Feb 1
Basic design
Gene Gable is curating a virtual museum of design, typography, and related ephemera over at CreativePro.com under the title of Scanning Around With Gene.
He certainly has the credentials. At various times he has been the head Publish magazine, the publisher of The Seybold Report, and a member of the Ziff-Davis executive team which was responsible for major business events such as Comdex.
If you don't yet know him and his eye for interesting, you're in for a treat.
Three examples of his column: The Dead Letterhead Department...
When Halftones Were an Art Form...
When Letraset Was King...
An introduction to the author by way of his website...
Gene Gable on twitter...
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Jan 30
Print Design
I love these stamp designs created for the Royal Mail by Hat-Trick Design and letterer Marion Deuchars. There's just something about black, white, and red that makes a subject a bit more profound.
This is the rare case when lettering that might normally be construed as having a light or lyrical tone is successfully paired with a serious subject. Why is that?
Hamlet...
The Tempest...
Henry VI...
King Lear...
A Midsummer Night's Dream...
Romeo and Juliet...
Marion Deuchars...
Hat-Trick Design...
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Jan 23
Illustration
Two reasons to watch this video. First and foremost, I really like the way it tells the story of its subject. The juxtaposition of a person with type and illustrations is effective and the scene us use to build the story drew me in and made me want to sick around for the outcome.
The second reason to watch the video is to learn about Hyper Island, a school of sorts for students and a continuing education source for working creatives.
It sounds as if, one important aspect of the experience is to get you up to speed on the digital world -- as one attendee, Kathy Hepinstall a former Creative Director at Martin Agency, put it: "It used to be charming for a creative in advertising to be a technophobe. Not so anymore so climb out of the tar pit, Dino".
I don't know enough about it to know just how relevant it all is, but the testimonials by attendees reads like a who's who of advertising agencies so there must be something cooking.
Hyper Island On a Wall...
About Hyper Island...
Programs...
Master classes...
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Jan 9
Illustration
How do you make a better map? Ask cartographer David Imus. Mapmaking is not only about measurements and data, a great map is a feat of graphic design.
David Imus recently won the Cartography and Geographic Information Society's (CaGIS) annual Map Design Competition, Best of Show designation for his acclaimed new map: The Essential Geography of the United States of America.
Seth Stevenson takes a look the making of the map and explains what makes it significant in a piece he wrote for Slate.com.
Many thanks to Wendy Hersh for pointing us to it.
The Essential Geography of the United States of America...
An insightful piece about the map by Seth Stevenson for Slate.com...
The Imus Geographics website...
The Cartography and Geographic Information Society's (CaGIS) website...
About David Imus...
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Jan 2
Basic design
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, in New York have co-organized an international exhibition titled Graphic Design: Now in Production — what is being called, "an ambitious look at the broad-ranging field of graphic design".
As the exhibit's website describes it, the exhibit "explores how graphic design has broadened its reach dramatically over the past decade, expanding from a specialized profession to a widely deployed tool." The work featured, "explores design-driven magazines, newspapers, books, and posters as well as branding programs for corporations, subcultures, and nations".
Whether or not you are able to visit the exhibit, I encourage you to order a copy of the exhibit catalogue, a 225-page book that includes hundreds of examples plus twenty-some opinion pieces on the recent history and current state of graphic design by the exhibit's curatorial team and others.
The irony is graphic design, as Ellen Lupton puts it, is "about doing something in the world" or pragmatics — and the very nature of such an exhibit is to look at the work and describe it (for the most part) outside the context for which it takes action. It will fascinating to see how well the exhibit is able to bridge that divide.
I'm anxious to see it — here are the venues:
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis through January 22, 2012
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, New York, May 16, 2012
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, California, September 30, 2012
Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas, July 19, 2013
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC, Oct 24, 2013
A quick overview...
The exhibit web page...
About the exhibit catalogue...
Purchase the exhibit catalogue...
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Dec 26
Illustration
A few years back illustrators Jason Teegarden-Downs and Billy Baumann started Delicious Design League as a hobby — mainly to create posters for events in the Chicago area. Today, they not only create illustrations for a long list of top tier clients, they design and print posters for sale in their store.
I'm a big fan and have a couple of their posters hanging on the walls of my home.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Their portfolio...
And the store...
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Nov 23
Typography
Here's something you don't see very often — a three-dimensional product design that feels like a logo come-to-life. These vibrant designs give each of the products a personality and identity of its own — imagine how many more of these will be sold simply because the designer had the foresight to have each show and tell its own story.
The marriage of typography and product design — Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Eric van den Boom of Boom Artwork did the design and illustration...
More of Boom's work — logos...
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Nov 7
Typography
I typically get a raised eyebrow when I tell people I took Russian in high school. Truth be told, if I am ever in Russia and I meet a girl name Marsha, and I need a pencil, I'm set. Other than that, I couldn't tell you a thing about it. (The sole thing I remember is, "Marsha, do you have a pencil?" or "Марша, у вас есть карандаш?")
So I'll share this site with you with the proviso that I'm not quite sure what we're looking at. By that I mean, I could show you snippets of type I've seen around the United States, but what I show you would be colored by what I like, or that I think is most interesting. So, I don't know if we're seeing a good representation of Russian type, or just one person's opinion.
In any case, it's fascinating stuff. I particularly like to look at type in a language I don't understand. It allows us to see the styles without being distracted by the content.
Do you know of another design or typography site that represents another non-english culture particularly well?
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
The Green Type Blog...
Green Type type foundry based in St. Petersburg, Russia...
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Nov 2
Typography
I'm sure you know Grace Bonney and Design*Sponge — it's a one-of-a-kind source of creative inspiration for both do-it-yourselfers and serious designers. Grace has that very unusual talent for being able to gather disparate elements and combine them in ways that make them seem as if they have always belonged together.
This time she's done it with people — three of her favorite "local" type-centric designers (local to New York City). As she says, "I packed up my camera and hopped on the subway to meet with some of my favorites..."
Jesse Ragan..
Louise Fili...
Jessica Hische...
A compilation of the interviews...
Design Sponge: Best of Fonts in Homes...
About Grace Bonney and Design*Sponge...
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Oct 31
Web Design
That's a quote from a member of the development team for Muse, a new web design and publishing product Adobe is creating for professional graphic designers (now in public beta).
I haven't used it so I have no opinion about its value, but if you aren't familiar with it, you need to be. Why? Because the barriers to design are going to continue to fall away. To make a living at graphic design we're going to need to be independent thinkers and doers.
I believe that, as the tools become easier to use and proliferate, more and more people with want to design. And that, as the field expands, good design will be more widely recognized, better understood, and the best of it will be more highly valued.
But being a good designer will be more difficult too — it will no longer be enough to simply make our designs look good, we're going to have to know how to make them work well.
In other words, more than ever, we'll need examine and understand the entire picture:
1. What is my client trying accomplish?
2. How can I optimize the content and design to facilitate that goal?
3. What combination of devices, technologies, and messages will we use to draw our audience into the conversation?
4. How will my client keep their marketing fluid?
Yes it's all moving quickly and it can get a bit overwhelming, but don't be discouraged, if you love it, you can find your place in it.
The Adobe Muse website (made using Muse)...
A series of videos that explain the product...
Some anti-Muse sentiment...
Another recent post about fundamental changes in the world of graphic design...
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Oct 14
Print Design
Technology can be a little overwhelming sometimes. We're moving so fast, it's difficult to know which ideas to adopt and when to adopt them. Just when you settle on a content management system, for example, someone invents a new system that makes the one you just adopted looking kinda lame.
But it's inevitable. Hardware and software companies are like sharks, unless they keep moving forward, they drown — so they relentlessly invent and re-invent devices and tools in the hope that they'll maintain and grow their audience.
The good news is the creative options are ever expanding, the downside is it's almost a full time job separating the necessary and valuable from the gingerbread and hype. I love Adobe, in my lifetime they have played a major role in transforming my profession from a craft to a way of life.
I know it has become the industry way — but the Broadway show stuff makes me uneasy. I'm beginning to feel less like a partner and more like a member of the audience. Honestly, given the forces at work, I don't know that it is a problem that can be resolved, I just feel compelled to point to the obviousness of it.
You be the judge: Adobe's next big thing -- the creative cloud.
Adobe Chief Technology Officer Kevin Lynch's keynote presentation at MAX 2011...
The expressive web...
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Oct 7
Print Design
A restaurants is a packaged experience. I've always thought it was one of the toughest businesses you could possibly undertake. A great restaurant requires a great chef, smart financing, good management, thoughtful interior design, superb customer service, and a solid brand.
One of a customer's first impressions is formed by the menu. The minimum requirement is that it is comprehensive, interesting, and inviting. I'm always fascinated to see how designers handle it.
So I was excited to read that UnderConsideration has started a page highlighting distinctive menus from around the world. Thanks to The Print Handbook Newsletter for pointing us to it.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
The Art of the Menu...
Need more? I did another post about menu design here...
Thanks to The Print Handbook Newsletter for pointing us to it...
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Oct 5
Web Design
Much of the time the principles large companies use to develop and market their products does not translate well to small- and medium-sized concerns. The web is different. All websites have one significant thing in common — they all pursue a one-to-one relationship with the reader.
So it stands to reason that there is some value in understanding how successful websites make that connection. And there is no website that has more experience at it than Google. Here are their design principles.
Ten principles that contribute to a Googley user experience...
