Letter to David Robson
1993
Features Editor, the Independent

David – Well, I have seen the new design(s) now, and I have to say I don’t like it – at least, it’s not nearly so good as what went before. There seems to be a mad rush of blood to the head every now and then in paper and magazine design, which forces people to put in lots of rules and boxes if there aren’t any, and to take them out if there are lots. In the case of the Independent, you seem to have filled up some rather pleasant open and fluid spaces with unnecessary Zimmer frames. It’s a bit like putting formal flower beds in open park, or putting scaffolding on an unspoilt house. I expect one day someone will remove it all and call it a new design.

This is all by the by, as I have no say in the design, and nobody would listen to me if I did say anything. But I do feel I should have some voice in the way my own piece looks. I think someone should have mentioned to me that you were thinking of putting my photo on the piece, so that I could have strenuously fought against it – I can’t think of any good reason for doing so. And if you were going to put a photo on my piece, despite my strenuous objections, I think you should have put a photograph of me on it – or, at least, a photo that looked more like me than the hungover, death’s head, pallid-grin snap you have dug up from somewhere. I have pictures of myself taken more recently that make me look nicer to know. But for heaven’s sake, if you are still rethinking the design as you go along, please re-think that photo. If nothing else, it takes up valuable word space. I mean this.

yours
Miles