with spring comes inspiration

...and a weekend in beautiful iowa city  helps, too. at this wicked cool shop, the soap opera, i found a line of gorgeously designed packaging created by the self-taught illustrator (and soap maven) margot elena. she has a few exciting product lines (including the whimsical love + toast), but her tokyo milk stuff REALLY caught my eye, specifically the design. it's so delicious it makes my teeth hurt.

frazzled

this display typeface is called Brazil Pixo Reto. the serifs are wild—crooked in some places, bent in others. some serifs seem completely unnecessary, as you can see in the "v." it reminds me of frayed nerves, which is what mine are.

this display typeface is called Whatever. i can read the word "crazy," but the next one is illegible. it looks like someone was using a quill pen, the ink ran out, and the writer got mad and started scratching the words on paper in frustration.

rut

i'm uninspired. i'm burned out. not on class, but by life in general. my two jobs are wearing me down, my neuropathy's the worst it's ever been, and i can't keep up with...well...anything. i wonder if i can find any typefaces that describe the way i feel. be right back.

illustrative type

here are some examples of illustrative type, designed to inspire me for my next class project: designing a cover of an issue of buzz weekly.

straightforward. obvious. 3d.

i can practically smell the grime on this one:

 clever beyond belief:

 

i love this one; it's so cute and pink!

 

vespa—the typeface

look at these vespa scooters. aren't they marvelous? one of my life's goals is getting one. my mouth starts involuntarily salivating whenever i pass illini scooters here in town. i imagine myself as some hot italian actress in a late 1950s fellini movie, wind in my hair, breezing through streets of florence in huge black sunglasses on my gorgeous pink vespa. ahhh.

anyway, there are actually two typefaces i've discovered that celebrate this stunning vehicle. i gotta give the blog who rides a vespa? props—that's where i found them. both are based on the metal shields on the scooter.

the first one's called primavera (after an actual vespa model)—based on the typeface vespa used between 1974 and 2001.

 

the second is called vespa, based on vespa's script lettering. it was developed by markus dott of germany.

while the first typeface is accessible and readable, the second can be a bit hard to read. plus, it's missing some uppercase and lowercase characters. it's whimsical and lovely, though, and when i see it, i'm once again transported to italy.

30 years of rock typography: yes

yes is one of my favorite bands. shut up—they're cool. anyway, the band logo's typeface has changed over the 40+ years they've been making pretentious tolkien rock. here are five examples, spanning 1969–1999.

this is the very first yes album, released in july 1969. check out the groovy word balloon. they're making a countercultural statement, dammit! and they'll do it with flutes and and self-indulgent guitar solos!

by 1974, the band had experienced ego problems/personnel issues/overblown stadium tours AND acquired roger dean as album artist. he designed this logo, which became the band's most recognized.

the '80s strike. the logo is cold, clinical, rigid. no more whimsy, no more humor. and the public loved it. "owner of a lonely heart" became their first (and only) #1 single.

surprise, surprise! in 1991 the members of yes swallowed their pride, overcame their differences, and earned huge paychecks for the  requisite reunion. notice how the album recaptures the '70s vibe. by the way, i saw this tour, and it kicked royal ass. rick wakeman rules!

yes meets the millenium. by 1999, the logo's type is sparse, almost apocalyptic and broken. but the band's still churning out albums and shaky tours—probably to pay for assisted living and viagra.

derby type

i'm obsessed with roller derby. i skate with a brand-spankin'-new league, the C-U Rollers, and hope to be kicking a** on the flat track before too long (practice, practice, practice!). all derby leagues, while diverse in spirit and personality, have a similar aesthetic: beauty, skulls, and blood. here are three way established leagues and what our league hopes to become. notice the no-nonsense, all-caps type on all three. it seems to indicate strength. it's also a little messy and crude, which communicates roughness, as well as an ANTI-high maintenance, ANTI-stereotypical Barbie girl attitude.