Over the past few years I’ve been amassing a small library of reference material and clip art. When I go out to thrift shop I’ve gravitated more towards the bookshelves than the clothing racks. While I’m still on the quest for the perfect fitted shirt, my thrift library has grown. I could write a book about how graphic design is like producing music, and maybe I will. A designer should know the context that his work will be entering into. Like hip-hop, the design world has always sampled past material. With sampling you can subvert the original message into an idea that’s entirely new. By juxtapozing a few old ads together, the copy takes on new meaning. It’s all about context…
