Drawing Imagination

My first favorite encounter with design involved the wonderful children's book Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson. This book is a well designed story for children and adults. Why is a children book an excellent example of design in our lives at a young age? This children's book shows many design elements that are being exposed to us to make the story more effective.

Johnson, Crockett. "Book Cover of Harold and the Purple Crayon." 1955. Illustration. CoverBrowser. Web. 4 Oct.  2010.

First, the color purple being used as a main thematic element in this children's book is an interesting design element. The color purple is the ONLY color used in this book--Note that black is not a color, it is a luminosity. The author did this very intentionally, as to bring out the presence of the purple color, and how it affects us. In the article "All About the Color PURPLE," Kate Smith describes that the color purple affects us physically by uplifting our mood, calming the mind and nerves, offering a sense of spirituality, and encouraging creativity. According to the About Page on the website SensationalColor.com,

 "Kate Smith is a color expert, and career color trend forecaster. Kate is a design lover, and color inspiration maven. Above all, Kate is an inspirational keynote speaker and seminar leader, blending color theory and psychology into entertaining and informative talks that bring color to life."  

(http://www.sensationalcolor.com/colorpro/about-kate-smith/)

Johnson, Crockett. "Book Page of Harold and the Purple Crayon." 1955. Illustration. The Harper Studio. Web. 4 Oct.  2010.

Many people find that the color purple is associated with royalty, spirituality, creativity, and enlightenment. These attributes relate to the design of Harold and the Purple Crayon, as the color purple is used throughout the story, inspiring those attributes in synergy with the story into the reader's mind. Harold uses his purple crayon to go on an imaginative adventure late at night, that takes him off the safe path into an adventure that displays the child's imagination, and teaches kindness, generosity, and creativity in creating the day you want to enjoy. When Harold gets into troubling situations, he uses his purple crayon (remember the color purple calms the mind and nerves, and encourages creativity) to find a creative and effective solution. 

Another Design element that is effective in this book is the use of very simple cartoonish illustrations. These illustrations not only make the book "kid-friendly" and give it a sense of wonder and enchantment, as does any form of representative art when applied to inspire that emotion. As Scott McCloud describes in Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, "When cartoons are used throughout a story, the world of that story may seem to pulse with life." (41). He also describes that the more simple and iconic the features of the story become, the more subjective and universal they become, which is why they are easier to relate to and identify with. This technique of design is used extensively in Harold and the Purple Crayon, as every drawing and artwork, is very simply drawn, to allow for easier identification to bring the story to life.

Johnson, Crockett. "Book Page of Harold and the Purple Crayon." 1955. Illustration. Facebook. Web. 4 Oct.  2010.

The fact that Harold and the Purple Crayon is also an illustrated story introduces us to Harold (as if we are him undergoing the journey, although safe at home) by using the design element of transitioning each moment of the story to the next. Specifically every moment of the book's transitions follow Harold in Action-to-Action Progressions, as described in Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, which guides the reader to identify with Harold, as the story never leaves Harold, just as our stories never leave us. This design element adds to the impact of the story and emphasizes its effect on our self.

The design elements in Harold and the Purple Crayon are readily apparent, and are seamlessly created with the story to engage the reader on an exciting and inspiring adventure that reminds us of the child within, and sparks our intuitive creativity, adventurous daring, and universal compassion.

Works Cited 

Bear, Jacci H. "Purple Color Meaning - Colors That Go with Purple and The Meaning of the Color Purple." Desktop Publishing - Tutorials and Desktop Publishing Software Recommendations. Web. 4 Oct. 2010. <http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/purple.htm>. 

"Bestsellers (2007) Covers #500-549." Cover Browser. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/bestsellers-2007/11>. 

"Harold and the Purple Crayon | Facebook." Facebook | Harold and the Purple Crayon. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=405704312735>. 

"Harold And The Purple Crayon." HarperStudio. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://theharperstudio.com/tag/harold-and-the-purple-crayon/>. 

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: the Invisible Art. New York: HarperPerennial, 1994. Print.

Smith, Kate. "All About the Color PURPLE - Sensational Color." Color Advice and Insights from the Experts - Sensational Color. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-purple.html>.