. Glad you like the post!
Thanks for the reminder that sometimes we need to see things through the eyes of a child. Calvin and Hobbes are a great example. One of my favorites.
I love the creative use of Calvin and Hobbes! Great post!
All very true and a nice use of Calvin and Hobbes wisdom.
This is wonderful and unique!
That last frame of Calvin and Hobbes was a fitting end. Great use of it here.
Am inspired to create a new series ..coming soon..
I second mdrisser. I love C&H and this is a very nice usage of the strip. :) The matter is good too.
very good idea. thanks – makes you think. also love C&H
Great Read. I have read Calvin so many times but never thought of it this way.
Great use of an awesome comic strip — and the tips are spot-on!
Well done!
Great post!
This is one of the best articles I’ve read in a LONG time. I’m going to print it and hang it next to a picture of my family at my workstation. Thank you!
Never been to this site before, but so far I am a fan. Very short article but it was good, like the use of calvin and hobbes.
Anyone got any links to resourses for point 2?
This is pure genius! Really made me smile. Very clever and also great advice. This is my first visit to this blog, but I’m a fan! Will definitely be back.
Yeah, Calvin & Hobbes are so true mostly!!
So this is why I woke up in the middle of the night. Brilliant!
I don’t make it to the bottom of most blog posts, this one I did. Great idea to your the comics to illustrate your points. Well done.
This is beautiful, poetic, true and heartwarming. Thanks!!
I’ve always hard that the best truths are often the simplest. This post is a great example of that. Very nicely done, Julia. Thanks!
Fantastic site! And the use of Calvin & Hobbes to illustrate your principles – fabulous, wonderful article.
Everytime I see calvin, I see myself in him… It just makes it to the point!
“The point of design isn’t to be original, but to speak a message effectively.” Totally agree ! Great post, and so fun :-)
Great article!
Not sure if it was the points you made, or the Calvanisms you used to illustrate them, but this is the most resounding article about designing I’ve read in a long time.
Awesome! Thank you :-)
Thank you for the reminder that we all need to just stop and get to know our inner child, again … perhaps one of the most creative geniuses we will ever meet.