I've long been interested in design (don't get me started on push panels on doors you must pull to open) and how things are said as well as the mechanics of saying them through design. In that vein, this was a great read for me. Maybe you'll like it as well. Don't worry, it's short.
Jeffrey Zeldman Presents : What is Art Direction (No. 9)
A young woman, facing the viewer, holds what appears to be a prosthetic arm—her own prosthetic arm, one infers. The young woman is casually dressed in a sweater and jeans. Her expression borders on neutral. Where her right arm should be, the sweater has been pinned back. The poster also contains words advertising a new HBO documentary, executive-produced by James Gandolfini, concerning the difficulties faced by a new generation of American war veterans returning home from Iraq.
Consciously or unconsciously, an American viewer will almost certainly make an uncomfortable connection between the disfigurement and sacrifice portrayed in this ad, and the upbeat quality of the Gap’s long-running, highly successful clothing slash lifestyle campaign.
That connection is content.