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Sep 21
Typography
"You have to convince the client you have as much at stake as he does." Those are the words of the late designer and calligrapher Raphael Boguslav (1929-2010). You'll see many familiar brands in his portfolio. There's lots to see and learn from this old school icon.
Logos...
Lettering...
Calligraphy...
A video profile from the 1980s...
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Sep 7
Typography
My general rule is don't use too many typeface families — too many meaning 3 or more. Here's how you break that rule with abandon. I see at least 6 typefaces from various families and it works just fine. I love how the hanging string and piece of chalk are used to divide the columns.
Via Fabien Barral at Graphic Exchange.
The Hummingbird Kitchen and Bar...
More on the identity from Analogue's website (the designers)...
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Sep 2
Reference
Luc Devroye is a Belgian born professor of computer science and mathematics and a self-confessed type nut. I've been a fan of his site for many years.
As he describes it, he joined the McGill University in Montreal "...in 1977 as a young snotnose, and found academic freedom and cybercover from conservative forces in 2006 at the Computational Geometry Lab of Carleton University, Ottawa." I assume that explains the title of his page, "On Snot and Fonts."
He strikes me as the type of person who prefers others don't attempt to interpret his motives or speculate about what he thinks, so I'll leave it at this: Devroye's pages constitute the wild west of the type world — "wild west" because he is neither a respecter of rules or status. The resulting collection of type-related articles, resource descriptions, and its vast collection of links is like no other.
If you're a typophile you already know Luc Deveroye's extraordinary resource — if you're not, you may end up as one.
Luc Devroye wild west of typography...
An interview from planet-typography.com...
Once you think you've got your arms wrapped around his font resource, you'll want to visit his home page. Haha... what you've seen is just the beginning...
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Aug 24
Typography
I was surprised to find I've never pointed you to Tom White — he is a long-time favorite of mine — in my never-to-be-humble opinion, one of (if not the) top lettering illustrators working today.
I want to use the word "meticulous" to describe his work but I'm afraid you'd think there was some negative associated with it. So I'll couch it by saying his work is "good meticulous" — his creations demonstrate an attention to detail, a sense of order and balance, and a level of technical expertise that (to me) firmly ensconce him in the top tier of designers.
As you'll see, White is a master of Photoshop and Illustrator. I hope someday he'll give us a peak behind the scenes at the techniques he uses to produce his broad portfolio of work.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
White's 9 Surf Studios website...
His blog...
The 9 Surf Studio Facebook page...
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Aug 17
Typography
Wordmark is wonderful online tool that allows you to see words and phrases in all of the typefaces loaded on your computer. So, for example, I can type in "ideabook" and see it rendered in all of the hundreds of the typefaces on my system -- every family and every typeface within them.
A Pro version allows you to save selections, zoom in and out, toggle cases, adjust spacing and so on (free for one month).
Thanks to Jay Nelson and Design Tools Monthly for pointing us to it.
Try it here...
Thanks go to its designer and developer Fahri Özkaramanlı...
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Aug 8
Basic design
Noel Weber was one of the original "Letter Heads" — a group of professional sign and lettering artists that formed back in the 1970s. Today, he and his team at the Classic Design Studio produce products — signage, identity, architectural elements, and so on — that seem to reflect a love of the creative process.
In competitive markets companies resort to all kinds of machinations to find and hold an audience. I suspect that this is the type of business the audience finds and supports without the hype.
There's something uniquely satisfying about seeing designs reproduced in physical form. I suspect as the world continues its shift to digital, these physical expressions of graphic design will become that much more popular.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
The Classic Design Studios website...
Their portfolio continues on their Facebook page...
A brief bio of Weber on one of my favorite sites, Letterhead Fonts...
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Jul 18
Typography
I guess this is lettering month. I think of "lettering" as the design of a specific group of characters for a specific purpose. (Any letterers out there who have a more accurate definition?)
In any case, if you don't already know him, meet Jude Landry. His work reminds me of how often I look at the sum of the parts of a design without considering what it took to get there. Imagine, for example, the work it required to create and puzzle together the examples below.
Good design often looks simple. It is anything but.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Example 4...
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Jul 11
Typography
I mentioned Louise Fili last week and I came across the names of a couple of the other talented people who work for her studio. I particularly like these chalkboard lettering pieces created by graphic designer Dana Tanamachi.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Time lapse video of the making...
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Jul 4
Typography
I guess the reason I find ephemera so fascinating is that it freezes ideas in time. Advertisements, specimen sheets, instruction guides, product labels, and other forms of printed matter that were never meant to outlive their immediate purpose, provide a snapshot of the producer's intent and reveal a designer's approach to solving a problem.
Below is a brief tour of a new book the folks at publisher Thames & Hudson sent along: Scripts: Elegant Lettering from Design's Golden Age. It's a collection of elegant and eccentric examples of script lettering — French, British, German, Italian, and American — compiled over a thirty year period by authors Louise Fili and Steven Heller.
If you know the work of Fili and Heller, you might expect they'd have amassed a rather substantial collection of ephemera over the years. Heller, a former art director for the New York Times and well-known lecturer on the history of graphic design, has authored over 100 books on design and popular culture. Louise Fili, formerly a designer for Herb Lubalin and art director for Pantheon Books, has authored another twenty titles, many of them in collaboration with Heller (they are husband and wife).
Fili is among my favorite designers. If you have no idea why you'd want a book of this type, take a look at her portfolio of work. Though she offers a fresh and modern approach, you can't help but see the influences of 19th and early 20th century graphic design and typography.
Discovering, digesting, and deconstructing the work of others — finding the essence of how disparate elements are arranged in order — is part of the design mind's blessing/curse. Whether it's a conscious effort or gut-level assimilation, you can't help but absorb the layouts, typefaces, colors, and imagery that pass through your vision each day and mentally store them away. The beauty of this book is that it captures some of the best of what these two experienced designers have found and distills it in a form we can easily access.
The book is virtually all images — there are brief introductions to each section and footnotes, but just enough to supply the necessary orientation. The wonderful cover design was created by Louise Fili and John Passafiume. (I'm told that another favorite of mine, Jessica Hische, worked on the early stages of the interior design.)
I have hundreds of design books on the shelves around me. And, though I love digital, I love print too. I get some indescribable sense of satisfaction knowing that the thoughts of so many good designers and tens of thousands of their designs are by my side.
Scripts: Elegant Lettering from Design's Golden Age by Louise Fili and Steven Heller, ISBN 0500515689, 352 pages, published by Thames & Hudson, 2011
Some links...
Louise Fili...
Steven Heller...
Thames & Hudson, the publisher...
Jessica Hische...
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Jul 1
Basic design
As the story goes, Adobe was founded in 1982 and named for the Adobe Creek that ran behind John Warnock's house in Los Altos, California. Who could have predicted what Adobe would become — the company that started as the home of the PostScript page description language, ended up precipitating the desktop publishing revolution and today has 9000-plus employees and revenues of $3.8 billion.
But the magic, to me, is what Adobe has done for my profession. It has helped to grow seemingly creative disciplines -- graphic design, photo editing, illustration, animation, and so on -- into scientific collaborations and pursuits of the highest order.
Adobe invests 20% of its revenues in research and development. But, as they explain it, "The company's commitment to innovation... goes far beyond dollars spent. With a wide range of initiatives that provide resources, tools, and support to stimulate innovative practices at every level of the company's activities, Adobe has ensured that innovation remains an essential element of its long-term strategy."
For a guy who once used a T-square and press type, the stuff going on in places like the Adobe Advance Technology Labs is science fiction made real.
Cosaliency and image triage...
Video Tapestries...
Articulated puppet building...
PatchMatch...
About Innovation at Adobe...
Adobe Advanced Technology Labs home page (Above are just a few of the many developments Abobe has pursued on its own and in collaboration with other organizations. Be sure to explore the many headings under "Technologies" in the right column and meet the some of the players.)...
The Adobe Creek
Haha... press type
Hahahaha... the olden days...
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Jun 22
Illustration
If you're a writer, designer, illustrator, photographer, editor, developer, or marketer, the obvious answer is yes. The proof is in the many new studios popping up to specialize in the development of content for the new generation of phones and tablets.
Electric Type, for example, bills itself as a digital book foundry. Here, they provide us with a taste of how some of the aforementioned players have collaborated to reinvent a storybook.
A video tour of their first project: The Jungle Book...
How it was made...
About Electric Type...
Illustrator Nigel Buchanan's portfolio...
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Jun 20
Illustration
In his short career (he's only 30) Alex Varanese has demonstrated a talent for illustration, design, typography, and 3D modeling. In an interview I link to below, he speaks of the influence of video games and computer science — both of which are obvious in his work.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Varanese's website...
An interview with Smartpress.com...
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Jun 15
Typography
Type is magic. The characters of our alphabet are so ingrained, our brains are able to intuitively translate certain mixes of characters into an infinite array of feelings, impressions, and understanding. There is much speculation about how a typeface influences the message it conveys, but it think it's safe to assume that it can be significant.
So it's no wonder organizations would commission Ray Cruz to design a unique typeface. He has developed many you will recognize — for Pella Windows, Xerox, United States Postal Service, New York Life, and Este Lauder — exclusive typefaces that add an additional layer of distinction to the brands they represent.
