Eric Shalley

I have been using this fantastic resource for a few weeks now, and thought I would share it. The site allows you to browse different font styles and types and retrieve the CSS code to achieve the results for your web projects. It is so easy to use and has saved me quite a bit of time from the trial and error way I typically go about exploring web type.

Try Typechart out for yourself.

I wanted to share a new logo that I just finished for a client. The company is a new performance apparel design firm specializing in show choir and gymnastics outerwear.

You can view a larger version on my portfolio page. Simply scroll down to the logo section.

I had to laugh when I came across these posters the other day. I read them once and it took me a second glance to see that they were actually design shortcuts. I simply read them substituting the correct word in for each of the shortcuts. Being a shortcut junkie myself, this concept definitely spoke to me. I guess I know a second language, even if only subliminally.

Check out this poster and a few others here: www.atmostheory.com

Yet another great item from I Love Typography.com I didn’t do nearly as well as I thought I would, but I had fun none the less. It reminded me that there is always more to be learned.

This is an amazing tool that allows you to quickly test 3 different fonts, sizes, styles, etc. all at once. There is a wealth of options that make customization a breeze. You can even export out the CSS of your tests. I’m passing along the link because it has really saved me some time in the early coding phase of my web projects.

Check out this wonderful tool when you have a chance.

http://typetester.com

I came across this video the other day and was amazed at the detail and skill of craft that must have gone into making this. I’ll never look at a pop-up book the same again.

I started out my career in design long before I even knew what the word design meant. I have loved to draw for as long as I can remember and my parents have proof in the form of hundreds of scribbled on sheets of paper from my “early” design years. It is fun to go back and look at doodles that I did when I was 5.

I was obsessed with logos, mostly from my favorite sports teams, and would try to re-create them by hand and then post the good ones on the big bulletin board in my room. Back then, I had no way to render type other than by hand, so that is exactly what I did. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was actually beginning to learn about kerning, leading, ascenders, descenders, visual weight, etc.

In high school I had a very small amount of exposure to type design on a computer, but never truly learned about what makes up a letter form, much less how to control the look of type beyond selecting a different font. What the heck is leading anyway and why did I need it? I had comic-sans right? Yep, I am good to go. Or so I thought…

It was not until my second year in design school when I took a book-making class that was entirely on the letterpress did all of my past doodlings of type and logos begin to make sense. Suddenly there was actual lead (well, it used to be back in the day, but was made from another metal for health reasons). I cannot accurately put into words how important it was for me to have taken this class. I learned so much about typography from the letterpress and wish everyone who is interested in type design could have the same chance that I did. I promptly signed up for every other available class involving the letterpress.

In our technology/computer driven world it is far too easy to type in a headline and call it a day without ever making a printout to really look at each letter to see how it relates to the one next to and before it. I always try and view my work from the medium in which it will be displayed to my audience and I encourage you to do the same.

If I could give young designers a tip it would be go find a letterpress or similar manual process and learn all you can.

I ran across this post on Ironic Sans today. If you get why this is funny you just moved up a bit in my book.