Product Etcetera™

A poster based on the well known Steve Jobs* quote “Here’s to the Crazy Ones.” Commissioned by the L.W.P Group, it was intended to inspire and bring an element of play to urban settings. The graphic has been applied in various formats for multiple locations.

One of our first challenges was expectations. L.W.P. Group was inspired by an already existing typographic interpretation of the quote that was visually stunning (albeit conceptually boring) and wanted a different yet equally impressive take on it. Our second challenge was budget; time wasn’t a luxury from concept to execution of the design.

With little time to spare, the focus was to have fun and think different as suggested by the quote. We took a literal approach to the design. Riffing off the line “the round pegs in the square holes” we set the type in a circular spiral within the format of a rectangular poster, forcing the type to grow smaller towards the center of the composition; which created a compelling visual from afar, and a content-rich reward when viewed up-close.

The result breaks the rules of typography and legibility. Words are stacked, condensed and extended, and change dramatically in scale. It encourages the viewer to turn their head, and explore a typographic landscape. There is no clear starting or ending point. Despite all of this, it has become one of our most appreciated designs; we often receive inquiries for purchasing prints of the poster and have been pleasantly surprised to see it pop up on social media through friends of friends who were inspired by the piece. With that, we can say our goal to execute a design that reflects the words of the quote, to inspire our audience, was accomplished.

* While the quote is widely attributed to Jobs, proper attributions should be given to the TBWA/Chiat/Day team of Lee Clow, Ken Segall, and Craig Tanimoto who are responsible for creating the “Think Different” campaign.