About the Lecture
Great comedy is an art form, but what makes an artist a great comedian? Our two humor experts hashed out the interplay of art, design, and comedy. We explored why something is funny, the benefits (and costs) of pursuing humor within art and design, and how humor enhances the creative process.
About the Lecturers
Peter McGraw, a marketing and psychology professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, directs the Humor Research Lab (HuRL) and is the co-author of The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny.
Chelsey Delaney is based in Brooklyn New York and leads User Experience at Planned Parenthood Federation of America at its new Digital Products Lab. She completed her Master of Design thesis on the intersection of humor and interaction design in 2011 at Carnegie Mellon University. She regularly writes and speaks about humor and design.
PETER MCGRAW’S SUGGESTED READINGS
The suggested reading list includes various reading and media recommendations provided by the lecturer. This list of materials can include projects authored by the lecturer or others, and provides further insight into the guest’s sources of inspiration and additional context surrounding the artist/scholar/designer’s work and practice. This list is shared with RMCAD students and faculty and is archived on the website for academic integration and research opportunities. The physical materials are archived in the RMCAD campus library and the VASD Program archive.
The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny by Peter McGraw and Joel Warner
Book – 2014
Laughter: A Scientific Investigation by Robert R. Provine
Book – 2000
Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin
Book – 2007
Comedian directed by Christian Charles
Documentary – 2002
I Am Comic directed by Jordan Brady
Documentary – 2010
“The Humor Code Series” on Slate.com
Online Article Series – 2014
“April Fools! A Reading List All About Humor” from The Association for Psychological Science
Online Article- 2012
CHELSEY DELANEY’S SUGGESTED READINGS
The suggested reading list includes various reading and media recommendations provided by the lecturer. This list of materials can include projects authored by the lecturer or others, and provides further insight into the guest’s sources of inspiration and additional context surrounding the artist/scholar/designer’s work and practice. This list is shared with RMCAD students and faculty and is archived on the website for academic integration and research opportunities. The physical materials are archived in the RMCAD campus library and the VASD Program archive.
Design Humor: The Art of Graphic Wit by Steven Heller
Book – 2002
Visual Puns in Design by Eli Kince
Book – 1982
A Smile in The Mind by Beryl McAlhone, David Stuart, and Greg Quinton
Book – 1998
“Humor-Centered Design: Using Humor as a Rhetorical Approach in Design” by Chelsey Delaney
Carnegie Mellon Master of Design Theses – 2011
“Surprise and Humor in Product Design. Designing Sensory Metaphors in Multiple Modalities” by Geke Ludden D.S., Barry Kudrowitz, Hendrik N.J. Schifferstein, Barry M. Schifferstein, and Paul Hekkert.
Scholarly Article – 2012
“Using Humor in UX Design” by Georgia Gallavin on UserTesting.com
Online Article – 2015
“Exploring the Design Humor of Nick Kroll’s Parody Ad” by Chelsey Delaney, Catalyst Group
Online Article – 2013
“You’re Not Funny, You’re Just Annoying – How and When to Use Humor in UX” by Megan Murray, Zoosk.com
Online Article – 2014
