WNW Member Alexis Taieb (AKA Tyrsa) is a Paris-based Typographer who has worked with clients including Nike, Jordan, Drew League, Criterion, Timberland, and Donald Glover. In our interview, we discuss his recurring collaboration with Donald Glover, from “This Is America” to Guava Island, and also touch on how graffiti has influenced his typographic work and why he’s excited to return to the Us By Night festival this year (and the next ten.)
Read MoreWorking Not Working Partners with Skillshare
We've partnered up with Skillshare, the online learning community with over 5 million members and thousands of classes in the creative industry, to host a 3-week long workshop exclusively for Graphic Designers. The focus is on building an online presence and getting more work opportunities.
Read MoreOvershare Podcast: Gemma O'Brien
For our 9th episode, WNW co-founder Justin Gignac sits down with Gemma O'Brien, an Australian artist and designer specialising in lettering, illustration, and typography.
Read MoreTobias Hall, Warburtons, & Peter Kay Present Pride & Breadjudice
WCRS and Warburtons have developed a reputation for creating blockbuster campaigns, having previously enlisted the help of Sylvester Stallone and The Muppets to help bring their message to life. This time, they called on WNW Member / Illustrator / Letterer Tobias Hall and British Comedian / Actor Peter Kay to create a hearty bread-themed parody of Jane Austen's Victorian classic.
Read MoreAnnica Lydenberg & Co. Present the 10 Commandments for Clients
Annica Lydenberg & Co. Present the 10 Commandments for Clients
MIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR
Tell us a bit about your creative background. Who is Annica Lydenberg and how did she get here?
I have been freelancing for 15 years - it wasn’t by choice at first but I certainly made the most of it. I designed a lot of Flash websites in the early 00s that was a thing, but eventually I got sick of websites and wanted to learn hand lettering. I enrolled in the Type @ Cooper program in order to get a proper typographic education and I did a great deal of personal projects to get more relevant pieces in my portfolio. Personal projects both when I was getting started, and still today, have always driven the kind of client work I get.
What was the impetus behind building “The 10 Commandments for Clients”?
One of the big things I’ve been focusing on is bringing more honesty into my work, making personal work that is relatable and will hopefully make someone feel less alone. Of course, I relate to the plight of the freelance designer; we’ve all been there through those terrible client moments. So after having written these maybe 7 or 8 years ago I finally moved forward by inviting 10 other badass lettering artists to execute their favorite one. This made it even more of an act of solidarity with others.
Throughout your career, have nearly all of these commandments been broken by your clients at one point or another?
Yes, absolutely. And none of them only once… I literally had a client who tried to tell me she showed a packaging concept to a focus group. Upon asking questions about the demographics of the focus group, she finally admitted she had just shown her mother.
Do you think it’s ever wise for creatives, either young or well-established, to do work for free? And if so, is that strictly something that the creative should offer, as opposed to the client?
A friend told me recently something that I thought was fascinating; they said the world was made up of ‘askers’ and ‘guessers’. ‘Askers’ just ask for whatever it is that they want with no concern given and ‘guessers’ only ask when they are nearly certain the answer will be yes. As a result ‘guessers’ have a hard time saying no because they fear it was presumed they would, in fact, say yes; ‘askers’ are well aware that no is an acceptable answer. I am a ‘guesser’ and it pains me to say no to people and I have often resented being put in a position where I need to do so. But you practice it and it gets MUCH easier.
All you can do is educate yourself, know your worth, realize your actions impact your peers and don’t be scared to say no. But ultimately only you can make the call. There are other ways a job can have value.
Do you have any advice for creatives to make it even easier for clients to follow these rules?
Be clear from the beginning. Always make sure your expectations are communicated early on and also be sure your client is doing the same for you. I ask a LOT of questions at the beginning of a job and always state what is typical in terms of work process, payment process, and where the job begins and ends. Also, don’t ignore red flags. Sometimes it’s best to walk away.
Aside from creating “The 10 Commandments for Clients,” what can creatives do to look out for one another and make sure their peers are being treated fairly?
