Wrong theory

A few years back now, Scott Dadich, at Wired Magazine, wrote an article about intentionally getting the design wrong in order to make it right. He lead with an example by the artist Edgar Degas, Jockeys Before the Race. In the painting, Degas breaks with accepted convention of the time and ‘ruined’ the composition with a pole through the subjects head. Dadich argues that this small act of subterfuge is the driving force behind creativity. It challenges stale conventions and engages the apathetic gaze. I bring it up because the recent revival of the Star Wars franchise has bought with it a poster design that uses a similar technique. It’s reassuring that this simple trick, when used with restraint and consideration, is just as effective today as it was in the 1870’s.