Why a custom typeface? The most obvious advantage is, of course, that a custom design distinguishes an organization's collateral, signage, website, and other branding materials from all others. It can be designed to reflect the particular preferences of the organization's creative team and conform to branding standards.
But there are also financial and logistical reasons for a custom design. Some organizations, for example, commission typefaces to avoid the fees and distribution restrictions associated with a typical retail font license.
Logistically, an organization might commission a typeface that is optimized for use with a specific language and/or to include a set of special characters that addresses the needs of a particular industry or profession.
Cruz, formerly the Type Director at Young & Rubicam Advertising, has his own firm devoted to designing custom typefaces, logos, and book covers. He also, luckily, has designed many retail typefaces for type foundries such as Agfa/Monotype, Garage Fonts, Bitstream, and P22.
Cruz's website...
His portfolio of typefaces (1.9MB PDF)...
Some of his retail typefaces on myfonts.com...
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Recognize this custom typeface for Xerox?
May 25
Graphics Tech
I'm just back from the aforementioned conference and I thought I'd sit down and share some impressions. My hope is that, if you don't normally attend these events (I don't either), that you might be interested in the goings-on...
First impression: It's a global thing.
Roughly 400 folks attended the conference from 33 states and 11 countries — I believe it was a sell-out. I heard mention of Australia, Hong Kong, Serbia, Belgium, United Kingdom, Guatemala, and others. I know that kind of diverse participation is no great revelation to people who move in design and software circles frequently, but to someone who doesn't, I am particularly aware of the privilege it is to be a part of this type of international event.
It's a community.
Equally as interesting is the sense of community I felt. Designers, geeks, authors, and designer-geek-authors have much in common. Many of us are most comfortable in designing our world and staying within its bounds — so it's particularly exciting to be with other folks who spend so much of their lives on the same layer. I love my wife, but she couldn't care less about which device and software I use to calibrate my HP ZR30w monitor (thank goodness). Occasionally, it's a good idea to sit with people whose brains are trying to solve similar problems and attain similar outcomes.
There is no single voice.
For some reason I had the expectation that I would hear one side of things. Yes, that sounds silly in hindsight, but that's what I was thinking. The reality of it reminds me that there are as many workflows, approaches, and opinions about design and production as there are people doing it. For example, I sat in a session with the InDesign development team who all seemed to think that it should be the printer's responsibility to produce final production PDFs from native InDesign files. That was followed by the "Long Live Ink" roundtable with Design Tools Monthly editor Jay Nelson and prepress troubleshooter and Adobe Certified Instructor James Wamser both of whom seemed to think the opposite — that most jobs are best prepared for printing by the user (using the printer's guidelines).
E-publishing is in its big-bang stage.
There are MANY ways to create and view e-publications and MANY devices and platforms on which to view them. That's about all anyone agrees on. Which software and software settings to use (including InDesign's EPUB export) will be dictated by the device you're preparing your publication for, the complexity of the document, the intended distribution channel, and so on. As conference organizer David Blatner pointed out, you can't, for example, produce PDFs to sell through Apple — not because you can't produce them, not because the iPad can't read them, but because Apple doesn't yet allow you to distribute them through iBooks.
There are also significant design considerations to be tackled. When you convert page layouts for different devices and orientations, you'll need to design different layouts for each setting or create simplified, "elastic" layouts that adapt to multiple uses. I heard someone refer to that conversion as changing your layout into a Microsoft Word document.
Software developers and designers alike are in the very early stages of figuring out how to recast information in ways that are compatible with the new devices yet as aesthetically pleasing as print and conventional web page design. I think even the folks at Adobe would agree that (for now), that InDesign's EPUB export is not for creating e-versions of complex layouts.
Chris Kitchener, Senior Product Manager for Adobe InDesign, "Meet my extended family," 2011 InDesignSecretsLive Print and ePublishing Conference (doctored image)
The best early tools are expensive.
It's not surprising that the tools that allow the most control over page layout and effects are being developed for the upper echelon of the publishing trade. James Fritz, another respected author and trainer, discussed some of the many platforms used to create digital versions of magazines — Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, WoodWing's Digital Magazine Tools, Mag+, and others — and the fact that the new pricing models require both upfront fees (most in the thousands of dollars) for the initial content management systems and ongoing monthly or per-piece publication fees. (The good news is that by the time you read this [a couple of hours after I write it] everything will have changed.)
Much of what I learned was from the audience.
I went because of the featured speakers but I learned lots from the audience too. Questions, suggestions, and comments from audience members were every bit a useful as those from the assembled experts. For example, in one session, Eddy Hagen, the managing director of VIGC in Belgium offered some excellent insights on the production of PDFs and pointed us to his own Flemish Innovation Centre for Graphical Communication and the Ghent PDF Workgroup. There we're lots of high-powered users and experts in the audience.
Technology is a moving target.
No revelation here, but it is impressive when a presenter changes her slides in the hours just preceding her presentation because of some new tidbit of information. From his view inside Adobe, the Lead Product Manager for Adobe InDesign, Chris Kitchener, explained the perplexing process of gathering suggestions for new features, fixing bugs, and working with engineers to update a program as complex as InDesign. It's easy to forget the divergent pressures applied by users, reviewers, stockholders, partners, marketers, and so on to influence the decisions about which features or fixes to produce when and why.
BTW, the Adobe team was particularly impressed by and thankful for this blog post which explains that InDesign is a database and why, for example, files are not backward compatible.
There is a modicum of tension between Adobe and its community.
One of the most intriguing revelations of the experience was the respectful tension there is between the product producers and their users. All of it was friendly and in good humor, but it's obviously, a real issue. Adobe wants everyone to like its products and users are great at pointing to flaws. None less than Michael Ninness, now the VP of Content for Lynda.com, formally the Senior Product Manager for InDesign, rose to ask the current Senior Product Manager when certain features (such as charting) would be added to InDesign. It was all good-natured (especially when Ninness pointed out that he, himself, hadn't added the feature when he could have), it is a complicated dance.
There are few better venues for meeting the people you want to meet.
I had the pleasure of meeting, face-to-face, some of the many people I communicate with online and introducing myself to others I would not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet.
First and foremost I got to meet and speak with one of the conference organizers, David Blatner. My only complaint about the entire conference is we didn't hear more from David. He is a smart, personable guy who knew as much or more about InDesign (from a user standpoint) as anyone in attendance.
If you don't know Blatner, he's the editorial director of InDesign Magazine, wrote Real World InDesign (and 14 other books), teaches courses on InDesign at Lynda.com, and co-hosts InDesignSecrets.com with Anne-Marie Concepción.
Their combined experience with InDesign, the InDesign community, and Adobe corporate made David and Anne-Marie uniquely qualified to pull together this wide and deep gathering of designers, technicians, and developers.
If you don't know Anne-Marie Concepción, she too teaches courses on InDesign at Lynda.com, does the InDesignSecrets.com thing, plus rules her own creative empire at Seneca Design & Training.
This was also an opportunity to sit with Jay Nelson and Lesa Snider. Jay is the affable publisher of Design Tools Monthly, the only industry publication I read cover to cover, every issue. It was a real treat to spend some time comparing notes with someone else who is as interested as I am in finding and sharing the the best of design and publishing ideas. Lesa is a writer for Macworld, author of numerous books, chief evangelist for iStockphoto.com, and host of graphicreporter.com
I also had the good fortune to have one-to-one discussions with conference speakers Gabriel Powell, InDesign and Photoshop author and Senior Solutions for Typifi Systems, Ron Bilodeau, the Production and Design Specialist at O'Rielly (who once worked for the beautifully designed Cooks Illustrated), Chris Kitchener, Lead Product Manager of Adobe InDesign, Nigel French, the author of InDesign Type (who spoke about designing with a grid), and Cari Jansen, a technical writer and print and publishing consultant who spoke about the challenges of this new medium.
And I gathered some great insights from Keith Gilbert, a brilliant tech- and design-savvy guy who spoke about XML and data publishing and who showed me an impressive project he had just finished. It's a beautifully designed iPad-based catalog/brochure his client's sales force will use at an upcoming trade show.
All that and, of course, all of the good stuff I learned (I just downloaded a 344-page PDF of conference slides that Anne-Marie Concepción made available to those who attended.)
Finally, most happily, I got to meet a few folks who subscribe to my newsletter at ideabook.com and who read my blog at PagePlane.com. Thank you all for introducing yourselves. (If I didn't get your business card please send me an email so we can stay in touch.)
So... where's the 2012 conference?
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May 20
Print Design
I rarely point you back to the same place — once you've seen it I assume you'll look again if you're interested. But in case you missed it, Kelli Anderson has, again, demonstrated her passion for different.
An invitation in the form of a paper record player...
A paper record player...
Her description of the project...
My original post about Anderson: This is why I want to be a designer...
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May 2
Typography
Well here's a heck of an interesting turn of events: A return of the photo-lettering idea -- buying words and headlines set in a particular, premium display typeface without buying a license to the font.
House Industries, publisher of many high-end, rather pricey display faces, is offering an engine for previewing and outputting words as vector files -- a smart alternative to spending lots of bucks for a typeface you will only use for a single project.
PhotoLettering.com...
The FAQ...
The industry standard in the 1970s and 80s was the PhotoTypositor ($4 per word in my town)...
Sidelight: A charming language lampoon by 102-year-old Ed Rondthaler, formally the head of Photo-Lettering Inc.,...
