Beyond Typography

Embedding fonts on the web

Typical. As soon as I go on about not being able to specify particular fonts on the web (see yesterday's post), I find a post to the contrary.

Oh $%*&!!

Apparently there IS a term for the use of non-alphabet characters to indicate swearing. Read here if you want to know what it is!

Interesting sites

A couple of interesting (and useful sites): Redesign:related is a visual listing of redesigns and refreshes. The Newseum is visual directory of the day's newspaper front covers from around the world.

Net Neutrality

What could be a worrying trend for users of the Internet is highlighted here. It discusses the prospect that big media companies, backed by big telecom companies, would like to see the Internet move away from a neutral stance whereby anybody is free to publish to the web. It could end with a two-speed Internet with the big corporations having access to the fast lane and everybody else would be relegated to the slow lane.

A note about this blog

If you have anything to say about any of the posts, pleeeease comment. Just click on the Comments link at the bottom of each entry.

Links to related articles or reference are in bold within the post. 

If you have any idesign-related item that may be interest to other readers (yes, I have quite a few now) please let me know.

Changing roles

I've been thinking about those RBI magazines that share the same templates. A few people have commented to me about how "terrible" it is that this is happening. For who? The readers? I've been told it is very unlikely that the readers will view more than one of these magazines. As long as the design is imparting the information in an effective (and attractive) manner, does it matter that they look the same?

What about the editorial designers? I mentioned in the original post that it was not so different from web design. A lot of websites are very similar in look and feel. Ones of a similar function, anyway – news or shopping, for example. A lot of the design is dictated by browser-type and the type of machine and connection speed. It is still difficult to specify a font (unless it is a Flash-based site), you can say serif or san-serif, but little more.

It is up to editorial designers to gain new skills and influence the way things are going. Instead of watching the mundane work disappear, we should be demonstrating and emphasizing the value of good design.

It's no consolation, but similar arguments are happening about photography and journalism. The traditional role of the journalist is being challenged, as is the role of the sub-editor. While it appears that subs are doing a designers job on Computer Weekly, the opposite is happening elsewhere. 

In these ever-changing times, it is better to dance on a moving carpet than to stand still and have the rug pulled from under you.

Something else

On a different note, here's an interesting article about internet English and typography from Virginia Heffernan in the New York Times.

This cartoon wrote a sweary word on your toilet wall.

The Rut via Quipsologies

Magazine triple-take

An interesting development in B2B magazine design took place a few weeks ago. Three magazines in three different markets were redesigned and launched to a silent fanfare.

The magazines, Computer Weekly, Electronics Weekly and Microscope, were designed at RBI UKs Creative department by editorial design manager Soo Abram. The brief was to make the magazines a must-read companion to the websites.

The rationale for the same design for all three magazines? Well, it's easier for the production desk to put the magazines together as one team works on all three mags. It is thought that it is unlikely that a reader would purchase more than one of the mags, so wouldn't notice the similarity. Oh, and the redesign costs would be smaller – think about it, one design:three magazines. One other thing: the production desk consists entirely of layout subeditors, not one trained designer there.

The formulaic approach works for these titles: rigid templates and style sheets are in place; and everything is squared up. Not so different from a website or blog...

How far can this one-size-fits-all approach go? It would be an interesting to see Lady Magazine and Mens Health with the same treatment, or even Horse & Hound and Playboy!

Why design?

I saw this on Manhattanite via Design Observer and I thought, well, he's probably got a point. I've always thought that the line of work I'm in would mean that I would be on the "B" spaceship in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, along with telephone sanitizers and marketing executives.

But where would we be without well-designed products and good graphic design? Still walking along hilltops trying to work out the next identifiable landmark. Funnily enough, soon after I saw the above statement I saw this. 

Normal service has been resumed: Updated Type is Art link

Well hello. Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been on holiday. Sunning myself in Cyprus.

I'm back at work now. Here's a quick round up of what's been happening...

Creative

For the next couple of weeks I'm working in the Creative department of the company I work for. Doing a sort of job shadow type thing. As I've been working mainly in editorial for the past 15-or-so years I thought it would be good to see how the commercial side of things operate (even though I've been doing this sort fo thing for a while). In our company there is(was?) a them and us attitude between editorial designers and the Creative designers. Each side thinking they were better. So far, I have not experienced this. As far as I'm concerned, design is design, regardless of discipline. We should all support each other. There is too much pressure and competition from the non-design community for there to be tension within.

Anyway, yesterday was day one and I spent a really useful morning with one of the web designers, who critted my work. I found it really useful as so far I have only had feedback from marketing and editorial people. Thanks Mark.

Sexy things

A few other things have happened. I bought a digital camera. I opted for the Canon Sureshot G9 in the end (see post June 25). I am really please with the performance and results.

I also got my iPhone! FANTASTIC! Friday was an interesting day in the search for a 16Gb version. Got one delivered from the Carphone Warehouse in the end.

Largest Apple customer

One interesting snippet of news last week. Axel Springer, one of Europe's largest newspaper publishers, is moving it's entire workforce over to the Mac platform. 10,000 employees worldwide!

Photography exhibition

I went to a viewing of some photography yesterday. It was one of three that I had been invited to. I thought that this one might be a little different, even if the quality might not be great (my own preconceptions). I was impressed by the quality of the work. Some work being better quality than the endless stream of graduates and new start-ups that do the rounds now, wither by email or in person. The one thing that I found refreshing was the originality of the work, not the endless (tedious) stuff trying to emulate the latest fashion mags. These were good. I have to mention that the work was not at some exclusive venue in London, but at the Treloar College near Alton in Hampshire. The photographs were the final displays for the A-level and City & Guilds photography students. The students are all physically disabled.

Cool

And finally, a bit of fun. Take a look at this. Type is Art is a cool project by Jose Rodriguez where you can create art from parts of letterforms. I originally saw it on the I love typography site.