Bleed. Gutter. Knockout. Gang. They’re design terms that everybody knows—but what if they were presented as subtle visual puns in an interactive test of your ability to match concepts with images? Colle+McVoy, a marcomm agency in Minneapolis, throws down just such a challenge in “Design: Not For The Faint Of Heart,” a cleverly constructed Flash exercise it developed in connection with an assignment for the American Institute of Graphic Arts. In the project, the agency team noticed that many design terms tend to crop up with “dark” meanings in contexts other than design. This inspired them to create an Edward-Goreyesque depiction of a murder scene replete with clues, a corpse, and a cast of sinister characters. Your task is to mouse over the “picture riddle” and click on the highlighted elements to reveal the corresponding definitions. If you can find all 25 design terms before the time runs out, you’ll win a poster of the scene. Some of the clues are easy; others are less obvious. Good luck, and a tip of our private eye’s slouch-brimmed hat to Colle+McVoy for crafting a great resource for classroom and training use.
Discussion
By Terry Remigio on Jul 12, 2007
Steve
I got 22 - it's kind of fun.
Terry
By Joanne on Jul 12, 2007
GREAT fun! It's driving me crazy though...I found 22 and am STUCK on just one more! I WILL suceed!
By Thomas D. Greer on Jul 12, 2007
Got them all, but while it was fun, I don't really want the poster (I work at home and it doesn't quite go with the decor). Plus there are shipping charges handled through PayPal. The trick of course is to realize that a single element of the poster might have one or more design terms embedded within it.
By Jim Webber on Jul 12, 2007
Cute, but due to time limit, the only way to examine the definitions of the terms is to order the poster. It would good to have it somewhere on the web maybe after the posters all go out.
By Christina on Jul 12, 2007
Very cool and creative. I had a lot of fun. I think perhaps, though, that a "screen" can be added to the door of the mortuary store. Hmm? Or a "shingle" on the roof. Or the murderer could be a "creep." Maybe even the the boy could having a "coating." Great fun, nevertheless.
By Robert on Jul 17, 2007
It took 3 tries but I found them all. I didn't order the poster.
By Marilyn on Jul 24, 2007
This was so much fun! I got stuck on #14, but got it on my second try. I will order a poster, which I'll hang in my office.
By Sarah on Aug 03, 2007
kind of disappointed; there was nothing gorey-esque about the look.