GDS 222: Save Your Thefts for Later

The subsection of "Steal Like an Artist" that spoke to me this week was "Save Your Thefts for Later."  I've been carrying my sketchpad everywhere, and writing, doodling, and recording everything I want to remember.  Recently, my biggest source of inspiration has been coming from a podcast I discovered not too long ago called "Talkin' Toons with Rob Paulsen."  Mr. Paulsen is a very prolific voice actor who has been in the business since the 80's.  Two years ago, he had an idea to start a podcast where he would talk to other voice actors, and they would tell stories and just have fun.  Every time I listen to an episode, I learn something new, and so much of the advice they give is applicable in multiple aspects of life.  Every time I have learned something, I write it down in my sketchbook.  The best part is, the podcast is FREE!  I could keep gushing about this podcast, but you really should just check it out for yourself. 

I think I'll sign off the way Mr. Paulsen does, by saying that laughter is the very best medicine, and the cool thing is you can't O.D. and the refills are free!

GDS 172: Aural Sophistication

I absolutely love how effective the typography is in this ad!  The tagline for this Panasonic DVD Theater system is: "The sound of movies has never been so sophisticated."  This is expressed through the illuminated styling of the letter-forms.  There is a sub-message carried by the typography as well.  Not only is the sound sophisticated, but it is also highly detailed.  While I don't know if the system lived up to this lofty ideal of detail and sophistication, I do see this as a highly effective use of typography.  It enhances the message by making us wonder what sophisticated sound...well, sounds like, and makes us curious as to how this system could be different from others, which is exactly what the advertisers wanted.

Typography: The Neglected Child of the Design Family

I really love this poster for two reasons.  First, it looks awesome.  Second, it is so very true.  Typography is the nearly forgotten element in mainstream design appreciation.  Everyone notices graphics and colors, but not typography.  I mean let's face it.  If everyone appreciated good typography, Comic Sans would not be in use anymore.  However, the fact that type is unnoticed is not necessarily a bad thing.  I've said it before, and I will continue to say it, because I think it is true.  Good typography is unnoticeable.  It's blends in perfectly with a design.  Type that calls undue attention to itself is type that is working against the design.  It's our job, as designers, to make the type invisible...but let's appreciate it anyway.  Type has feelings, too, you know.

"United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru..."

First of all, those who can identify the reference made in the blog title win 1000 internet points.  Just wanted to lay that out there.  As for this piece, I absolutely love it.  Again, it is a wonderful example of how our brain fill in missing bits of type and how clever typography can convey a message with very minimal effort.  I would personally love this on a wall.  Not as framed art, mind, but the full wall.  To me, it's just that good.

E Pluribus Unum

Created by Louise Fili Ltd, this poster is an extremely detailed blend of graphics and typography.  Over 8400 tiles were digitally manipulated to create this mosaic subway poster for the School of Visual Arts.  It's a marvelous example of little details that make the design what it is.  If you have the time, it never hurts to sweat the details. 

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So, my mom actually pointed this business' logo out to me, and I have to say...it is not very well designed.  She said she had trouble reading it as she was driving by, and I figured out why she did.  You see, normally when you read, your brain is not actually translating the individual letters in a word into sounds.  Your brain is actually recognizing the word and linking it to the sound and meaning you remember.  This is why when we come to word we don't recognize, we slow down and sound it out.  Our brain is learning the new word.  The typography on this logo looks very nice, but it is not very readable.  The lower-case letters make it a single entity, and since it doesn't register as a word we know, it is difficult to read.  Especially driving by on the highway.  A lesson to learn.  Just because it looks nice, doesn't mean it works.

"I'm the font that Gotham deserves..."

These superhero typographic posters were created by Matthew Olin, a Minnesota-based designer, for his MFA Thesis exhibition.  I'm a comic nerd, so this appeals to me on a number of levels, but it's also very fascinating in a typographical sense.  Each poster is of a style of font (serif, sans-serif, etc.), and each style has been given a set of "personality traits."  These traits were then matched to a comic book hero, which is created using that style of font.  It's an amazingly in-depth body of work, as he had to study each style and discover these traits that make them what they are.  Bravo, good sir.  Bravo.