Consumption is no longer a messy process but could now instead be described as a neatly packaged box of turkey twizzlers, a symbolic referent to an original idea. Yet considering their ubiquity, surveys remain austere, their focus on functionalism, a utilitarian tool bereft of any fun or fancy. Do surveys need the clean lines of minimal design to accurately communicate with the respondent? Information design has not always been so austere, medieval scribes filled the margins of holy books with curious creatures, strange hybrids that filled in the spaces. Maybe it was a fear of emptiness (horror vacui); or a way to shock the viewer into remembering, a mnemonic device to locate the text on the page; or a part of Christian mysticism (via negativa), only through negation can God's omnipotence be understood. Whatever the reason the psalters are more interesting to look at than Survey Monkey templates. But would a playful interface detract from the questions? Or sully the data? It is not my intention to empirically prove that animated surveys are more effective than the clean lines of minimalist design. Instead I will show that surveys are part of our cultural experience and that they can be attractive, enigmatic and vital without devaluing the data.