BY DRAUGHTS ASSOCIATES
Black Dog Publishing 2008
ISBN 978-1-906155-48-3
UK £7.95 US $15.00
Review by Natalie Bouloudis
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Who is bigger; Mr Stay Puft or Godzilla? Can you spell your name in sign language, or perhaps you need to be reminded of the perfect measures for a Cosmopolitan cocktail? Visual Aid provides these answers and more in what is essentially a visual google for those who like their General Knowledge in picture format. Visual Aid is the first solo publication from the Draught Associates, a graphic design agency founded by Michael Lenz and Dave Gibson, who acclaim themselves as mixers of ‘clarity and creativity’ - and this book is no exception. From the illustrated 15 steps of how to make a poodle or ‘woof woof’ balloon, to the how to hold chopsticks, it is easy to work your way through this well made and user friendly book. With its playful tone but enough of the more clever facts, Visual Aid is capable of entertaining a wide audience; although there is undoubtedly a male friendly air to the book. Covering themes such as The Rolling Stones timeline and the phonetic alphabet, along with a boyish humour throughout.
There is a definite sense of nostalgia as you flick through the pages recalling cats cradle and facts you were taught as a child. The illustrations themselves are like a stylised school text book. Presented in over 160 colour saturated pages, the illustrations take a diagramatic form with sharp simplified shapes in muted Technicolor shades, emanating a retro feel. Every page looks as though it could be a poster. The technical drawings are very efficacious and the scientific themes, such as the human nervous system illustration, wouldn’t look out of place blown up on a school lab wall.
The eclectic and arbitrary range of themes covered in the book creates an off-beat humour. Some of my favourite pages include a factual representation of the heights of ‘fictional creatures’ and a picture of the Heimlich manoeuvre with an apple coming out of a figure’s mouth. There is also the quirky yet beautifully illustrated haircuts page ranging from the ‘beehive’ to ‘the slick’. However, it’s not all just for comic effect. Visual Aid is still rightfully a reference book which could at times prove useful. With illustrated version of all guitar chords, flags of the world and even car mechanics.
In essence the book is called Visual Aid, and is exactly that. There are a few essential words leaving the strong illustrations to speak for themselves. You may not pass a degree with the facts in this book but you’ll smile and get to appreciate some really fun, graphically pleasing illustrations..
