graphic design example 5

a special 25th anniversary issue featuring typography, the february 2010 HOW contained a great article titled "who shot the serif?" by allan haley. according to haley, right now everybody's using sans serif or script typefaces. (part of me begs to differ, because lately i see itc lubalin graph and its imitators everywhere, but whatever...) word on the street is that sans serifs are more flexible, allow greater latitude in character spacing, and "keep their good looks in a wide range of sizes." serifs, on the other hand, are quite "finicky." however, haley explores several new cool serifs on the scene.

this one's called trilby (maybe named after svengali's automaton, played woodenly well by marian marsh in the early 1930s version of the movie, but i digress). designed by david jonathan ross, trilby is an interpretation of "the formal constraints of the french clarendon reversed-stress on a foundation of clear, open, and contemporary letterforms." i don't quite understand this (yet), but it's playful and a little quirky.

graphic design example 4

while perusing the february 2010 issue of HOW, i found an ad for this company called mister retro that offers (among other things) some cool image filters for photoshop. this one's called machine wash deluxe, and claims to "distress, weather, and texturize." here's the wash effect and the surface effect. this is the kind of thing that makes me anxious about design. there are so many amazing avenues to explore that i'll never want to leave my house. i'll be obsessed. dishes will stack up. i'll grow pale and crusty. the lawn will grow so obnoxiously high that neighbors will complain. anyway.

graphic design example 3

ah! i can't help it. csa images, the absolute motherlode of cool illustration and design resources, can do no wrong in my eyes. this is an ad i found in the june 2009 issue of print. its design is reminiscent of the old cheesy ads for cubic zirconia rings or bust enhancers you'd find in dusty issues of ladies' home journal. although the ad copies a specific style, it's completely in line with csa's aesthetic, so it doesn't feel "off." and although the image seems busy, with the numerous typefaces and little illustrations, it hangs together with the centered silhouette, curvy shapes, and feminine tone. this is the kind of design i want to do when i grow up.

graphic design example 2

i found this intriguing "constellation" map in the june 2009 issue of print magazine. designed by james gaddy, it aims to highlight nine stockholm designers and how they relate with various schools, cities, friends, spaces, and projects. (each designer is denoted by a different color.) the map is designed in the spirit of swedish modernism, the "pragmatic notion that pared-down design is more democratic."

graphic design example

i found this award-winning poster series in communication arts' 50th anniversary issue (from november/december 2009). the messages are stark, simple, and hard-hitting. they need no further explanation—the imagery says it all.

for me, this series is one of the best examples for explaining the aim of good graphic design. it grabs the viewer's attention, it's intelligent, and it forces the viewer to react (and thus, act).

props to the team who developed it:
art directors: jeremy boland/nick kamei
designer: eric stevens, tower of babel
creative director: terry schneider
writers: jeremy boland/john heinsma/bem jimmerson
agency: borders perrin norrander, portland, oregon
client: willamette week

what type am i?

according to this quiz, i'm bifur. hmmmmm.

from a(rial) to z(apfino)...

...the entire blog is richie-rich with alphabet goodness, but  I love typography's "on choosing type" article is priceless. it's designer john boardley's take on selecting the best type for your design. and guess what: not all traditional "rules" apply.