Stop, Think, Go, Do: How Typography & Graphic Design Influence Behavior

Stop, Think, Go, Do takes a hard look at graphic design that alters behavior through type, color, form, and composition for various purposes and with distinct results, but always with one common purpose: to manipulate the conscious and subconscious.

We are constantly being told what to do. At all times, someone, somewhere is sending us overt and covert messages, often through media designed to control our behavior.

Many of our daily commands are communicated through graphic, environmental, and product design. We are conditioned to respond to the controlling missives we receive, and not inconsequentially, to the illustrative and typographic appearance of those commands.

Designing commands is not the exclusive province of graphic designers, but designers play a large role. When words are used to influence behavior, typography is essential in getting messages across, and designers are responsible for designing the typefaces, if not also how they are used.

Stop, Think, Go, Do is broken into the following eight categories featuring some of the most effective design that attempts to get under the skin and into the mind: Inform, Advocate, Play, Caution, Entertain, Express, Educate, and Transform.