While we're on the subject of type, I added a "Webfonts" section to Jumpola.com: Web Design > Toolbox > Webfonts...
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Apr 15
Web Design
I like how Carnegie Fabrics uses typography as a window to its products — simple, effective, purposeful.
Carnegie Fabrics..
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Apr 8
Basic design
It's easy to lose track of that simple fact but Keetra Dean Dixon, kindly, reminds us of it. She got me asking myself when I last designed something, primarily, for the purpose of expressing myself — its been a while.
Dixon is as much an artist as she is a designer. I'll point you here, to some examples of here work that include typography but be sure to explore her whole portfolio of work.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Dixon's website: FromKeetra.com...
A profile of Dixon from the Designing Minds series...
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Apr 4
Basic design
Fifty and Fifty an fascinating project curated by designer Dan Cassaro. It offers a "...new way of looking at our country. Fifty designers, one per state, will illustrate their state motto, creating something steeped in history but completely modern and unique: a kind of designer's atlas."
I have two reasons for pointing you to it. First, the illustrations/designs are excellent, and second, Cassaro's choice of designers is out of the ordinary. He has tapped the talents of several designers I was not yet familiar with and that are well worth knowing.
Three of my favorites. First, Meg Hunt's Connecticut: He who transplanted sustains...
Second, Josh Brill's Maine: I lead...
Third, Micah Smith's Louisiana: Union, justice, confidence...
Here's the entire gallery...
And the list of the contributors...
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Mar 28
Typography
One of the panel discussion at the recent South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc.) Interactive Festival featured four typography experts discussing typeface selection. (SXSW is a set of film, interactive, and music festivals and conferences, the interactive component of which is attended by many in the design community.)
Generally my feeling is, when it comes to typography, that there are very few truths but many religions. But this is session is worth listening to. I especially appreciated Jason Santa Maria's insights.
Here's a breakdown of the recording:
Frank Chimero @ 2:45 minutes, slide 9
Tiffany Wardle @ 13:42 minutes slide 41
Jason Santa Maria @ 19:45 minutes slide 58
Stephen Coles @ 26:35 minutes slide 82
Cure for the Common Font — A Web Designer's Introduction to Typeface Selection...
Frank Chimero's upcoming book...
Tiffany Wardle's website...
Jason Santa Maria's website...
Stephen Coles is the editor of Fonts In Use which I pointed you to earlier this year...
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Mar 25
Typography
Three Islands Press specializes in crafting historically accurate handwriting and typography in digital form.
For example, the Emily Austin font is patterned after the handwriting of Emily Austin (Bryan) Perry, an early colonist of Texas. As designer Brian Willson explains it, "In her travels, she wrote many letters home — letters that show a distinctively compact, legible hand. The challenge for me in designing the face: resisting the temptation to read and re-read her bossy directives and urgent appeals, all packed tightly together on a page."
I'm just guessing, but 3IP Type Foundry (formerly The Type Quarry) seems that it might be one of those companies that sees money as enabling the work versus money being the only focus. Nothing wrong with making money, but in most cases, passion produces a superior product.
The handwriting of Emily Austin...
Timothy Matlack and the American Scribe...
Penned by Mirabeau B. Lamar...
3IP's Facebook page...
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Mar 7
Typography
As a young designer, I waited with bated breath for the next issue of U&LC (Upper and Lower Case) — a who's who and what's what of typography in the 1970s. Herb Lubalin was the editorial and art director of the first issue and through it, helped to inspire and motivate an entire generation of designers.
Allan Haley is the former executive vice president of International Typeface Corporation (ITC) — the company that published U&LC. In recent months he has been discussing the magazine and posting scans of each issue in full. He has promised to re-publish them all, over 9,000 pages in low and high resolution.
Thanks to John McWade at Before & After for pointing us to it.
Volume 1, Issues 1-3...
Volume 2, Issues 1-4...
Volume 3, Issues 1-4...
Volume 4, Issues 1-4...
Volume 5, Issues 1-4...
About the publisher, International Typeface Corporation (ITC)...
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Feb 18
Illustration
In times when just about anything can be simulated digitally, I think the work by Flemish designers from Coming Soon offers examples of the very different look and feel you can achieve by melding the physical with the digital. It produces a result that is achievable no other way — one that will have your audience asking, "How did they do THAT?"
Campaign image for the city of Ghent, Belgium...
An identity example...
the Coming Soon portfolio..
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Feb 14
Typography
The Museum of Modern Art has begun acquiring typefaces for its Architecture and Design Collection. They explain that the criteria ranges from, "...aesthetics to historical relevancy, from functionality to social significance, from technological ingenuity to economy."
Why typefaces? It's obvious to type lovers, but they explain it like this, "Type is a design universe unto itself, an essential dimension in the history of modern art and design. Typefaces — the building blocks of information printed or displayed onscreen — are design in and of themselves, even before they are used.
It is an eclectic, curious list — worth a look.
An example: Retina, designed for the WSJ financial tables to be used at very small sizes. Designed by Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones...
Why MoMA has begun to acquire typefaces...
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Feb 4
Typography
I'm not big on tattoos — my sense of aesthetics is far too fickle for that type of commitment. But I do have a penchant for this latest offering from a master of edgy script typefaces (and others), Alejandro Paul. Be sure to check out the character set — it offers a seemingly incalculable number of variations.
A presentation of Piel Script specimens at Veer...
Take a look at the depth of the character set...
A specimen booklet from Paul's website, Sudtipos.com (1.2MB PDF)...
An earlier post about Paul's work...
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Jan 24
Ideas 101
Before I can design something — a website, a logo, a brochure, whatever — I've got to understand what needs to happen. What my client's purpose and motive is, and the action they want their audience to take.
Once I understand what I am being asked to accomplish, I can design with purpose. I'm not a decorator, I'm a designer — my job is to determine the combination of elements — the images, typefaces, and user interface — necessary to communicate messages in a way that makes them interesting and accessible.
Teaching that process is what John McWade is so expert at. Through the pages of Before & After Magazine, he has been teaching what others don't, in ways that others can't, since the days when the first version of Aldus PageMaker was in beta testing. He parses, deconstructs, and studies a design problem, then packages a solution in a form that is easy to understand, digest, and reproduce.
I've written for B&A and I can testify that there's nothing easy about making things simple. I have pointed you to John in the past, but there is some new news worth sharing: John McWade has begun a series of wonderful short stories about design — video snippets that once again have me thinking about what is possible.
One in the series, How to design without graphics...
The beginnings of the new collection...
Plus, for the first time, the entire Before & After collection goes digital...
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Jan 7
Typography
Here's one to keep your eye on. Fonts In Use is a new, independent project launched by Sam Berlow (publisher), Stephen Coles (editor), and Nick Sherman (designer).
They explain its mission like this: "So much of design critique is focused on graphics and photography. It's time to shed light on the most basic element of communication: the type. At Fonts In Use we'll catalog and examine real-world typography wherever it appears -- branding, advertising, signage, packaging, publications, in print and online -- with an emphasis on the typefaces used."
What will garner much attention is the pairing of interesting design examples and the names of the typefaces used to create them. Thanks to I Love Typography for pointing us to it.
Meet Fonts In Use...
About the site...
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Jan 5
Typography
I am often drawn to ephemera such as these documents featured on GraphicsFairy.com. I especially like those in languages other than English because, when I don't understand the wording, I don't get hung up with subject and can focus entirely on the graphic forms.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
These images are featured on GraphicsFairy.com...
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Dec 24
Typography
Part of my job as a designer is to find people to collaborate with. I haven't met a designer yet who had also mastered all of the other talents necessary to create great designs — photography, type design, copywriting, and illustration, not to mention other critical gifts such as programming, development, and business administration.
So, here are the names of three top lettering designers you might want to consider collaborating with. They do hand lettering, design logotypes, are master calligraphers, and designs typefaces.
Laura Worthington...
Michael Clark...
Carol Kemp...
Fred Showker at graphic-design.com did a nice profile on Carol Kemp recently...
And I have profiled Michael Clark here...
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Dec 13
Typography
It's a bold statement from the originators of many bold designs — Emigre. "Emigre has its own take on this typographic technique," they say. "Instead of providing rules, which often render safe but bland results, we believe that ultimately any font can be successfully combined with any other font. It's not so much a matter of which font combination to pick, it's a matter of how you use the fonts in combination. Size, color, tracking, contrast, layout and overall purpose determine how fonts can be combined successfully."
Take a look, they make convincing argument.
Emigre's Historia Type Specimen...
An interview with Emigre founder Rudy Vanderlans from Plazm Magazine...
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Dec 6
Typography
As its founders explain it, "Typedia is a community website to classify typefaces and educate people about them. Think of it like a mix between IMDb and Wikipedia, but just for type. Anyone can join, add, and edit pages for typefaces or for the people behind the type."
The beginnings of a great new resource...
You can keep track of its progress here...
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Nov 29
Illustration
I'm going to speculate that Dave Smith is one of the most talented, skilled sign artists of our time — I doubt anyone will object. He cuts, etches, paints, and gilds glass in ways that will amaze you.
A film about signwriter David Adrian Smith...
Another fascinating step-by-step illustration..
Smith's website..
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Nov 17
Typography
Jonathan Barnbrook has designed some of the best known, unknown typefaces. By that I mean you've probably seen his typefaces — maybe Regime, Moron, Exocet, or Mason — but you might not know its name or the name of its designer.
