The Logos That Didn't Make It…

I have a new client, a young designer who is ready to publish his own knitwear patterns. He's also building up a writing portfolio, has a background in studio ceramics, and is constantly thinking of new ways to be creative.

I like to take a gardener's approach to creating custom logos. I plan, I plant and then I work with what comes up.

To plan, I send a questionnaire. The questions depend on the client, but I always ask what their favorite food is in case we have to meet over a meal.

To plant, I use the client's answers as a guide to rough up different directions. Early logos may or may not point in the right direction, but they certainly get us talking and dreaming. Dreaming is very important when you're planning a look for the future.

Pictured below from left to right: the first round of ideas included a logo with interchangeable tiles, a folk motif, and a graphic take on vintage typewriter keys. 

PS. I love comments. To make a comment here, click on the Post a Comment link below and look for the Submit button—labeled Create Post—at the top of the comments page along with a Preview Post button.

A Knotty Font Review for PCWorld.com

My ancestors would have appreciated the styling behind Tibor Lantos's fonstruction, Rivendell. I certainly gained a new admiration for Rob Meek's font building ap. 

To read the review and download Rivendell, click on the image at left. What to do with a style like this? The graphic here, simple as it is, graced this year's studio drink coaster.

PS. I love comments. To make a comment here, click on the Post a Comment link below and look for the Submit button—labeled Create Post—at the top of the comments page along with a Preview Post button.

Valentine's Day Reviews for PCWorld.com

From tasteful romantic script to wickedly drawn letterforms, typography can do a lot to improve your love life. Really. Last month, PCWorld.com commissioned one dozen mini-reviews of Valentine worthy fonts. The lineup includes a haiku to an efficient drycleaner with verse penned by this studio's professional poet. To read the haiku and see all the reviews visit PCWorld.com/downloads here. Romance awaits!

PS. I love comments. To make a comment here, click on the Post a Comment link below and look for the Submit button—labeled Create Post—at the top of the comments page along with a Preview Post button.

Holiday Party Fonts at PCWorld.com

Way back in December, PCWorld commissioned a mini-feature on fonts for the holidays. Easy-peasy when there are so many generous type designers close at hand. I designed eleven parties starting with the Luchadore-worthy Mr. Pablo and ending with the playfully gothic Romance Fatal Serif. To read all the party suggestions, see the invitation graphics and download the fonts visit PCWorld.com/downloads here.

PS. I love comments. To make a comment here, click on the Post a Comment link below, but look for the Submit button—labeled Create Post—at the top of the comments page along with a Preview Post button. Crazy-making, yes?

A New Direction for a Geologist

I have a client who is a geologist in the San Francisco Bay Area, but her career is expanding into policy and consultation work. A new direction calls for a compass or so I thought. What the client liked in the roughs above was the ice blue palette—a nod to her time in Anarctica, but the compass was too playful. We turned to the planet instead to underscore her work in climate change monitoring. Below is the finished mark in a business card.

PS. I love comments. To make a comment here, click on the Post a Comment link below, but look fort the Submit button—labeled Create Post—at the top of the comments page along with a Preview Post button.