Winter 2006

Saying NO!

No no no no no no no no no no no no . . .

Daniel Eatock’s talk ‘Saying NO!’ was given at Eye Forum no. 1, ‘Burning Issues’, which took place at the RSA in London, 23 November 2006.

On – off

Black – white

Yes – no

An order

A defiant answer

No thank you

No way

No shit

No clue

Just say no

Opposite of yes

Positive no

No manifesto

No dropping litter

No urban 4x4’s

No blocking cycle lanes

No religion

No junk email

No telemarketing

No smoking

No ignoring people

No perfume

No dumb advertising

No drink driving

No copying ideas

No objectification of women in advertising

No dumping car batteries

No free pitches

No sugar in coffee

No hitting

No leaving the tap running whilst cleaning your teeth

No leaving the TV on standby

No freewheeling

No fast food

No fly tipping

No poker websites

No leaving the fridge door open

No bank charges

No fee for withdrawing money from cash machines

No bending the corner of a page in a book as a page marker

No skirting boards

No down lighters

No carpet

No automatic cars

No being late

No replying to group emails

No paying rent

No hiding grey hair

No secrets

No milk

No fashion trainers

No war

No gold jewellery

No diamonds

No guns

No cycling fast past pedestrians on canal tow paths

No vicious dogs without leads

No spitting

No spitting chewing gum on the street

No adding service charge and also leaving room for a gratuity on the bill

No driving slow in the fast lane

No sitting guarding an empty table in a café whilst your partner queues up

No eating too much

No chewing the ends of pencils and pens

No leaving the washing up after dinner

No serifs

No Spray Mount

No direct mail marketing

No decoration

No fireworks sold to children

No coffee before bed

No instant coffee

No performance enhancing drugs

No undertaking on motorways

No praying

No building new buildings to look old

No retro design

No music packaging

No checking emails after 8pm

No working at weekends

No Christmas decorations

No vacuum cleaner bags

No television on holiday

No sunbeds

No fake tan

No Flash websites

No celebrating Christmas in November

No Christmas shopping

No watching others do the work

No stepping back

No killing whales

No fur coats

No designer handbags

No talking on mobile phones whilst driving

No ghosts

No God

No U F Os

No packaging of fruit and vegetables

No over packaging of general goods

No leaving the lights on whilst you’re out

No microwave meals

No putting feet on the seats on public transport

No boiling more water than you need

No tattoos

No body piercings

No frozen food

No motorbikes and scooters in the cycle area at traffic lights

No back break on fixed wheel bikes

No fashion accessories

No limousines and stretched Hummers

No pissing in the street

No gentlemen’s clubs

No suicide

No monopolies

No hiding from the truth

No hunting animals for sport

No graffiti

No vandalism of private or public property

No over-selling of seats on aeroplanes

No strong cleaning products in restaurants whilst diners are still eating

No eat as much as you like buffets

No long fingernails

No black tie dress code at formal events

No Christenings

No promising things you can’t deliver

No piercing the ears of small children

No pushing in queues

No alcopops

No page three girls in daily newspapers

No Sunday newspaper advertising inserts

No standing on the left hand side of an escalator

No over estimating on clients print quantities, so they end up throwing old stock away

No taking the elevator when you can walk up stairs

No Thanksgiving

No microphone

No voice

Eye Forum no. 1, ‘Burning Issues’, RSA, London, 23.11.06

Daniel Eatock, designer, London

First published online to coincide with Eye no. 62 vol. 16 2006

Eye is the world’s most beautiful and collectable graphic design journal, published quarterly for professional designers, students and anyone interested in critical, informed writing about graphic design and visual culture. It is available from all good design bookshops and online at the Eye shop, where you can buy subscriptions and single issues.

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