The best thing we can do is listen to one another and help each other see what we are allowing in our lives. In figuring out how to treat ourselves fairly as individuals it makes it so much easier to demand the same of our clients. I find great value in these conversations.
The 10 Commandments for Clients
by Annica Lydenberg
I’ve been a freelance designer for well over a decade and have worked with many clients. These relationships have been varied: some phenomenal, some functional, and a few… failures. In thinking about what makes some more successful than others it is clear to me that, just as with any relationship, the rules you establish at the beginning can be very hard to change later. As a freelance designer, you are your only advocate. Be clear about your rules, communicate well, and communicate often.
The 10 Commandments below, adapted for Clients, will provide the much-needed guidelines which, if followed, will make all of you the exceptional Clients we know you can be. The ultimate goal is always to have a relationship of mutual respect for one another’s time, skills and knowledge.
These struggles are not unique to my path as a designer so I reached out to ten of the most talented freelance designers and lettering artists I know to each select and illustrate one commandment. These are people that I believe work carefully, deliberately and deliver the best work a Client could ask for.
– 1 – Thou Shalt Have No Other Designer But Me
Dear Clients, When we work hard and give you lovely design files, please do not change them without us. Do not pass them off to your cousin’s roommate for future updates or hire a different illustrator to emulate the style we developed for you.
– 2 – Thou Shall Not Covet Design Done On Spec
Dear Clients, We would never ask you to do work for free. All work, including treatments, sketches, mockups, and concepts have value. No one goes to a bakery, asks for a custom made cake, and then says they’d like to eat it before they decide if they want to pay for it.
– 3 – Thou Shall Not Use the Word ‘Exposure’ In Vain
Dear Clients, As it turns out, “exposure” does not pay our rent and we cannot use “increased followers” to buy coffee or to cover health insurance. This is not an acceptable form of compensation and we both know it.
– 4 – Respect the Weekend and Keep It Holy
Dear Clients, No Monday deadlines. As freelancers, it is often expected that we
never stop working, but please respect that we, too, would like to be off the clock on
the weekend.
– 5 – Thou Shalt Not Use Opposing Adjectives to Describe thy Project
Dear Clients, Do not set us up for failure. Please be clear about your values, your mission, and who your audience is. Do not ask us to make something for you that is both “whimsical” and “edgy” at the same time. This isn’t a thing.
– 6 – Honor thy Designer’s Expertise So thy Project May Be Pure and Wise
Dear Clients, When giving feedback, avoid giving design direction. This is why you hired us; it is what we do, and we are good at it. Instead try to speak to ways in which the design isn’t fulfilling its ultimate aim and we will fix it.
– 7– Thou Shall Not Request Work Be Completed “Yesterday, hahaha!”
Dear Clients, Unless you can send us the project request “Last month, hahaha!” then this is not helpful. And it isn’t funny. If you want to be funny please send a good dog meme, and then give a timeline that reflects reality.
– 8 – Provide Final Content That Is Final
Dear Clients, Whenever possible please do not change the name of your company after we finish your logo, please do not rewrite your copy after we’ve done your lettering. These are not changes they are a redesign. When a redesign is unavoidable, please expect to compensate accordingly.
– 9 – Hold Sacred All Invoices to 30 Days
Dear Clients, Surely if we can get your project done on time, you can write a check in 30 days. Just saying.
– 10 – Thou Shall Not Consult With thy Neighbor’s Wife for Design Feedback
Dear Clients, Random opinions and personal preferences alone are not useful. Unless your neighbor’s wife is a designer who sat in on our meetings and read the brief then we don’t want to hear it. If you feel a focus group is necessary then let’s do that together. But your mom is not a focus group.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
WHY JOSEPH ALESSIO COMMUNICATES WITH A UNIQUELY TACTILE LANGUAGE
JOSEPH ALESSIO'S WORK
STRIVES FOR A COMPLETE
SENSORY EXPERIENCE
Here at WNW HQ, we love seeing new work from WNW Member Joseph Alessio. His tactile designs, defying the constant shift toward digitalization, are both comforting and revitalizing. In our interview below, Joseph tells us about his creative background, the differences in the creatives scenes of his hometown Detroit and his current home San Francisco, and why he's in no rush to fully define his style. "I do consider myself a young designer, though, and I think I'll develop a more defined style as I continue to grow creatively. Hopefully in 40 years I'll be that 60-something designer who's still pushing the kids and coming up with fresh ideas."
