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  • Elvis or Beatles?

    “Now I’m gonna ask you a bunch of quick questions I’ve come up with that more of less tell me what kind of person I’m having dinner with. My theory is that when it comes to important subjects, there’s only two ways a person can answer. For instance, there’s two kinds of people in this world, Elvis people and Beatles people. Now Beatles people can like Elvis. And Elvis people can like the Beatles. But nobody likes them both equally. Somewhere you have to make a choice. And that choice tells me who you are.”

    In the movie Pulp Fiction, this is what Mia asks of Vincent. If the two had both been designers, I would assume the questions would have been different.


    • Sans or Serif?

    • Coated or Uncoated?

    • Gray or Grey?

    • Nano or Shuffle?

    • InDesign or Quark?

    • Photograph or Illustration?

    • Justified or Ragged?

    • Symmetry?

    • Emboss or Deboss?

    • RGB or CMYK?

    So what kind of person are you?

    31 Responses to “Elvis or Beatles?”

    1. BlueKDesign Says:

      Serif for book text, Sans for headings
      Uncoated
      Grey
      InDesign
      Illustration
      Ragged right
      Assymetry
      Deboss
      CMYK

    2. James Holle Says:

      Sans
      Uncoated
      Grey
      Nano
      InDesign
      Photograph
      Ragged
      Assymetry
      Deboss
      CMYK

    3. Adrian Says:

      I really like the Elvis vs Beatles question. I used to ask a similar question that was more of a reflection of someone’s sense of humor. It was “Ernest or Pee Wee Herman?” You would be surprised how strong people’s opinions can be to this stupid question. I am a Beatles/Ernest guy and I really dislike Pee Wee and Elvis. I have a hard time picking a side on the design list you made, though. The decision on most of them depends too much on what is appropriate for the situation.

    4. vlad Mateescu Says:

      Sans | Uncoated | Grey | Shuffle | InDesign | both | ragged | assymetrical symetry | deboss | CRMGYBK but not in this very order :)

    5. Jason Baldwin Says:

      Elvis, to answer the first question, but:

      Sans (or, more specifically, Trade Gothic Bold Extended & Bold Condensed No. 20)
      Uncoated (tactile)
      Grey (British)
      Shuffle (v. 2.0)
      InDesign (PDF export, native file placement)
      Illustration (even though I’m a photographer)
      Ragged (no rivers)
      Symmetry (balance)
      Deboss (no reason)
      Lab for editing, RGB for storage & transport, CMYK when necessary

      Happy New Year!

    6. Adelie Says:

      Sans or Serif? Sans
      Coated or Uncoated? Uncoated
      Gray or Grey? Grey
      Nano or Shuffle? Nano
      InDesign or Quark? InDesign
      Photograph or Illustration? Photograph
      Justified or Ragged? Ragged
      Symmetry? Asymmetry (but still balanced)
      Emboss or Deboss? Emboss
      RGB or CMYK? CMYK

    7. Joe Moran Says:

      Maybe the question for a dinner guest should be: Steak, chicken or tofu?

      But the obvious answer is Elvis! Even the Beatles worshipped E! — GASP!!! — )

      Did anyone ever consider the Stones?

      There are three sides to every story.

      VR/

    8. Nate Voss Says:

      Serif.

      Uncoated.

      Gray.

      Shuffle.

      InDesign.

      Illustration.

      Ragged.

      Asymmetry.

      Deboss.

      CMYK.

    9. Bobby Dragulescu Says:

      Nah, sorry but I disagree with the whole thing. Everyone can go through movements and phases, but a designer has gotta be a chameleon, finding the most efficient and effective solution to every problem. The answers need to be on a case by case depending on what the problem at hand is.

      I have always believed research to be above all trends.

    10. Joe Moran Says:

      Here’s another reason to love E! TCB!

    11. EspressoMan Says:

      Drink or Beverage?

    12. TheHorse Says:

      Sans, Uncoated, Grey, Shuffle, Quark, Photograph, Justified, Symmetry? certinly, Emboss, CMYK.

    13. Adelie Says:

      Bobby,

      Just because there’s a best/different solution to every design problem doesn’t mean you don’t gravitate towards a particular style/look/feel when you have the chance.

