shx_006

Tags: design, illustration, process, shape

Design and Type on a Desert Island

James Archer recently posed the question to Refresh Phoenix: "You're going to a desert island for the rest of your life, and your backpack will only hold 7 typefaces to support design work for the rest of your life. Which 7 would you pick?"

I went with Trade Gothic, designed by the Californian book designer Jackson Burke (and 6 other randomly selected typefaces).


Trade Gothic Bold No. 2

Here's why: Trade Gothic, designed in 1948, goes beyond time and trends. It never goes out of style and isn't strict in it's form structure. It is a typeface with great utility, variety and flexibility within it's own family. Consider the variety of weights, variations...compare Trade Gothic Bold No. 2 with Trade Gothic Extended.


Trade Gothic Extended

On a desert island, I'm operating under a few assumptions:

(1) There isn't a jungle. My surroundings are going to be sparse, relatively flat, clean lines on the horizon. Maybe a lone palm tree? I'd like a super-clean typeface to fit that environment.

(2) There are little-to-no people. Being my own client, I selected a typeface I love, and selection by shuffle for the rest.

(3) Even if I had my laptop, I'd probably run out of juice in 5 hours, so then I'd be setting wood-carved type and Trade doesn't seem too bad to cut out, no tricky serifs.

And what better typeface name to barter with neighboring islands?

Add your favorite island typefaces below. From the Refresh Phoenix list: Brian Schaler points out the impressive Tele-Antiqua, that one is in the boat. James mentions the classic, Minion, which deserves a designer's desert island vacation.

Tags: design, type, refresh

Apple's Up to Something...

Each of these patents and rumors by themselves seem rather harmless, but string them together and it starts to paint a pretty impressive picture...

Multi-functional hand-held device?
iPod Audio Interface?
Apple's all-seeing screen?
iPhone in Production?
Cell or Wi-Fi enabled iPod?
Proximity detector in hand-held device?

Tags: apple, design

shx_005

Tags: design, shape, experimental