Joseph also riffs on the role of tangibility in his work: "Combining language and imagery is absolutely compelling—language, a collection of sounds that carry conceptual meaning, and then distilling those concepts into visuals—and when we craft those visual representations with tactile media, it becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Even if it's just a digital image of the composition, it evokes the experiences associated with those textures, scents, and objects, simultaneous with the verbal message—a complete sensory experience."
Tell us a little bit about your creative background. Who is Joseph Alessio and how did he get here?
Hey there! I'm a lettering artist and designer from the Midwest, recently transplanted to the SF Bay Area via Denver. I stumbled into doing lettering as a teen, as a hack-y way to make calligraphic compositions using a pencil instead of the proper tools; and when I discovered that lettering was actually a design discipline, a few years later while working at a tiny web dev shop in suburban Detroit, I was sold. Since I've had no traditional education, it's been an interesting path, and I'm constantly learning from any source that I can, and I think that's influenced my very eclectic personality and creative direction. I've been working as a lettering artist since 2012, balancing that with musical and other design interests. I'm a very hands-on person, and I love to get my hands dirty; so I do a lot of tactile and dimensional work and short-form stop motion using a broad variety of media, pairing the experiential aspect of familiar, tangible materials with the beauty of language rendered visually.
How would you describe your creative style? Do you recognize a signature style that links all of your projects, or do you try to excuse yourself and approach each project as its own entity?
I'm not sure I deal in a signature style, at least at this point in my career. I think I have definite tendencies—most of what I do is type- or lettering-based, and I generally try to find a playful or interesting take on the letterforms and materials, usually using tactile media or animation—but I actively avoid being... typecast (sorry not sorry). Some days you want to make things that are fun and playful, and other days you want serious concepts; it depends on the project. I'm not sure if this is damaging from a career standpoint—it seems the most successful careers usually hinge on endless variations of one general design style—but it's definitely more fulfilling from a creative standpoint. I do consider myself a young designer, though, and I think I'll develop a more defined style as I continue to grow creatively. Hopefully in 40 years I'll be that 60-something designer who's still pushing the kids and coming up with fresh ideas.
What does the idea of tangibility mean to you? Is your work a rejection of everything being digitized these days, or do you more just like the idea of combining language and imagery in compelling ways?
The more digitally-driven our world becomes, the more we need to hark back to the tactile and human. The digital is of course an integral part of our lives, even part of the process behind any of my tactile pieces; but it can't replace the tangible. Combining language and imagery is absolutely compelling—language, a collection of sounds that carry conceptual meaning, and then distilling those concepts into visuals—and when we craft those visual representations with tactile media, it becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Even if it's just a digital image of the composition, it evokes the experiences associated with those textures, scents, and objects, simultaneous with the verbal message—a complete sensory experience.
Which of your projects are you proudest of and why?
To date my favorite project is a self-initiated one, my "Tools of the Trade" series. It was incredibly time-intensive—I'm always drawn to things that take much longer than I have to spend on them, ha! Thankfully it was time well-spent, as the final product was really tight. Most people who create tactile lettering come from a styling or illustrative background, whereas I bring a lot of typographic study to the project; and I think that shows in this project in terms of composition and letterform quality. It's always a struggle to get materials to conform to make great letterforms, and you usually have to accept and embrace the limitations of each material as you work with it, but the tools made for a malleable, if tricky, medium. It's a great show-off series, although I still haven't successfully pitched the concept of tool type for an ad campaign yet!
What’s the creative scene like in your hometown of Detroit? How does it differ from your new base in San Francisco?
