The Work of Fiodor Sumkin
Russian born illustrator Fiodor Sumkin makes great satirical drawings incorporating some nice hand lettering. The image above is from of a collection of faux Esquire magazine covers.
LInk via → Cooper Union Typography
Posted on July 2, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Illustration, Typography | Leave a Comment
US Ration Coupons 1942-1945
Duke University’s Ration Coupons on the Home Front shows how the US government controlled and conserved tires, bicycles, typewriters, sugar, shoes, fuel oil, gasoline, and food with ration coupons, stickers and certificates issued by the Office of Price Administration from 1942-1945.
Posted on June 29, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Office / Tools, Print Media | Leave a Comment
Typekit Gets A Round
San Francisco, Calif. — June 24, 2009 — Small Batch Inc. announced today that they have secured a round of equity funding from a group of investors led by San Francisco-based True Ventures. Small Batch is developing Typekit, a service enabling designers to build sites with web-native typography.
“This funding is the next step in our plan for bringing real typography to the web,” said Bryan Mason, Small Batch co-founder and President . “We want to build a nimble, safe tool that makes it easier for web designers to do amazing design online, and a lot of people believe in that goal. We’re excited and humbled by the team of investors supporting us.”
Tony Conrad of True Ventures leads a team of high-profile investors that also includes:
- Evan Williams, Twitter CEO and Founder
- Caterina Fake, Flickr and Hunch Founder
- Matt Mullenweg, WordPress/Automattic Founder
- Ron Conway, Angel Investor whose early investments include Google, Ask Jeeves, Paypal and Twitter
- Chris Sacca, Lowercase Capital
- Josh Felser and Dave Samuel, Freestyle Capital
“Typography is the last missing piece of great web design,” said Jeffrey Veen, Small Batch co-founder and CEO. “We’re working closely with type designers to create a new market for their work.”
Typekit will launch a preview of the service in the coming weeks with a library of high quality fonts and design tools.
ABOUT SMALL BATCH Founded in 2008 by Jeffrey Veen, Bryan Mason, Greg Veen, and Ryan Carver, Small Batch Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that has been designing and developing web apps together for years. In 2006, the team built Measure Map, the acclaimed blogging statistics tool that was acquired by Google. While at Google, they led the redesign of Analytics, a powerful website measurement tool used by millions worldwide. Since then, they collaborated with Twitter on user experience and business growth planning, and launched Wikirank — a trend analysis tool for Wikipedia. Additionally, they’ve been involved in W3C working groups and the Web Standards Project as proponents and active designers of the web’s infrastructure platform.
Posted on June 26, 2009
Filed Under Online Media, Typography | Leave a Comment
DIY “For the Love of God” Only £49.99
Bling! From IARTISTLONDON comes a DIY Damien Hirst kit. iHIRST is only £49.99 which is about £49,999,950.01 less than the original. Place it as a mantlepiece atop your stack of broken TVs.
From IARTISTLONDON
“Now, with IHIRST you will be able to create your very own replica. We have included a real size plastic skull and and all the crystals you need to create your copy (Yes! Each one of the 8.601 crystals at an incredible price!). Even the glue and the tweezers are included; patience is the only thing you need. It’s a challenge!! You can even customize your design by adding crystals with different colours if you prefer. Choose your tools. With IHIRST you can create an entirely new design or stick to the original one. Enjoy a piece of art that’s as entirely individual as you are yourself.”
Link via → Nick Rosendorf
Posted on June 25, 2009
Filed Under Fine Art | Leave a Comment
Come on Microsoft… fixoutlook.org
Microsoft plans to ignore web standards by using the crippled Word rendering engine to display HTML emails in Outlook 2010.
Have your say at www.fixoutlook.org
Posted on June 24, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Office / Tools, Online Media | 1 Comment
TDR Site Listed at Moluv
The Typographic Desk Reference website is listed as one of the world’s best looking websites at Moluv.com.
Posted on June 20, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Online Media, Other Work | Leave a Comment
CHAIR/CHAIR by Eric Ku
“An inspiration from the American contemporary artist Joseph Kosuth, One and Three Chair. Instead of giving new definition, I redefined the concept of a chair by using alphabet. One is able to construct a chair by assembling the redesigned alphabets.”
— Eric Ku, designer of CHAIR/CHAIR
Link via → Cooper Union Typography → Wired (Bruce Sterling) → Eric Ku
Posted on June 17, 2009
Filed Under Industrial Design, Typography | 1 Comment
Office in the Woods by Selgascano
Spanish architects Jose Selgas and Lucia Cano of Selgascano have designed my dream office in the woods near Madrid Spain.
Link via → Nick Rosendorf
Posted on June 12, 2009
Filed Under Architecture, Office / Tools | Leave a Comment
Live from the App Store
Apps bob and ripple in a sea of 20,000 icons as they’re downloaded from the App Store in real time.