Virus Fonts...
Jonathan Barnbrook's Blog..
Barnbrook's studio..
The Creative Characters profile of Jonathan Barnbrook...
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Nov 3
Typography
Pardon my French (my translation is not perfect), but I believe this is a typeface developed for use by the village of Montreuil (you'll see a sample of a sign among the string of images). I point you to it for two reasons. First, because I like the way it looks, and second, because I like the thinking behind it.
It is an amorphous face that is intended to be used for both creating words and images--as its designer, Julien Priez, puts it, "to write the word "bicycle" or to draw the bicycle." You can also use ligatures to build and extend individual characters.
The typeface: Le Montreuil...
Video of the typeface in use...
An example of Priez's calligraphy...
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Oct 4
Typography
If you started out in print, you are (perhaps) more aware of the value of typography as an element of design. In print we have near-complete control over type—the choice of faces, glyphs and special characters, kerning and leading values, and so on.
Web design, as you are doubtlessly well aware, has been an entirely different story. You have much less control and to exert what little control there is requires a fair bit of technical expertise.
As the web matures, those of us who design for it have been yearning for a universal, user-friendly system that gives us that control and in recent months, its looks as though we are closer than ever to realizing it.
Last week, I set out to write a short article pointing to some of the many sources I have happened upon lately—some are listed below. And then I found an excellent article by Richard Fink that explains it all in a way that is much more informed and thoughtful than anything I could have written myself.
First Richard's article, and then some links to further explanations and solutions.
The big picture: Web Fonts at the Crossing by Richard Fink...
The big picture: Jeffrey Zeldman, Dan Benjamin, Ethan Dunham of Fontspring and Font Squirrel and Jeffrey Veen of Typekit...
See some web fonts in action...
THE Web Font Awards...
Solutions: Font Deck...
Solutions: Fontspring...
Solutions: Font Squirrel...
Solutions: Google Font Directory...
Solutions: Typekit...
Solutions: Typotheque...
Solutions: Webtype...
Fink's excellent blog—Readable Web...
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Oct 1
Typography
If you are as hopelessly addicted to letterforms you're already well aware of this typographic primer authored by educator and historian Ellen Lupton. What's new is this new, online version of the book.
Ellen Lupton's Thinking With Type..
Type Families (190KB PDF)..
It even includes some teaching tools for educators...
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Sep 22
Typography
I like what's happening with the brochure for The Australian National Academy of Music. Watch how the designers integrate type into the photographs—it really is musical isn't it?
The Australian National Academy of Music brochure...
A PDF of the brochure (8.4MB PDF)..
The designers—Creative Page...
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Sep 20
Typography
Some time back I pointed to the tried and true idea of creating illustrated headlines by sizing lines of text to fit a set width.
Watch how this designer applies the idea in various ways to an entire series of elements. It's a good reminder of how using a similar technique on many elements produces a design that is greater than the sum of its parts.
The HackFwd Blueprint...
A PDF of the blueprint (421KB PDF)...
The HackFwd site...
My simple tip about "Illustrated Headlines"...
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Aug 27
Typography
The goal of a new typography curriculum at The Cooper Union is to prepare students to design professional quality digital typefaces and lettering. The course, developed in conjunction with the Type Directors Club, offers a Certificate of Typeface Design. Classes are limited to 18 members and are scheduled on evenings and weekends to accommodate working professionals.
Looks like an impressive lineup of instructors and guest lectureres.
About the program...
The core instructors are Jesse Ragan, the designer of Gotham and Archer (for Hoefler & Frere-Jones)...
and Alexander Tochilovsky--a self-professed type-nerd...
Faculty and lectureres...
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Jul 5
Illustration
I had the good fortune to meet Daniel Pelavin years ago when I was working on a book. As you will see by the video clip, he has a passion for his craft, a self-effacing attitude, and wonderful talent for cooking ideas down to shape and color.
An example of his illustration skills...
A typeface design...
In this recent interview he reveals his passion for the design craft...
And his web site...
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Jun 28
Typography
What's that font?
It's a common question but with ten's of thousands of typeface designs in use, finding an answer can be a challenge. (My terminology rant: A "typeface" is a design and a "font" is the vehicle for delivering it. If you want to identify a particular design, you want to identify a "typeface" not a "font". The feature-length rant by Allen Haley: They're not fonts! here...)
My first step to identifying a typeface design name is to attempt to find it myself. I don't like asking directions and I prefer to wander through a store and find what I'm looking for myself—yes, it's some sort of stupid macho thing. (Could be a trifecta for A&E: Intervention, Obsessed, now Directions?!)
Step 1 > Identify the category. Finding a particular typeface is a simple process of narrowing and the first way to narrow the search is to identify the typeface category and to do a quick scan of the associated faces to see if you can pick it out...
Step 2 > Capture an image and upload it to WhatTheFont. Take a photo, grab a screenshot, or find a URL for a sample of the typeface and feed it into the WhatTheFont database. It show you some suspects. (There's even an app that allows you to shoot and send samples from your iPhone)...
Step 3 > Narrow the possibilities Using Identifont. If that doesn't do it, try another do-it-yourself strategy—Identifont. It asks you a series of questions about various features of the typeface and narrows the search as you go...
Step 4 > Ask the experts. Still can't find it? Time to ask for help. Try the typophile Type ID Board...
OR more experts... at the WhatTheFont Forum on MyFonts.com...
Still can't find it? It might be a design by a somewhat obscure designer or foundry, a custom design, or perhaps a typeface that is not yet available in digital form.
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May 26
Print Design
Time to revisit Beast Pieces, the site that features the letterpress work of Studio On Fire. They seem to produce a very high quality product—whether they do the design of allow others to take the lead. Wow, that is difficult—very impressive.
Business cards for Many Fold Farm...
Stationery for Vista Caballo ranch retreat...
Atomic Playpen drink coasters...
The Beast Pieces home page...
The Studio On Fire arm...
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May 24
Illustration
Asif R. Naqvi's site design reminds me of the fine filigree work a seventeenth century jeweler might produce. I picked out a few parts and pieces of his site to highlight. I particularly like the giant, intricate nameplate collage on the home page.
The cover page nameplate...
A scaled down version of the nameplate used on second-level pages...
Example 1 of supporting images...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Naqvi's portfolio site...
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May 21
Typography
It is not often that I see something that seems distinctly different than anything I've seen before—this is one of those rare cases. Dado Queiroz's work (to me) is VERY different and I like it a lot.
My first reference to Dado Queiroz comes from livingdesign.info—more on that next time...
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
A font design (available from MyFonts.com)...
His web site...
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May 19
Web Design
Pattern Tap is an invention of Matthew Smith at Squared Eye. It is (loosely) similar to other pattern libraries (Yahoo has a notable one) in that it presents the what, how, and why of user interface. The value is, instead of searching through a thousand sites for interesting and innovative UI ideas, you can discover designs someone else has found to be particularly notable.
I think you will find that Matthew Smith know of what he speaks. His company site, Squared Eye, is nice to look at AND easy to use—I have long admired it.
Pattern Tap...
The Pattern Tap Twitter page...
Matthew Smith's Squared Eye...
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May 17
Typography
Palaeography is the study of ancient handwriting. Look closely at early handwriting and you will find the roots of much modern language and typography. You can shortcut the process by reading some learned practitioner's interpretations of such study or you can spend some time doing a little digging yourself. I think you'll find it fascinating.
A tutorial about reading handwriting from 1500 to 1800...
What is Palaeography? by Julian Brown...
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Apr 30
Print Design
Graphic design is a quirky business. You can explain what you do to relatives and friends, but no matter how hard you try, only about 10 percent seem to get it. The say, "Yeah, ____ is a graphic designer. We're, uh, real proud...real proud."
So when I meet someone who speaks my language I appreciate it. Jeff Gamet and Jay Nelson do a podcast hosted by CreativePro called Design Tools Weekly--they speak my language. It's nice to sit down once a week and hear a discussion about the hardware, software, and the general state of our business. I recommend it highly.
The Design Tools Weekly Podcast...
AND, as always, you can checkout a free sample issue of Design Tools Monthly here(1.9MB PDF)...
Jay's Twitter page...
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Apr 26
Ideas 101
This is a great reminder of the problem solving aspect of design. It got me thinking about the many techniques we use to solve problems and how important it is to our work as graphic designers and marketers. My curiosity led me to an excellent page on the subject by Robert A. Harris, Ph.D.
Thanks to my friend Cathleen Rittereiser for pointing us to this.
So you need a typeface—start by choosing the project you need the typeface for (center)...
The designer, Julian Hansen...
An excellent, in-depth page on problem solving techniques...
If the subject interests you, you might like this too...
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Apr 16
Typography
One way is to focus on the quality of the kerning.
Kerning, as Robert Bringhurst defines it, is the act of "altering the space between selected pairs of letters". Though it is not widely discussed, it is a critical part of typeface design.
Kerning is both artistic and mathematical. The difference in spacing, for example, between an "O" and an "M" is different than the spacing between an "r" and a "w". Most typefaces employ independent definitions for each pairing to upper case to upper case letters, upper case to lower case, upper case to punctuation, lower case to lower case, and so on. It is not unusual, in fact, for a single font to have well over 2000 kerning pairs.
But here, let an expert explain. Igino Marini offers an auto-spacing and auto kerning service to type designers. That may sound like a yawn to those who are not fanatics about type, but for those of us who are, it is fascinating stuff.
