A cashier at Vons told me my zine cover looked like a party flyer and I still think about it

I was buying snacks last Tuesday and this kid at the register picked up my new zine I had in my bag. He asked if it was for a DJ set or something which confused me at first. Then I looked at my cover again and realized I used a neon yellow background with oversized sans serif type. It totally reads as a club poster even though the inside is all about composting. The cashier was just making small talk but it made me rethink how context matters more than I give it credit for. Has anyone else had a total stranger point out something obvious about your layout like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellymurphy18d ago

Does this kind of thing happen more than we realize, where everyday interactions reveal how our work is actually landing in the world? @hugo37 hit on it - a random person in a grocery store can sometimes see your stuff clearer than the people who know you and just nod along. I've started paying more attention to those offhand comments from strangers because they're usually the most honest feedback you'll get.

hugo3721d ago

Wait, wait wait... a cashier at Vons of all places just casually called out your zine cover like that? I'm shook, honestly. The fact that it was Vons, not some artsy coffee shop or record store, makes it hit different. Like this total stranger working a grocery checkout line clocked your design choices better than half my friends do when I show them stuff. And he thought it was a flyer for a DJ set? That's wild, but also I can totally see it with the neon yellow and big type. Context really is everything I guess, because the inside being all about composting is such a curveball compared to that rave-ready cover.