Posted on June 10, 2009
Filed Under Fine Art, Graphic Design, Online Media | Leave a Comment
The ever popular “Jockstrap-font”
From calligrapher Pier Gustafson comes a display font formed from a jockstrap. If only of limited use, it’s actually quite contemporary.
Posted on June 10, 2009
Filed Under Illustration, Typography | 1 Comment
TDR Makes abduzeedo Site of the Week
abduzeedo: Abducted by Design showcased the Typographic Desk Reference website in their periodic site of the week post. Thanks guys!
Posted on June 4, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Online Media, Other Work, Typography | Leave a Comment
Wanted: Web Design Interns
I’m searching for graphic designers looking to bolster their experience and amp their CV with web design work for multiple projects in various industries.
An understanding of typographic rhythm and grids is required. Presentation layer (HTML/CSS) experience is a must. Flash, PHP, and .Net experience is a plus, but not required.
Send CVs to theo [at] rosendorf.us
Posted on June 2, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Online Media, Typography | 3 Comments
Paul Mijksenaar’s Wayfinding Design
Find more on Mijksenaar through http://www.mijksenaar.com/
Link via Twitter: @rav3style
Posted on June 1, 2009
Filed Under Industrial Design, Typography | Leave a Comment
Obama’s Art with Dumb-Quote
The Obama’s are redecorating the White House walls. Ed Ruscha’s “I Think I’ll…” (1983) (shown above) was one of the pieces selected for placement. It was borrowed from the National Gallery. Typographers and graphic designers can spot this work’s shortcoming with a deep rooted embarrassment. There’s an error with the apostrophe in “I’ll…” This malformed apostrophe is known as a dumb quote. Its proper form should curl to the left.
The error is exacerbated by the fact that the piece was hand lettered. One would think that such a process of transposition would have left time for a correction. This shows it’s not a typing error but an ignorance of the proper use of the Latin alphabet.
Posted on May 28, 2009
Filed Under Fine Art, Typography | 3 Comments
Practical Instructions of The Iliad
While your classic literature reads like stereo instructions, keep in mind e-books won’t always be like this. Wired recently did an article on Why E-Books Look So Ugly which points out e-book’s general low resolution of experience. As a side note, the packaging for the Amazon Kindle has a very high experience resolution.
Interestingly, searching around for “Amazon Kindle typography” shows both I Love Typography
Posted on May 25, 2009
Filed Under Office / Tools, Online Media, Print Media, Typography | Leave a Comment
Tare Lugnt’s Latest Issue – Tattooed
The latest issue of Marc Strömberg’s magazine Tare Lugnt has been tattooed on his leg. Large-scale prints will go on display in Göteborg and Stockholm this month. More info at the Wall Street Journal and the Tare Lugnt site.
Posted on May 22, 2009
Filed Under Fine Art, Graphic Design, Photography, Print Media, Typography | Leave a Comment
Recycled Sign Type
Dismantled, cleaned, and rewired sign type is available from Character.
Posted on May 18, 2009
Filed Under Industrial Design, Typography | Leave a Comment
The Work of Edward Bernays
Communication professionals should have at least a cursory understanding of Edward Bernays’ work. Along with Ivy Lee, he’s considered one of the fathers of the field of Public Relations. He may have actually coined the term. Edward Bernays was the nephew of Sigmund Freud, but I’ll let the video [posted below] explain that.
“If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it? The recent practice of propaganda has proved that it is possible, at least up to a certain point and within certain limits.”
— Edward Bernays (Propaganda, 2005 ed., p. 71)
He called this practice of persuasion the “engineering of consent.”
Edward Bernays and Sigmund Freud are the main characters in the video below. It is the first of a four part BBC documentary The Century of the Self directed by Adam Curtis.
The other three parts can be found here: two, three, and four.
Posted on May 14, 2009
Filed Under Broadcast Media, Film, Public Relations | Leave a Comment
TDR at The TDC in NYC
Posted on May 11, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Other Work, Print Media, Typography | 2 Comments
Scrabble the Beautiful Word
Scrabble celebrates its 60th birthday. For the occasion, Ogilvy & Mather runs a YouTube campaign in a bid to recruit younger fans.
Two more commercials here and here.
Posted on April 27, 2009
Filed Under Broadcast Media, Graphic Design, Identity, Industrial Design | Leave a Comment
Type Geek Space Craft
I’ll be speaking about setting type and some finer points of proportion and space next Thursday April 29th at the Atlanta Web Design Group meeting. The event will be held at the Portfolio Center in Buckhead. RSVP through the AWDG Meetup page.
We’ll also have copies of the Typographic Desk Reference for sale at the event.