Igino Marini's iKern...
An interview with artist/engineer Igino Marini...
And his wonderful (free) revival fonts...
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Mar 17
Illustration
Clay Hayes' GigPosters.com features posters used to advertise music shows and events. As you might imagine, the subject matter allows the designers and artists great creative freedom—so you're going to see some exciting and interesting uses of type, color, and illustration. (The examples I link to are tame, but I'll caution you that if you wander around, there's also material some might find offensive.)
Example 1 by Gwenola Carrere...
Example 2 by Nate Duval...
Example 3 by Matthew Fleming...
The front door...
The GigPosters Twitter page...
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Mar 12
Print Design
The first issue of Popular Science magazine appeared just seven years after the close of the Civil War. This month it began offering (in partnership with Google) its entire 137-year archive for free browsing. Each issue appears just as it did at its original time of publication, complete with period advertisements. Amazing.
How the new Popular Science is printed, for example, is detailed in the October 1938 issue. It explains, "At the huge Dayton, Ohio, plant where POPULAR SCIENCE is printed, a workman, the other day, pressed an electric button and this record-breaking machine whirled into action." Then it goes on to show and tell one of its signature stories—filled with informative photographs and illustrations.
Thanks to Jim Green for passing this on—great find.
October 1938, page 74, How the new POPULAR SCIENCE is printed...
March 1984, page 99, Introducing the 32-bit Apple Macintosh...
August 1950, page 93, Typewriter with a memory "sets type" on photo film...
March 1963, page 35, Commercial art talent hunt open to you...
May 1872, page P5, Issue number one...
Search for yourself...
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Feb 10
Basic design
What I like so much about Fred Showker is that he sees the graphic design industry from more than one angle--he's is a working designer, an experienced teacher and presenter, a bit of a technoid, and the creative mind behind one of the top marketing and design resources on the Web--the Graphic Design & Publishing Center.
Not only does he stay curious about what's next, he has amassed a huge archive of insightful articles and tutorials on design, photography, typography, marketing, and the business of graphic design.
He recently did a major reorganization and re-launch of the site so, if you haven't already, I urge you to take a look.
The Design & Publishing Center...
Example 1: Visual Proofreading: 10 Rules...
Example 2: Designing Spaces...
Example 3: Throw Your Press Release in the Trash...
Fred's bio...
I've been a subscriber to his newsletter, DT&G NEWS, for years...
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Dec 2
Typography
Alison Morris at Publishers Weekly points us to a couple of typefaces with big personality. One culled from a 1923 Speedball lettering manual and several from the Tart Workshop--a great source I had not yet found. (Thanks to my sister Deb Green for pointing us to Alison.)
Milk Script from Sudtipos...
Silverstein from Tart Workshop...
Nelly Script from Tart Workshop...
Seasoned Hostess from Tart Workshop...
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Nov 30
Typography
In her own words, "The Daily Drop Cap is an ongoing project by typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische. Each day (or at least each WORK day), a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap will be posted for your enjoyment and for the beautification of blog posts everywhere."
It is a sight to behold.
An example...
The home page...
A stellar Christmas present type lovers...
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Nov 9
Illustration
If you want some terrific presentation inspiration, head over to The Art of the Title Sequence. It demonstrates how top film title designers, past and present, combine pictures with words to communicate ideas in thoughtful and intriguing ways.
While there, check out the wonderful collection of alphabet posters created for the film Coraline. Take note of how each letter of the alphabet is modified to provide a secondary meaning.
These are the titles for Coraline...
For fun... the Coraline movie site...
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Oct 23
Typography
Hope you'll share this with someone who has yet to grasp the idea that honest work deserves honest treatment. If they want to trade fonts and images outside of established licensing, all we ask is that they first email the designer to explain why they think the ability to create a design and the long hours necessary to produce and market it, does not merit compensation.
Here's an example of one step of the font design process. It does not even address the issue of the talent and dedication it takes to determine a need and to design something that is useful, stylish, and distinctive.
Watch John Roshell create the Moritat font...
The finished typeface...
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Oct 16
Typography
It's one thing to choose from a large catalog of typefaces--it is another to envision how those same faces might be used on specific projects. Font Bureau's Image and Project Galleries reveal how designers apply particular combinations of typefaces to actual publications.
Be sure to click the "Inside Pages" tab to see the complete demonstration...
And the Project Gallery...
The entire Image Gallery (not as complete explanations)...
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Sep 30
Typography
Just when I have fooled myself into thinking I have some type of handle on the scope of what designers are designing, I come across something like this. These organic, three-dimensional typographic illustrations by designer Luca Ionescu of Like Minded Studio redefine (to me) what is possible. Old dog. New trick?
Example 1: from Texas Monthly magazine...
Example 2... (Full post)
Like Minded Studio...
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Sep 21
Illustration
I don't have a clue about the subject matter here but Aaron Horkey's illustrations and hand-lettered word groupings are fabulous.
BTW, anyone know of an official term for the assembly of individual words into a composition—the process of putting together the pieces of the puzzle? Seems as if there should be a term for it other than "word grouping."
Example one...
Example two...
His portfolio on Rock of Eye...
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Sep 16
Typography
This site, to me, is interesting on at least three different levels. First, it uses a standard metaphor—the printed page—in a slightly different way. When you click "Preview" at the top right of the screen, the entire page shifts to reveal the surface underneath it.
Second, I like the subtleties of the folds and light manifest as different shades of yellow.
And third, the icons ain't bad either!
Royalty-free vector icons, glyphs, and symbols based on the Helvetica Bold typeface...
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Aug 28
Typography
If you can continually expand your visual vocabulary, every day is new. What I like most about "lapsed Graphic Designer" Marian Bantjes is the seemingly endless ways she invents to say a thing. I'm guessing that making each project different is a challenge she relishes. Here are some wonderful examples.
A menu of items...
And then something entirely different...
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Aug 10
Illustration
Alison Carmichael has a wonderful gift for all types of lettering design. You can see the depth of her talent under "Poster ads."
See "Poster ads"...
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Aug 3
Ideas 101
True passion is rare.
Much creative energy and expertise is expended moving value from one hand to the other. That's not a criticism--commerce makes lots of good things possible--I am a card carrying member of the commerce thing. But I can't help but take special notice when I encounter expressions of interest and involvement that appear at least, to have grown out of a pure devotion to its subject.
I see that in a new publication--UPPERCASE magazine (2009). A magazine? Are you kidding?! Who starts a magazine in the year of Twitter? People with passion do--their names are Janine Vangool and Deidre Martin and they've enlisted the help of an eclectic collection of talented contributors--designers, illustrators, photographers, typographers, writers, and others.
The purpose of UPPERCASE is to take a look at the creative process from all angles: profiling creatives, peeking into work environments, pointing to examples of styles and palettes, uncovering interesting ephemera--they even devote a section of the magazine to brief profiles of five or six of their subscribers--an approach that (to me) demonstrates something important about their thinking.
Enough with the accolades--at this point you probably think these are relatives of mine--they aren't, I have no connection with them whatsoever. But I can tell you the first thing I did after closing the last page was to go online and subscribe. I figure that when you find a passion you share, you should support it.
UPPERCASE Magazine: Issue 2 preview...
The magazine is just part of the mix, their web includes lots of interesting material...
Their blog...
You can buy the current issue or subscribe here...
Once you've seen it, I'd love to hear your comments below...
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Jul 24
Typography
While we're on the subject of ephemera (my post on Monday). How would you use it? Well, one way certainly is to choose parts and pieces as influence and inspiration. Another way is to recast it in a new light. That is what Lorenzo Petrantoni does. In fact, in a profile on his philosophy in Communication Arts, he says, "I love old books. I want to bring them back to life, discover their stories and tell the present through the past."
A Petrantoni illustration for The New York Times Magazine...
The profile of Petrantoni at commarts.com...
Lorenzo Petrantoni's web...
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Jul 20
Learning
Dick Sheaff is, among other things, is a collector of ephemera [i-fem-er-uh]--materials that were designed to be disposed of after they served their purpose: advertisements, pamphlets, posters, programs, labels, and so on. Sheaff is now sharing some of the best of his collection online. It is wonderful, inspirational stuff--a must see.
Sheaff is also a designer of postage stamps. Search Arago (a resource of the Smithsonian's National Postage Museum) and you will find Sheaff listed as the designer of over 100 stamps.
Sheaff's Gaslight Style Ephemera...
Sheaff's Artistic Printing Ephemera...
Sheaff's front page...
Sheaff's work on Arago, a resource of the Smithsonian's National Postage Museum...
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Jul 17
Learning
I was reading one of Tim Girvin's blog posts this evening (the well-respected calligrapher, writer, and designer) in which he mentions that his mentor was Lloyd J. Reynolds. That made me curious--who was Lloyd Reynolds?
A little detective work turned up this progression: In 1896 William Richard Lethaby (1857-1931) founded the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, England. In 1899 Lethaby encouraged a colleague, Edward Johnston (1872-1944), to start a class on illumination. One of his students was Alfred J. Fairbank (1896-1982) who later referred to himself as a "disciple" of Johnston. Fairbank was Reynolds' (1902-1978) mentor. And, as I explained, Girvin (1953- ) now names Reynolds as his mentor.
