“One day I talked to a lithographer about perfection in design. He showed me a sheet of a rasterised 70% black film used to expose a pressure plate. There was one little dot that was damaged and my eye somehow found it. He told me that errors build strong connections with people, as we are not perfect either. At the time I did not understand the meaning, however, when the computer entered my life, I fell in love… But the design looked like it was designed on a computer—slick and programmed. Perfection often kills the soul of someone’s work.” — Eike König.

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This issue is a veritable lottery of astrological alignments. A celebrations of 300 issues and 27 years. It’s the end of the year—a season rife with reflection and excessive excitement. It’s the beginning of a new year—where we all throw ourselves in with resolutions for a happy life. Such a combination is a significant one, but it’s not a time to be serious. This is the Good Time Graphics issue—full of good times and positive vibes. Energy, love, nostalgia, forgiveness, determination and a bit of silliness. Good morale for life. Expert advice for delight. We have tried to cover it all.

Desktop #300. Cover by HORT

Such an occasion called for the involvement of German super-studio, HORT. Creators of our explosive cover and surprise splodges throughout the magazine, their participation is a constant reminder that excellent graphics feel good. We interview Eike König and his studio, profiling their incredible output that shows the world that design has a heart and a soul—and doesn’t have to be perfect.

HORT’s alternate cover for Desktop #300

Throughout the magazine, we have sprinkled happy pages — 9 spaces we have given to designers and illustrators from around the world to communicate a ‘good time’, positive message. Waiting between stories, they are a break from editorial to have a graphic giggle. The enthusiastic talents of Andy Rementer, Tin & Ed, Alter, Rafaël Rozendaal and the rest brightly advise you to smile, say ‘yes’, look to the future, jump up and down for joy and relax (twice!). These are pages of silliness with no sell, a gift to our readers and supporters with our grateful thanks.

Andy Rementer’s Happy Page

Anne Miltenburg shares in in-depth profile of the man who has made ‘Happiness’ his business. Stefan Sagmeister is soon to release his long-awaited The Happy Film while his exhibition The Happy Show continues to tour US galleries. Anne caught up with Sagmeister in the final stages of editing his film, 6 years after their first meeting, and found the man changed. Further in, Judith Hendler shows off the exuberant gems, made from industrial scrap, that—paired with her impenetrable determination, took her from a graphic designer to the jeweller of 1980s Hollywood.

Judith Hendler’s ‘airplane scrap’ jewellery was poplar with Joan Collins.

Emotional colour theory gets a close inspection from Ari Dyball, in a revealing overview that explores how colour can be seen, how it can be felt and heard, and the famous champions of colour who dedicated their careers to its glory. We also get a glimpse at the in-house design studio at the Walker Art Centre in Minneapolis, an institution where art and graphic design mingle, with exciting, cooperative and future-forward results.

The Walker Art Centre in-house studio’s poster for Artist-Designed Mini Golf

So as the year closes, the busy minds as desktop take a moment to reflect on the idea of 300 issues. The same team hasn’t been around for all of them, but also in the time, graphic design itself has undergone a few reinventions and shifts in identity. In Australia, we have been there as it has graduated from ‘desktop publishing’ to an expanded field of thinking and doing, in many forms and outcomes. In just a few years, design has split and specialised and come back together again, with a common passion for a better future. A ‘desktop’ is now a space for process and potential, whether physical, digital or imagined. It is the birthing place of an idea.

Rafaël Rozendaal’s happy page.

This desktop aims to honour that for at least another 300 issues. Thank you all for your support over the years. Don’t forget to join in on the month of celebrations and silliness—share your thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, or even send us your good time pics on Instagram.

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Desktop #300 — Good Time Graphics is available now from Mag Nation, Beautiful Pages and other fine stockists of magazines around the country. Prefer to have issues delivered to your door? Subscribe today! Get Desktop digitally via Zinio, Google Play, Nook (US), and Nook (UK).