Back to the Theme

25Jan08

As you are composing or designing a communication, ask yourself: “What is the theme?”

Create a list of words that helps you zero in on your primary theme. Many designers actually draw a target on a blank sheet of paper, and use it to prioritize the words that describe the theme.

So, what exactly is a theme, you ask? Most authorities would define the theme of a creative work—say a movie or a poem or a painting or a graphic novel—as the ‘unifying subject or idea.’ It is the idea or concept that emerges out of the plot, the characters, the images, symbols, motifs, references and form or medium that together make up the work as a whole.

Once you have a handle on the theme, you can make decisions about form and content that convey, complement, and reinforce the theme. The language you use, as well as the images, colors, sounds, music, movement, patterns, and textures can all either distract from your theme or help help you communicate it.