Why should you care? Because I think it is a good reminder of the importance of sharing what we know. This simple progression--Lethaby, Johnston, Fairbank, Reynolds, and Girvin--demonstrates a clear, distinct path of ideas and encouragement that was passed from teacher to student. Read their history and look at their work and you will see how profoundly one influenced the next.
About Lethaby...
About Johnston...
About Fairbank...
About Reynolds...
About Girvin...
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Jul 15
Basic design
Historic Stock Market is an international online-market for historical shares, old stocks, bonds, and financial documents. Their collection includes at least 20,000 old stock and bond certificates, many of which include elaborate illustrations, ornate typography, and/or highly complex borders and patterns. This is one place to remember when you need some graphic design inspiration.
Look at the meticulously crafted filigree on this 1920s British certificate...
and this French certificate from the 1890s...
If you're interested in exploring further...
Another excellent source: George H. LaBarre Galleries...
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Jun 26
Typography
In addition to the fact that OurType offers some interesting typefaces, their web page offers some unique ideas about navigation. I must admit it took me a couple of beats to figure out that you click and drag the orange arrows to move up and down, but other than that I like how the designer has made everything accessible from one screen. The only downside being I can't point you to specific information--no variable URL.
OurType...
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Jun 22
Typography
Art director and designer Kent Henderson has assembled a wonderful collection of type specimens via Flickr under the umbrella of Depression Press.
Kent's “Typecase” set...
More print- and type-centric sets...
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May 22
Mind Vacations
Well--would you settle for Fonts, a couple of entertaining film shorts? You can thank (or blame) my son Jeff for bringing these to our attention.
Font Conference...
Font Fight...
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Mar 23
Typography
We've all run up against a typeface we want to use but can't identify. Just in case you had not come across it, here is a link to one of the type community's great resources: The Typophile Type ID Board. If this collective can't name it (or at least give you a hint to its origin) you may as well give it up.
And while we're on the subject, kudos to those of you who are willing to participate in the un-puzzling. The only thing that makes a forum like this possible is the willingness of those who participate in it. As someone who needs an occasional assist, I thank you.
The Typophile Type ID Board...
If, by chance, you are not familiar with the great resource that is Typophile, here is the front door...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Getting It Printed...
Jan 30
Typography
Check out this interesting series of interviews by font mega-reseller MyFonts.com. It includes profiles of some of the best including Jim Parkinson, Mark Simonson, Christian Schwartz, and David Berlow.
Creative Characters from MyFonts...
NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...
Dec 24
Typography
It's a claim that stirs more than a little controversy, but FontShop gave it a shot. They enlisted seven people who most would acknowledge as experts and weighted the list as follows:
Sales figures: 40%
Historical significance: 30%
Aesthetic quality: 30%
It is opinion, obviously, but pretty interesting.
The list...
A rough translation of the explanation (German to English) via Google Translate ...
A booklet with the list and illustrations (in German) (6.8MB PDF)...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Templates for InDesign, QuarkXpress, or PageMaker...
Nov 12
Typography
FontEmbedding.com states it clearly: "Applications, authoring tools and operating systems provide various, often very powerful, ways to manipulate, package, embed and modify fonts. But just because your software makes it easy to do does not mean you have the legal rights to do so. That is why it is very important to understand the license agreement which covers various commercial fonts."
As we design web sites using methods such as sIFR (Scalable Inman Flash Replacement) and electronic documents using encoding processes such as PDF (Portable Document Format), we need to be aware of the underlying information being attached in the background.
Does a special license need to be purchased? Do security special measures need to be instituted? This is an ongoing discussion between communication designers, type designers, IT managers, and so on that is resulting in a mishmash of licenses and rules. Since you and I must understand and comply with the results, we need to be aware of the issue. In case you have not yet addressed it, here's an introduction.
An overview of font embedding...
An example of how one leading foundary (Hoefler & Frere-Jones) addresses the issue: "What's involved in using fonts on websites?" and "Can I use fonts to make PDFs?" ...
In the Ideabook Design Store: FontHead Typefaces...
Oct 3
Typography
Recently, I've heard buzz from several corners about Museo, a font designed by a Dutch art director named Jos Buivenga and published by his foundry, exljbris.
There are two interesting things about it. First, it is a well-designed font that deserves a look. And second point of interest is how it is being marketed. The Museo family is listed on MyFonts.com in five different styles—what amounts to light to heavy. The mid-range weights are offered for free and the lightest and heaviest versions are priced like a regular font. A clever way to get you to try it. I, of course, want the other two weights as wells. Hence I will be light $33.
Museo at MyFonts.com...
A new family, Museo Sans at MyFonts.com...
Jos Buivenga's foundry: exljbris...
Jos Buivenga's blog...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Art Parts Clip Art...
Sep 19
Typography
Half the battle of organizing a toolbox is keeping track of what's in it. One handy resource we all have access to (but that I rarely use) is the collection of symbols and dingbats associated with various fonts on our systems. Jesse Gardner has made browsing and inserting these little gems a breeze with an ingenious tool called SymbolAssist.
The idea is simple: you locate the symbol you want to use on the SymbolAssist chart and click it to copy it to your computer's clipboard. Then, you simply paste it into whatever you are writing or designing. (Paste on the Mac is Command-V, on the PC is Control-V). Very cool.
SymbolAssist from Plasticmind.com...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Becoming a Graphic Designer
Sep 1
Typography
John Parker, the Director of Brand Communication at Veer, has posted a sneak peek at Compendium. A hard-edged calligraphic script that boasts almost 700 glyphs.
Compendium Specimen (1.8MB PDF)...
Parker's post...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Color Harmony Guide...
Aug 29
Typography
I have pointed to Michael Doret's typographic illustrations in an earlier post but I just became aware that Doret offers four comprehensive typefaces that you can use to build your own illustrations. Below is a link to the foundry (Alphabet Soup) followed by the instruction guides for each of the four typefaces.
Michael Doret's Alphabet Soup...
Metroscript (600KB PDF)...
PowerStation (900KB PDF)...
Bank Gothic AS (600KB PDF)...
Orion (1MB PDF)...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Copywriter's Handbook...
Aug 15
Typography
I don't know that I have seen anything quite like this before. It is so simple yet so compelling, it just stopped me in my tracks. The fact that you must read your way through it ensures you get the message. On top of all that, the idea of supporting folks around the world with micro loans is a wonderful idea that is proving to be an valuable way to communicate caring and sharing--love it. Thanks to Jesse Gardner at plasticmind.com for pointing to it.
The Girl Effect...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Moleskine Notebooks...
Aug 6
Typography
On the cover of Adobe's Font page is an interesting collection of type plus motion. It demonstrates some theoretical uses and provides an abbreviated look at how you build an effect in programs such as InDesign and After Effects. I particularly like selection number five: DVD Menus.
Click “Step inside and be moved”...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Becoming a Graphic Designer
Aug 4
Typography
One way to improve your understanding of typography and to master proportion and placement is to study the relationship between characters and shapes in fine handwriting and calligraphy. And the ideal place to start is at the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH).
The gallery......
A wonderful collection of out-of-print books on calligraphy and penmanship in PDF form...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After: Graphics For Business...
Jul 16
Typography
Here's the presentation catalog from Tipos Latinos 2008 in Buenos Aires. I am particularly taken by the typeface Presidencia on page 12 designed by Gabriel Martinez Meave of Kimera Type.
Tipos Latinos 2008...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Copywriter's Handbook...
Jul 9
Typography
I received a heads-up from Dave Seidl of Ascender Corporation pointing me to their new commercial/reseller font web at fontmarketplace.com—I found it to be an interesting new source. They offer a unique End User License Agreement that allows them to sell certified true type fonts for $5.
Ascender is the BASF of the typographic world. By that I mean they could easily adopt BASF's famous tag line: “We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.”
For example, Ascender's Steve Matteson designed a family of fonts named Convection for the Xbox 360. And they are also credited the design of Droid, a family of fonts licensed to Google for Android—a new open, free mobile platform.
The Convection family for the Xbox 360...
The Droid family for Google's Android platform...
Ascender's new FontMarketplace.com...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Brenner Pricing Tables...
Jul 2
Typography
Scott & Nix is a publishing firm specializing in nature and science books. What you might not know (if you are not another obsessed type nut) is that it is owned by Charles Nix who also happens to be the current president of the Type Directors Club.
I tell you that to tell you this: the Scott & Nix site includes a list of fifty-plus typefaces S&N designers use in their work. The accompanying lead begins: “Typography is both the form of type and how it is used. It plays a major role in differentiating our products from the rest. We consider the typefaces below to be essential raw ingredients to our work.”
They know of what they speak.
The Scott & Nix typeface list...
There is also a list of 100 Typographic Books...
The Type Directors Club...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Moleskine Notebooks...
May 9
Typography
You need real guts to take on a job like this. Amsterdam studio Bolt Graphics designed this handsome set of posters for Adidas and translated them into 24 languages—not just translated words but word illustrations.
Bolt Graphics posters...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Templates for InDesign, QuarkXpress, or PageMaker...
Mar 14
Typography
To me, this is a design painting. You have to step back from it to see what all the brush strokes add up to. You can argue that the technique is an impediment to reading, but it certainly made me take notice.
The Schwarzdesign blog...
An English version (via Google Translate)...
Google Translate (in case you have not used it)...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Color Harmony Guide...