      Also, come on, at least tell us whether it’s “Gray” or “Grey”. :-)

    14. Bobby Dragulescu Says:

      Okay okay, it’s “gray”. I have to admit, I am on a Gotham kick right now, but don’t tell my clients.

    15. DC1974 Says:

      Sans. Uncoated. Grey. Shuffle. InDesign. Illustration. Ragged. Symmetry? YES. The Boss. CMYK.

    16. Bennett Says:

      Obviously we all approach each product differently, but here are my leanings. Oh yeah, Beatles rule, Elvis drools!

      Sans

      Uncoated

      Gray I Guess

      Nano

      InDesign (no one would actually pick Quark, would they?)

      Illustration

      Ragged

      Asymmetry

      Deboss (Letterpress Baby!)

      CMYK (Spot color, even better)

      Adrian, Considering the post Ernest Goes to Camp movies, I’m gonna have to go with Pee Wee.

    17. Ash Says:

      HEY! what’s wrong with good ole Quark?

    18. Adrian Says:

      Bennett, I thought we had a lot in common, but I guess I was wrong. Ernest goes to Africa is still better than the best of Pee Wee. Can our friendship survive these differences of opinion? Let’s hope so. Can we at least agree that both Pee Wee and Ernest are better than Quark?

    19. Richard Earney Says:

      Sans, Uncoated, Grey, Nano, InDesign, Photograph, Ragged, Asymmetry, Deboss, RGB

    20. Christopher Tobias Says:

      Sans
      Uncoated
      Grey
      Nano
      InDesign
      Photograph
      Ragged
      Symmetry
      Emboss
      CMYK

    21. Clinton Says:

      Personally, I don’t think Ernest, Pee Wee or Quark are that funny… but I don’t recall wanting to curse at Pee Wee or Ernest everytime I see them. I guess you’re right Adrian, Pee Wee and Ernest *are* better than Quark.

    22. PixelHustler Says:

      Ooh this is fun, I want to play…

      Sans or Serif? Sans lately
      Coated or Uncoated? Coated (I like shiny things)
      Gray or Grey? Grey for sure
      Nano or Shuffle? MobiBlu Cube or Samsung K5 (I have both)
      InDesign or Quark? See my BetA discussion on why Quark is the devil incarnate…
      Photograph or Illustration? Both
      Justified or Ragged? ragged
      Symmetry? Is this one a yes or no question?
      Emboss or Deboss? Deboss if I get to use a letterpress!
      RGB or CMYK? RGB if I can help it…

    23. Joe Moran Says:

      Another reason to Love E!

      The Beatles changed rock-n-roll. Elvis changed the world!

      To quote the “Elvis 1″ cd, “Before anyone did anything, Elvis did it everything.”

      r.

    24. AliceInPepperland Says:

      Serif.
      Uncoated.
      Grey.
      Nano.
      InDesign.
      Photograph.
      Ragged.
      Asymmetry.
      Emboss.
      CMYK.

      And The Beatles :)

    25. Jake Says:

      Sans
      Uncoated
      Grey
      Nano
      InDesign
      Photograph
      Justified
      Symmetry
      Emboss
      CMYK

    26. Joe Moran Says:

      Happy Birthday to E!

      Poor guy, he had it all and died early. Sad!

      Anyway, Memot Mori, here’s another cool video I found on You Tube.

      Viva! E!

      The Man.

    27. rp Says:

      Sans Uncoated Grey Nano Quark Photograph Ragged Symmetry Emboss CMYK

    28. jwh Says:

      beatles forever

      serif, uncoated, grey, nano, indesign, photograph, ragged, symmetry, deboss, cmyk

    29. PicciaNeri Says:

      Well you see, over here in olde Europe the issue at stake is completely different: Beatles or Rolling Stones? THAT’S what defines you. Elvis belongs to another era/kettle of fish entirely, for us. Surely another vital question would be, Mac or PC? believe it or not – I have met PC-based graphic designers…

    30. PicciaNeri Says:

      …oh and forgot to say: always been a Stones girl, myself

    31. marc english Says:

      sans. uncoated. grey. nano? indesign.foto.ragged.asym.deboss.cmyk+3spot colors.

      in the flesh, tarantino makes it beatles v stones, and we disagree: me beatles, him stones.