“Design Was Secondary to the Purpose," Says DMV's Craddock of RI License Plate Finalists
Will Morgan, Architecture Critic
“Design Was Secondary to the Purpose," Says DMV's Craddock of RI License Plate Finalists
The unveiling of the five finalists for a new Rhode Island license plate might have been a moment to show off our common sense, as well as some inspired graphic design. Alas, the handful of new schemes for our beloved license plates demonstrate a lack of visual flair.
Those hoping that Rhode Island might lead the nation away from the tacky, pictorial plates that have proliferated over the last few years will be sorely disappointed. On the other hand, everyone should heave a sigh of relief that there are no quahogs, seagulls, calamari, rainbows, or unicorns.
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Part of the blame of the inherently and uniformly bland new plates lies with the manufacturer’s insistence on a flat, light-colored, and scannable surface. (State law mandates including the distracting and disingenuous Ocean State motto.) So, from the outset, the 940 would-be license plate creators had their hands tied. (Who said that an out-of-state corporation has the right to tell us what our prized front and rear monikers should look like?)
The outpouring of designs from Rhode Islanders demonstrates how serious we take our license plates. Despite that, the designs–chosen by the staff of the DMV–and that we can now vote on– are simply boring. There is nothing bold or special about any of these.
Governor Dan McKee told me that the new plates, when seen on cars across the nation, would encourage people to want to visit Rhode Island. Really? Also, I reminded him that Rhode Islanders do not travel very far from home.
The finalists were chosen by the staff of the DMV, who only criterion was “safety.” When GoLocal asked DMV chief Walter “Bud” Craddock why there were no professional designers in the review process, he replied, “Design was secondary to the purpose of the plate.” This sums up the attitude toward so much civic design in the Ocean State. Safety and good graphics do not need to be mutually exclusive.
Two of the plates revive the “wave” motif of the hugely successful Wave plate, but neither captures the elan of nationally known art director and Rhode Islander Tyler Smith’s work.
The milk toast outcome of the well-meaning but flawed open design contest reminds me of the scene in the recent Kenneth Branagh film Belfast, where Buddy’s uncle is cooking a proper Ulster fry-up. As the grease-filled frying pan spatters with eggs, sausages, kidneys, and bacon, Uncle Mackie remarks that Northern Ireland has the highest cholesterol in the world, noting that at least the country is superior in something. And, so Rhode Island, sadly, is one of the worst places for good public design.