Feb 6
Typography
I have been a Tim Girvin fan for many years. He has long been one of the premiere calligraphers in the world. So I was excited to see his name on Will Sherwood's blog a couple of weeks ago—it was a real blast from the past. What I found is that there is nothing “past” about this innovator. His work is at the forefront of design and his knowledge of marketing and branding is second to none.
Tim Girvin's visual world...
His blog...
Jan 18
Typography
Why does a guy from the United Kingdom move to Japan to write about letters cut from German potatoes (01/13 post)? To explain it, John Boardley, the voice of ilovetypepography.com, invokes the words of type designer Eric Spiekerman, “I can’t explain it; I just like looking at type. I just get a total kick out of it. Other people look at bottles of wine or whatever...I just get kicks out of looking at type.”
Boardley offers a refreshing look at typography, both serious subjects and the simple joys of form and expression.
John Boardley's ilovetypepography.com...
Jan 11
Typography
There are understood “rules” in all disciplines of graphic design. In typography, there are widely accepted practices for the leading of lines, the kerning of individual characters, how and where lines of type should break, and so on. This example shows how you can base a design on defying those rules. Designer Miguel Ripoll demonstrates his keen understanding of type by transforming headlines and subheads into word illustrations.
Breaking typesetting rules...
Ripoll's portfolio...
Dec 17
Typography
Here is a handy little CSS generator for playing with typefaces, sizes, and colors. You adjust the settings until you find just the right combination then click “Generate CSS” to create and capture the code.
Typetester...
Dec 10
Typography
As publisher FontFont tells it, “It took three years and three designers to develop FF Meta Serif. ...Erik Spiekermann made several attempts at designing a counterpart for his groundbreaking FF Meta. He recommended Swift, Minion, FF Clifford, and others, until he realized that he should just buckle down and draw his own serif Meta. True to his principle of collaboration, Spiekermann enlisted the help of accomplished type designers Christian Schwartz and Kris Sowersby.” Gimme.
Meta Serif by Spiekermann, Schwartz, and Sowersby...
Spiekermann's blog...
Schwartz's site...
Sowersby's site...
Sep 14
Typography
I LOVE type. With two sons in art school, I am reminded of the importance typography plays in the education of designers. I am always thrilled to find others who have a passion for the art and science of typography—in this case, the Argentinean type foundry collective, Sudtipos. I would guess these designers prefer not to be pegged as designing for a certain industry, but the lyrical typefaces they produce have the kind of warmth that lends itself so well to food and hospitality projects. Wonderful.
They do both casual...
And elegant...
The entire menu...
My big list of foundries at Jumpola.com...
NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...
Sep 5
Typography
Twenty-five years ago I was not alone in thinking the type industry was doomed. PhotoTypositor technology was on its last leg as the advent of digital fonts dropped the cost of display type from $4 per word to virtually free. How many typeface designers could survive such a total industry meltdown we thought?
Armageddon? Not so much. In their Our Favorite Fonts of 2006 article the folks at typographica.org estimate over 1,800 new commercial typefaces were released last year. Huge numbers of new typefaces, some of which are simply stunning.
Typographica's Our Favorite Fonts of 2006...
What the heck is a PhotoTypositor?
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Desktop Publisher's Idea Book...
Aug 20
Typography
Watch how Jessica Hische designs a typographic still life. Click on her typography portfolio (click the “T”) and page through. What strikes me is the near perfect balance of each composition.
Click the “T” to see Jessica's type design portfolio...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Copywriter's Handbook...
Aug 15
Typography
An “ambigram” is an illustration that spells out a word and then respells it in another direction or orientation (if you are an expert, forgive me for the incomplete definition). It is easier for me to show you than tell you. Suffice it to say John Langdon is a master at creating them.
John Langdon's Ambigrams...
NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...
Jul 18
Typography
If you love type, you'll love two wonderful hybrid films created by Brand New School (it seems to me that labeling them as advertisements doesn't afford them proper respect). While you're there, have a look around. Brand New School has a stunning portfolio of work.
Toyota Slippery Styling (click on “Images” below the screen to see stills)...
Toyota Sportivo...
Gush, gush...A marvelous mural installation they created for Adobe...
The Brand New School montage...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Design-It-Yourself: Graphic Workshop...
Jun 11
Typography
This typeface, designed by Eduardo Rodríguez Tunni, caught my eye for two reasons: First, because of the unusual mix of hard angles and slopes, and second, because it is so finely rendered. The examples show that the most dramatic effect is achieved through the use of the complete set of alternative characters.
The Titulata typeface...
A specimen brochure (228KB PDF) ...
Another beautifully cut face from the same foundry, Malena...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After Page Design...
Apr 18
Typography
Among the word marks created by lettering designer Holly Dickens, you will find more than a few familiar names: Intel, Kraft, Procter & Gamble. As with most work: if the end product looks simple, you can be certain an enourmous amount of work went into the research and execution. Love the cover page of her Web—striking!
Her Web...
Her Workbook Portfolio...
Mar 2
Typography
At the 2007 Macworld Conference and Expo, Extensis hosted a discussion on font design. They cover topics such as trends, licensing, the scope of the process and so on.
The Extensis Font University...
Feb 2
Typography
Roger Black continues to reinvent his signature palette to great effect: Giza and Interstate typefaces and black, red, and white space.
Black's blog...
Jan 22
Typography
This is an excellent demonstration of the importance of letter spacing. I tried a few and agreed with most of the solutions. (Except for the ones I got wrong—they, of course, were mistakes on the author's part.)
The Typography Workshop (Univ of Delaware)...
Did well? Treat yourself to this...
Jan 5
Typography
Watch how this designer uses what might be termed a whimsical typeface for a very serious subject.
www.stepupspeakout.com
Jan 1
Typography
Not all typefaces need to look as though they are highly engineered.
A new set of distressed typefaces by Device.
The Device set at www.veer.com
Another in the recent wave of handwriting fonts at www.p22.com
Nov 29
Typography
Tobias Frere-Jones, now a principal of and Director of Typography for Hoefler & Frere-Jones, is the architect of two of my top ten typeface families: Interstate and Griffith Gothic.
GriffithGothic
Interstate
About Tobias Frere-Jones
Nov 17
Typography
Here, the choice of typefaces and the gentle swale of the headlines demonstrates how profoundly even a small element can influence overall design.
www.pronghornclub.com
Oct 27
Typography
On this page—the designer makes the reverse type pop by subduing everything else on the page:
www.fontsmith.com
Oct 13
Typography
If you do not yet know Comicraft, you have not seen the definitive site for comic book fonts. Like great comic book art, the fonts are tightly rendered and beautifully proportioned.
http://www.comicbookfonts.com
Oct 11
Typography
Ray Fenwick's “Hall of Best Knowledge” is a collection of wonderful typographic riffs—fascinating.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rayfenwick/sets/787564/
Sep 13
Typography
I can think of lots of business marketing applications for this product—Wall Words are pre-pasted and pre-spaced transfer letters for painted walls, wallpaper, windows, mirrors, furniture and metal.
http://www.wallwords.com/index.htm
Sep 11
Typography
The Typetester is an online application for comparison of the fonts for the screen.
http://typetester.maratz.com/
Apr 21
Typography
As defined The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA) is “an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, study, and support of type, its history and development, its use in the world of print and digital imagery, its designers, and its admirers.” This exhibit is worth a look.
The 2003 exhibit...
http://www.typegallery.com/TG2003/circa.html
The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA)...
http://www.typesociety.org/
Apr 7
Typography
I love the lyrical sense of these fonts and this site. It is the work of Just van Rossum and Erik van Blokland in The Hague and Haarlem, The Netherlands.
LettError Type & Typography...
Speaking of type tools, one of the most impressive type preview tools I've seen is the Type Tester at Letterhead Fonts.
Choose "Type Tester" from the top menu bar...
Feb 6
Typography
Lots of sites claim to be creating “community” but Typophile.com looks like the real deal. I count hundreds of type aficionados trading intelligent comments, questions, and answers—and found an excellent collection of type-related articles and interviews. The cover is here:
The Typophile community
Jan 16
Typography
And now for something completely different. Take a tour with Phil Baines (curator of the Central Lettering Record) through central London to see an eclectic collection of public lettering examples.
http://www.publiclettering.org.uk/
Jan 9
Typography
Years ago Chuck Davis happened across a font software program and decided to use it to translate some of the letters used to hand paint signs into font form. Thank goodness for happenstance. To see the result—Letterhead Fonts.
http://www.letterheadfonts.com/
To see examples of how to use them.
http://www.letterheadfonts.com/gallery/index.php
For free fonts and software.
http://www.letterheadfonts.com/downloads/index.shtml
Dec 28
Typography
I'd be surprised if there is a total of 800 words on the whole of designer Gerard Huerta's Web. His logos, magazine covers, illustrations say everything that needs to be said. Recognize any of these publication nameplates?
http://www.gerardhuerta.com/portfolio/mastheads
His lettering illustrations are second to none.
http://www.gerardhuerta.com/portfolio/lettering-and-illustration
Want more? Take the entire tour.
http://www.gerardhuerta.com/
Dec 7
Typography
The Hoefler & Frere-Jones Type Foundry, to my way of thinking, ranks among the top type foundries on the planet. Jonathan Hoefler, the founder, has created original typeface designs for no less than Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Esquire. If you've not yet discovered Knockout, the redevelopment of Hoefler's first typeface, Champion Gothic, run don't walk.
http://www.typography.com/