Detroit's a fascinating city. There's so much history there, creatively, but mostly remembered for industrial design or music. The industries that have driven the Michigan economy in the past century have created a blue-collar, Rust Belt grittiness in the culture, and I think that's why you see a lot of hard-working, no-nonsense creatives emerge from the region. SF has a few different cultures I think—the historically counter-cultural city, the recent but louder tech culture, the varying cultural personalities seeping in from all the corners of the Bay Area. It creates a fascinating milieu and it's hard to define, but it's a much more laid back, playful and colorful vibe than the more industrial Detroit or the dusty Denver, where I spent a year between my hometown and the west coast.
What do you see as the biggest perks and challenges of the freelance lifestyle?
The benefits and drawbacks differ from person to person, since everyone flourishes in different environments. For me, as an introvert, I work well on my own, and value the flexibility of freelancing. Creativity suffers when there isn't room to think, and I like to feel like I have that space to invest in ideas. On the other hand, all of those ideas have to be funded out-of-pocket, since a freelancer doesn't have the resources and gear afforded by a well-equipped creative department; and the stressors of running a one-person show—managing your own accounts, being your own marketing department, dealing with more complicated taxes, the lack of stability et al, can add up. At the end of the day, though, the flexibility and variety that freelancing can offer win out for me; maybe that will change at some point, but right now I feel like I could freelance long-term and be happy with it. I will say, though, I'm doing a short onsite contract with a major tech company as I write this, and those elaborate meals are way more exciting than whatever I put together when I'm working in my own studio...
Who and what are your biggest creative influences?
That's a hard question to answer! I love film, music, literature, and art as well as design, and I try to draw inspiration from as broad a sampling as possible—as much from Lynch's films and Lennon's songwriting as Lubalin's lettering or Lichtenstein's art. Typographically speaking, I'd say the people I look to most often for inspiration include older lettering artists such as Tom Carnase and Doyald Young; type designers or lettering artists who push limits like Ondrej Jób, Bart Vollebregt or Gareth Hague; designers doing really smart work like Kelli Anderson, Leta Sobieraski; people who do great environmental or tactile work, like SNASK, Craig Ward, Sean Freeman—I could list dozens of people in each of these categories but that's a great sampling to start with.
What advice can you offer to up-and-coming typographers and letterers? What will it take for them to succeed?
First, invest time and effort in learning the foundational knowledge of letter design. Second, don't do what you see everyone else doing. Third, don't give up, and recognize that both developing skills or finding success take time. I think the recent trend of interest in lettering has peaked and we'll be seeing it lose its prominence a bit. It'll be harder to gain visibility as a lettering artist, because it won't be such a popular search topic or an immediately referenced design solution; so you'll need to be persistent. But, it will be great for lettering in general, because it will weed out a lot of the poorly executed work that the design world is currently awash in, it'll create some space for trends to reset, and it'll allow the focus to shift back to making really fresh and original work.
What’s next for you? What are you working on now?
I have a few things in the pipeline that will be a major undertaking, shifting to longer-form animation than I've currently produced and exploring bigger concepts than I've been able to play with so far. I'm also hoping to push larger scale work this year, in the form of dimensional installations and murals, large enough to let me get really creative with materials and textures and even work that will invite and allow public interaction. A lot of concepts in the works and good stuff that, if the stars align, will be a big step forward in terms of production and concept for me.
What do you do when Not Working?
Unfortunately many of my hobbies are also work-related—personal projects are always calling my name—but it's super important to enjoy life outside of that as well. I play a few instruments; that's another benefit of freelancing, actually—being able to take a midday break and turn up my amps without upsetting everyone because my neighbors are at work! I make a point to get outdoors every weekend—Muir Woods, Yosemite, Muir Beach, Point Reyes, so many incredible spots to explore around the Bay Area. Museums, reading about type or design (in a recreational way... I think), watching classic films, all that good stuff.
You’re a Working Not Working Super OG, and have been a member almost as long as we’ve existed. What does a community and tool like Working Not Working mean to you, your creativity, and your creative career?