Hope to see you there,
Theo
Posted on April 21, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Other Work, Typography | Leave a Comment
Mississippi Meanders
Beautiful examples of cartographic information design are on display at Radical Cartography. Like the sample above, my favorite are the maps designed by Harold Fisk in 1944 for the Army Corps of Engineers, showing the historical traces of the Mississippi River.
Link via Apartment Therapy
Posted on April 7, 2009
Filed Under Cartography, Graphic Design, Office / Tools, Online Media, Print Media | 2 Comments
Typographic Keyboard Layout
Typing ×, or any other special character, takes a fraction of the time it used to with Ilya Birman’s Typography Keyboard Layout.
Beware it will adjust some keyboard shortcuts, but switching back to your old layout will fix it.
Link via multiple sources
Posted on April 6, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Office / Tools, Typography | Leave a Comment
Antique iPhone Gun
Here’s a comical take on the stockpile of firearm apps available at the App Store. It’s called Gun. It’s an antique iPhone gun, and the only gun app that’s built to scale—the real thing would actually fit on the iPhone screen. As an added plus, you’re bound to laugh at the cartoonish sound it makes. KABLOOIE!
Posted on March 27, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Online Media | Leave a Comment
How to Host an Event
1. Acquire two bottles of booze
2. I forgot
After a sufficient recovery period, I’m here to report The Typographic Desk Reference release party was a success. Thanks to everyone who was able to make it and to those who sent emails, texts, tweets, and voicemails in lieu.
[Photo by Bob Stevens]
Posted on March 25, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Other Work, Print Media, Typography | Leave a Comment
Helvetica Moleskine
If only Swiss bank accounts were what they used to be, I’d go old school and keep record in one of these Helvetica Moleskines.
Link via i love typography → nubbytwiglet.com
Posted on March 24, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Office / Tools, Print Media, Typography | Leave a Comment
Grid-Based-Clock-Screensaver
From Build comes “hours of grid-based-pleasure” with the Grid-Based-Clock-Screensaver.
Link from The Grid System ←Candy for Gridnicks
Posted on March 11, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Office / Tools, Online Media | Leave a Comment
TDR Book Release Party
Join us to celebrate the release of The Typographic Desk Reference, Friday March 20th, 5:30 – 9:00 pm at Atlanta’s (context)
RSVP through info@typedeskref.com
Map (context)
75 John Wesley Dobbs Ave.
Atlanta GA
30303
We’d love to have you there,
Theodore Rosendorf
Author of The Typographic Desk Reference (TDR)
Posted on March 2, 2009
Filed Under Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Other Work, Print Media, Typography | Leave a Comment
Died Young, Stayed Pretty
A documentary on the North American underground poster culture, Died Young, Stayed Pretty is Produced, Directed, shot, and Edited by Eileen Yaghoobian. Looks good.
Posted on February 27, 2009
Filed Under Film, Graphic Design, Print Media, Typography | 1 Comment
The Typographic Desk Reference Ships
The Typographic Desk Reference started shipping this week. Here are some points on how to get it shipped to you.
The TDR is now available from Oak Knoll and Amazon, but depending on where you need it shipped, you’ll have to use one or the other. At Amazon, Oak Knoll fulfills orders through Amazon Marketplace. Unfortunately, Amazon Marketplace is limited with where it can ship. Oak Knoll, on the other hand, can ship wherever you like.
Photograph by Kevin Tiller
Posted on February 21, 2009
Filed Under Other Work, Print Media | Leave a Comment
Slide Projectors & Intuition
Posted on February 3, 2009
Filed Under Broadcast Media, Graphic Design | 1 Comment
A Musician’s Visual Grid
With his new book, Grid Index, German musician and artist Carsten Nicolai claims to have “discovered and unlocked the visual code for visual systems into a systematic equation of grids and patterns.”
This is certainly worth a look. It also comes with a CD containing all of the grids presented in the book as editable files.
Link from The Grid System
Posted on January 29, 2009
Filed Under Fine Art, Graphic Design, Print Media | Leave a Comment
The Office of Brion Gysin
Boing Boing’s David Pescovitz makes a great point with “Gysin was also a pioneer of sound poetry and multimedia collage that, in my mind, underpins remix culture, quick-cut video editing, and nonlinear Web experiences.”
He’s absolutely right. In fact, the concept of hypertext may have taken longer to appear had it not been for Gysin and other Beat artists’ influence on culture.
Pinched from Boing Boing
Posted on January 28, 2009
Filed Under Broadcast Media, Film, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Office / Tools, Online Media, Print Media | 1 Comment
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About Type Desk
Type Desk is a journal of graphic communication featuring observations on design, typography, business, and the modern office. Type Desk also documents select professional endeavors of Theodore Rosendorf.
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About Theodore Rosendorf
My career began working freelance with a set of pencils and a drawing pad. The first project was a hand drawn logo for the Downwind restaurant at Atlanta’s PDK Airport... More
