An assignment from Winter Sorbeck

Excerpted from ‘The Cheese Monkey’s” By Chip Kidd

“It’s February. You’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, on the side of the road. All you have is the clothes on your back, a magic marker and a big piece of paper. Now,” he grinned. “Get home.”

It’s winter and the class loads up on a bus that drops them off on some deserted road miles from campus.

“Here’s how it’ll work. The class will hide behind those trees, out of sight of the traffic. One at a time, you will stand at the side of the road, with your sign. A car comes by, you get picked up, it’s an A. It keeps going, you drop one letter grade. Second picks you up, it’s a B. Third, it’s a C . Four cars and no luck, you fail. Let’s move out!”

First student
I AM
NOT
ARMED

Second student
S.O.S.
SORORITY
PRANK!

Third student
DON’T
EVEN
BOTHER

Fourth student
MY TEACHER
IS INSANE
YOUR ASSISTANCE
APPRECIATED

Two days later back in class…

“…so you see, that’s what a logo, for yourself or anyone else, has to do. It has to flag people down, either by invitation or mystery, or any other means actually. And by limiting your materials I gave you a huge break. Had I given each of you an arsenal of squeaky pens spanning the spectrum, I’m sure at least 2 or 3 kiddies would still be out there, turned into a popsicle trying to decide between light green and dark green”