It's been great to be on the platform, another way of getting my name out there; despite the fact that lettering and typographic image creation is pretty niche—fitting the working process of an illustrator more so than designer or art director—and therefore I'm not the most natural fit for the platform, I've still been able to make great connections and start conversations on WNW that I haven't elsewhere, because the talent pool is so high quality and well-curated. It's also been a great community to be a part of, going to to the networking events or parties that you host regularly, especially when in new cities where I don't know many people.
Who are some WNW Members whose work you admire and why?
I really love the work of Leta Sobierajski and Wade Jeffree—they have a huge body of work, very eclectic, and they bring a really punchy, quirky and fresh feel to everything they touch. Carly Ayres is a great one, I've worked with her briefly a couple of times; she's working with HAWRAF now and putting out great experimental, fun work. Nicole Licht has great stuff as well, I love the colors and tactility of her work. Kyle Read brings historical perspective and precision to lettering and type design projects, great work from him as well. Again I could probably list dozens of people here, but I've run out of searches on WNW! There's an immense amount of talent, and very high average level of awesomeness on this site.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for the great questions! Looking forward to sharing some of the projects I have coming up with you in the future.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS YOU WON'T
WANT TO MISS
by Emily Gosling
For a sprawling, grey city allegedly peopled only by grumps, London certainly does pretty well in the creativity stakes. Each fall the city cheerfully (yes, cheerfully) celebrates its design bounty with London Design Festival, comprising a vast number of exhibitions, talks, workshops, open studios and trade shows across disciplines including graphics, furniture, architecture, typography and interiors. Expect typographic wine tasting, the art of “gourmet bathing” and gender neutral fragrance sculptures.
Now in its ninth year, LDF has garnered a sibling in the form of the London Design Biennale, which takes place at Somerset House throughout September. The biennale presents installations by teams from 35 different countries around the world, each loosely taking the theme “utopia” to mark the 500th birthday of Thomas More's book of the same name.
Elsewhere, LDF broadly divides the city into several “districts”, such as the Shoreditch Design Triangle, Brompton and the new Brixton District, in which visitors will find all manner of shows, stores and events demarcated by Pentagram partner Domenic Lippa's bright red festival signage. To achieve maximum chair-blindness, there’s also a number of large-scale trade shows such as Decorex, Designjunction and 100% Design.
It's a tricky beast to navigate, and with the best will (or spreadsheet) in the world, its impossible to see everything. So we've put together a list of ten highlights you shouldn't miss if you're into design, want to be inspired and in the big smoke over the coming weeks.
Soak, Steam, Dream: Reinventing Bathing Culture
Designers have long recognised the bliss of the bathtub, and an exhibition at Roca London Gallery showcases the multifarious ways creatives have reinterpreted a good soak. The focus is on “communal bathing culture,” and a highlight is a display of archive material from stunning 70s mag Wet – A Guide to Gourmet Bathing, which not only proposed radical ideas for ablutions, but did so in a way that defined the era’s postmodern graphic design aesthetic.
A bunch of grads from art school Central Saint Martins have taken a cerebral turn, with an exhibition that tries to show new ways design can help make sense of the world. Highlights include Freya Morgan’s illustrations of a world where humans and houseplants swap roles, and Giada Giachino’s stunning sustainable jewellery.
You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels
1966-70 at the V&A
The Acid Test poster designed by Wes Wilson, printed by contact printing co., 1966. Courtesy of Steward Brand
Away from the Liquid Marble and a dramatic reinvention of a clock, the V&A’s finest LDF asset is Revolution?, an all-encompassing look at the late 60s movements around civil rights, new freedoms and social upheavals and how fashion, music and art shaped them. Among the exhibits are copies of underground magazine Oz and an Ossie Clark costume for Mick Jagger.
