Category Archives for Resources
Is It Awesome or Awful?
As a designer, we all go through a self critique process after we’ve made something to decide whether we truly love it or hate it, whether it just feels right or something is off, and whether the essence of what we tried to make has been captured or lost. Erin Eby and Neisha Tweed are here to help you figure all of those things out! These ladies came up with a chart, titled Awesome or Awful – A Self Critique Tool For Young Creatives to assist in any self-doubt a designer might have. You can check out the small snapshot below, and click on the image to download a high-resolution PDF to always have as a handy reference!
Are You a Comic Sans Criminal?
Don’t worry if you are a Comic Sans criminal…there is help out there! The Comic Sans Criminal site teaches you the appropriate times (just three) to use Comic Sans. After you’ve learned all about the sins of Comic Sans, you can take the Comic Sans pledge, vowing to strongly consider the implications of using Comic Sans in design projects and in other printed work. WOW…that was lots of Comic Sans!
…and speaking of Comic Sans…all the typography talk has to be one of my favorite bits from Parks and Recreation!
A Brief History of Type | An Unpretentious Infographic
I just recently came across A Brief History of Type | An Unpretentious Infographic, by Arthur William Presser, and wanted to share his interpretation of the history of type—the short version. This “unpretentious” infographic (as he puts it) is his version of the history of type, from the creation of the printing press in the 1400′s to the development of Helvetica in the mid 1900′s. For the full story, you should check out the book, Just My Type: A Book About Fonts (and read my blog post about it)!
*Click on the image below to enlarge.
LOVE Watercolor Creations
Last night one of my dear friend’s and I were talking about The Notebook, and we decided that it’s just one of those movies that gives you hope for truly amazing love (the kind of love I wrote about in Week #21)! After we were done talking, I remembered that I came across some really awesome LOVE watercolor prints created by illustrator, Katie Daisy. Below is just some of her fantastic work, so make sure to head over to her Etsy store to check out the rest of the fabulous watercolor creations.
Fantastic Handmade Sketchbooks
Although all of my co-workers and friends rave about the awesome drawing and sketching apps available on the iPad, in my mind nothing beats the good ol’ sketchbook and pencil. Janie, owner of the Happy Dappy Bits store on Etsy, created some pretty fantastic handmade sketchbooks for illustrators and designers. They are small enough to carry in your back pocket or to toss in your purse—take that iPad! Below are just a few of her awesome designs, so make sure to check out the store for the full selection, and a few other goodies that she’s created!
When Are They In Season?
I won’t even begin to lie by saying that I cook. My oven is like Carrie Bradshaw’s—it’s used for storage! But I do LOVE fruits, and have the hardest time remembering when my favorite ones are in season and don’t cost an arm and a leg! I recently came across the Chasing Delicious website, and found a fantastic set of posters that tells me just that. The series of charts includes, not only in season fruits, but also veggies and herbs. You can purchase these prints (8″ x 10″ or 11″ x 17″) in the Chasing Delicious online store, along with some other awesome Kitchen 101 prints—perfect for both people who are just beginning to experiment in the kitchen or seasoned pros who just want some quick reference guides.
Check out the “When Are They In Season” charts below, and click on each one to make it larger.
#The50 Things Every Creative Should Know
Jamie Wieck, created “#The50 Things Every Creative Should Know“, when he realized that he wasn’t the first, nor the last student to fear the leap between art college and the creative industry. #The50 addresses the most common concerns held by graduating creatives and aims to bridge the gap between school and the professional world. Below are just a few of my favorite bits of advise, so make sure to check out the site for all 50 (which is actually 100 now)! What has been the most inspirational piece of advise you’ve received regarding to the creative industry? Comment away!
NEW Bariol Font
Bariol is a new rounded type family created by Atipo. It comes in four widths—thin, light, regular and bold. You can download Bariol Regular for FREE, simply by paying with a Tweet or a Facebook post. To purchase the complete font family, you can choose your own price (each for as little as €1, and €3 for the whole set). Enjoy!
Steal Like an Artist
Austin Kleon, a young artist and writer, created a wonderfully clever 160 page manifesto—Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told Your About Being Creative. Steal Like an Artist is will put you directly in touch with your artistic side, and help you understand that you don’t have to be a genius, you just need to be yourself to create great art. Kleon says that the book is never finished, so he’ll be posting a lot of his continuing research on his Tubmlr page—so make sure to check it out and begin to steal like an artist!
http://vimeo.com/37086074
Typesetting | See Where Type Lives
Typesetting is a web-based documentary video series that explores the relationship between designers, their work, and the cities in which they live. Their first season, which will begin airing in April, will journey through six countries in Central and Eastern Europe. They will be observing and exploring beautiful typography, while meeting a mix of up-and-coming typographers, graphic design legends, and everything in between. Check out the promotional video for the series below.
If you are interested in this upcoming series, you can sign up on their site to receive their newsletter and be notified when the first episode is available online. Be sure to follow them on twitter @typesetting, to keep up with all of the latest updates. Can’t wait!
