A decade ago PrintWeek ran an article imagining ‘a day without print’. If I remember correctly it was in a special supplement targeted at marketers, ahead of Ipex 2002. I seem to recall a certain D. Danielli was the star of this feature. He was pictured spending his day being baffled by, among other things, the mystery contents of his packet of breakfast cereal, the blank pages of a newspaper, and the unknown destination of the bus to work. Watching the Olympics closing ceremony last night made me think that this mega-event has provided a perfect prompt to reprise this idea. Just imagine what the Olympics would have looked like without print. Imagine all those visitors bimbling about on the transport network without the help of those big pink signs, the maps, the wayfinding signage. Imagine the venues without any branding. Imagine the TV coverage without that London 2012 logo in pretty much every shot. Imagine the spectators without their flags and banners. Imagine not having a programme, or a ticket. Imagine every t-shirt and garment being plain. Imagine the athletes without their race numbers. Imagine the opening and closing ceremonies without all those clever effects made possible with print. The list goes on. Great ideas may start with a blank piece of paper, but they can’t possibly finish that way.