Poster for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown at UFO, 16 and 23 June, by Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, 1967, London (Michael English & Nigel Waymouth). Photograph © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
The Souper Dress, 1966. Photograph © Kerry Taylor Auctions
Blow Up, 1966. © MGM / THE KOBAL COLLECTION
Christine Keeler, photographs by Lewis Morley, 1963. © Lewis Morley/National Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library
V&A Dundee, Northern Lights
Bringing their charming accents and design nous all the way from Scotland, a bunch of creatives based north of the border are presenting their work at the V&A. Organised by the V&A’s forthcoming Dundee museum, the pieces look to showcase the strengths of Scottish product design, and the site-specific manufacturing processes that make them possible. Exhibitors include furniture designer Angus Ross, accessories designer Beth Lamont, product and furniture designer Scott Jarvie, and Isabelle Moore, who makes contemporary chairs and swings.
Digital Ghostsigns
For the uninitiated, “ghost signs” are those gorgeous glimpses of faded type on brickwork where a sign once lay. Sam Roberts is fascinated by these, and knows his stuff, organising Ghostsigns tours around London to show off these barely legible beauties. For LDF, the tours will be joined by hand lettering workshops, and the piece de resistance, Light Capsules– a projection mapped light installation that exhumes graphics of yore, created by experiential designer and 3D artist Craig Winslow.
Studio Makgill x H Furniture
What do you get when you cross a graphic design studio with an upmarket furniture brand? Well, Studio Makgill and H Furniture are about to find out, when the graphics folk have a go at reworking the look of the brand’s WW Chair. Expect bold colour combos when they go on show at designjunction, from 22–25 September.
Type Tasting
Sarah Hyndman is a woman who’s just loco about lettering: so much that she founded Type Tasting to explore the role of typography in our lives. She’s found that letterforms can tell us more about who we should date, how much a product costs and even our sense of taste. For LDF, it’s the latter that gets another probing, with typographic wine tasting. For the non-drinkers there will also be events looking at how to pick your dream font, and a “typographic time machine” at the V&A to channel letterforms from the past and future.
Asif Khan, Mini Living Forests Installation
If the gritty urban environment all gets a bit much, architect Asif Khan has the perfect solution: bringing the forest to the streets. In collaboration with small car brand Mini, he’s created three “forests” chock full of plants, aiming to “explore the relationship between public and private space in the city.” They can be found around Shoreditch, and people are encouraged to relax and mingle in these verdant oases.
Blend by Raw Color
Working across photography, textiles, interactive design and print, Eindhoven-based interdisciplinary design studio Raw Color prides itself on innovative yet aesthetically tip-top works. During LDF, Covent Garden’s Aram Gallery will present its solo show, Blend, with standout pieces inducing The Fans- an installation of coloured blades that show how movement can create different color tones.
Zuzu Mengham Sculptures for Laboratory Perfumes
Artist and designer Zuza Mengham has brought the visual back into the realm of the olfactory by creating five sculptures that interpret Laboratory Perfumes’ gender neutral fragrance range. They’re glistening, jewel-like things, and the Sculpting Scent show is at The Conran Shop in Marylebone for the duration of LDF.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
Going Freelance: Building and Branding Your Own Success
Running Working Not Working over the years has given us an inside look into the best practices of going freelance. We're continually inspired by our members and we've learned a lot from their successes - and their struggles. Because it can be scary to take the freelance plunge, we created a Skillshare class that sets the foundation of working for yourself, Going Freelance: Building and Branding Your Own Success.
Read MoreNOT WORKING: BLESK
NOT WORKING: BLESK
For those of us unversed in the annals of typeface design, we can sometimes take lettering for granted. WNW Member #2053 Ksenya Samarskaya is not one of those people. She can hold court for hours on the subject of typography, expounding on the intricacies of a glyph and teaching us new vocabulary. Though Ksenya has made dozens of typefaces before, they were always for clients. Now, Blesk is out and it's all her.
The Czech word for lightning flash, Blesk is a chromatic typeface inspired by vintage book covers and designed for magazines, headlines, theater, animated titles, three-dimensional printing, literary foils... the list goes on. Full-Stack Developer and fellow WNW Member #722 Eric Jacobsen brought Blesk to life through a whimsical site with just enough hidden goodies to keep you hitting refresh.
Tell us about the birth of Blesk:
I’ve worked on dozens of type families for companies and various foundries in the past but this is the first one that I’ve released directly to the public.
There’s an established history of chromatic typefaces, often inlines and outlines of a similar form that’ve been used in the letterpress days. Whenever I start toying with a concept, I’m constantly asking myself: Can I contribute something to this conversation that doesn’t exist? Am I offering a viewpoint that hasn’t been covered and is beneficial to designers? Even in some subtle minute way. I felt like there was something in developing and having a font that layered in another way, the coming together and breaking apart of it, the contrasting elements going on inside and outside of it, that hasn’t been fully explored.
How did you know you were on to something?
I played with it before I committed to it. I got the idea and then James Todd and I started by sketching out a few letters and words to see if it worked. I tried it in some of the design projects I had going on to see how it felt and to see if it was usable besides just looking good isolated on a shelf.
If you’re still motivated and inspired during the process, you keep growing and adding to it. Typefaces take a long time to create and if you’re motivated enough to work a full typeface to the end, that already says something about it.
Where did the name 'Blesk' come from?
You’re working with people, so you’re always talking about these things and personifying them. Even if it’s meaningless, or Project No. 319, you’re referencing it and you cycle through different terms you’re using for it until you land on one that feels just right. When I got to the word Blesk, which translates to flash, lightening, or thunder in Czech, I knew it was the right one immediately.
It had the feel, the energy, and the connotations of the typeface on multiple levels. It looked good. In the way that the website is an extension of the mood or the concept, the name functions in that same way.
How do you know when a project is done and ready to be released to the world?
When doing something that's self-released, there’s always the voice that’s saying “What if i’m not ready, what if i could make it better?” Several people who've known about Blesk have been playing with it since we wrapped up most of the drawing in the fall, but I kept procrastinating on announcing anything. Then several diverging things came together, and as I was thinking of making an announcement… a couple other people started tweeting about the new release earlier this week! So then it was a natural follow-up: other people were tweeting its release so I realized should probably say something too..
How do you market a typeface?
Since this is our first public release, I still have no idea how to market it.
After James and I finalized Blesk, we started working with Bo Fahs on the quirky copywriting and with Eric Jacobsen to expand the mood of the type into the development of the website and how the type makes it’s introduction into the world. I didn't set out to make a microsite, I just love making, building, and perfecting things. I'm a creative at heart! We looked through a lot of movie and animation credits from the same inspiration era as the typeface, trying to get a sense of playful movement. Like a couple of sides that come together to make a full letter.
In addition to a traditional press kit, we created matchbooks as a unique promo piece. Since its a throwback typeface named after lightning, creating a vintage style letterpress matchbook just made a lot of sense. We worked with Salt and Cedar out in Detroit to letterpress the them. (And for the first 50 people who purchase the whole font family, Ksenya will send a matchbook to you!)
When you’re describing the font, it sometimes sounds like you’re describing yourself. if you were to have a font with your name, would it be this?
It wouldn’t be this, no. There’s an element, definitely. You always bring all of your history and experiences and background of your work. All of my typefaces do come from me.. Identity is prismatic, you're not the same you at different times or in different circumstances, just as you wouldn't use one typeface for everything you make. As for choosing one that I feel could identify me, I’m not ready yet. I feel like you’re only allowed to name things after yourself on your deathbed. My story isn’t over yet :)
Where can we go to learn more about type?
The Type Directors Club does an amazing job in organizing lectures & workshops here in NYC. They’re going to have their first conference in June. Its an amazing resource that not enough people take advantage of. And when you go to these things, the typeface community is pretty small and nerdy with a lot of brilliant minds and brilliant people around who would be happy to talk about their experience.
Besides the year long type design certificate program, Cooper Type hosts free public lectures and paid weekend workshops throughout the year.
The Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography has an eminent collection of design works. You can schedule an appointment to look through all of it.
TypeCamp has several weekend workshops coming to NYC and still has spots available. They provide an alternative educational experience to anyone who wants to learn more about typography and design.
Typecon is an American conference that travels from city to city. It’ll be in Denver this year.
ATypI is a more academic and international conference, happening this year in Sao Paulo.
And finally..the public library! They're a fantastic resource to find old type specimens.
How would you like to see Blesk used?
The beauty of designing type for people is that it’s a conversation, a dialogue. I certainly have a vision of how I see it used but other people may see it differently. Type design is very much an exquisite corpse: you contribute all you can and then you pass it on… and it’s not necessarily how you would imagine. If it shows up in film or on bathroom wallpaper, absolutely. It was used on a book cover and a couple of the glyphs were stretched out to look like a railroad, I wouldn’t have thought of it - and I loved it.
Blesk in action
What's up next?
We’re constantly building and conspiring. There’s definitely a lot of stuff in the hopper that’s going to come out soon. I’m not yet sure of the timing or order so will not say exactly what, but definitely expect quite a few more font releases in the mix.
Any other WNW members whose work you admire?
WNW has been great for me to get back in touch with people and start up conversations. I posted a job opening on there a while ago when I was looking for someone to help me out, and that instigated various phone calls and plans to collaborate, a film animator in Portland Michael John, an ex-New York designer turned Los Angeles-bikebuilder and all around fascinating individual, Sam Potts.
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NOT WORKING: TILDA
NOT WORKING: TILDA
WNW Member #34 Jessica Hische just released what is an unsurprisingly lovely new typeface called Tilda. From the Tilda microsite: "Jessica Hische’s typeface for Moonrise Kingdom set the tone for a sweet movie about youthful innocence. Inspired by director Wes Anderson’s quaint aesthetic and the titles from La Femme Infidéle (1969), Tilda is formally dressed, without hiding its raw, intentional naïveté. Unusual for a script typeface, it comes in two size-specific styles to preserve its delicate qualities for uses big and small, on page or screen." See the font in action with these images from the Tilda microsite.
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Work: The Hidden Sea
Work: The Hidden Sea
WNW Member #1412 Jon Contino makes us want to get drunk on fine Australian wine and read Moby Dick with his new work for The Hidden Sea. Contino recently crafted the lettering, illustration, branding, and package design for the wine brand, founded in the ancient landscape of South Australia. Check out his work below.
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MEET #1412 JON CONTINO
MEET #1412 JON CONTINO
Illustrator/Designer/Letterer • New York, NY
New York native Jon Contino is widely know for his unique illustration style which combines old and new world aesthetics into a modern, minimalist style imitated the world over. His work reveals the influences of historical New York, contemporary street art, and the lost art of hand-drawn lettering. Through these images, his story is also told as designer and consultant for many brands including Nike, Jack Daniels, JCPenney, New Balance, Rachael Ray, and Random House, as well as the co-founder and creative director of CXXVI Clothing Co.
1. How long have you been freelancing?
I started freelancing as a part time job in 1997 and worked through high school and college doing stuff for small businesses and independent record labels. I bounced around a couple agencies in 2005 and 2006 until I opened a studio that lasted until 2010. I went back to full time freelancing in early 2010 and haven't looked back.
2. Is there a time or place that you feel most creative/have the best ideas?
I used to think it was late at night because that's when I get the highest volume of work done, but I realized that's just because no one is emailing me or calling at 3am. Once I realized that, I found out that my actual flow of ideas is pretty constant throughout the day, it's just a matter of finding the time to get them on paper.
3. What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?
It used to be 100:0, but now that I'm a dad, it should probably be less than that.
4. Do your parents understand what you do?
I'm one of those lucky people that have great parents that are not only supportive, but completely understand what happens in my professional life. Both my mother and father are creative people so they're always interested in what's going on. The best part about it though is that I get to learn a lot from them instead of rolling my eyes and making up stuff to get them off my back.
5. What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?
One of the opening scenes from Artie Lange's Beer League when the old pitcher yells to the dugout "Hey, I don't want any of you Italians drinking out of my water bottle!" It's a quick little joke, but it kills me every time I think about it.
6. If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what 3 websites would you take with you?
Lookwork — For looking at stuff to inspire.
Svpply — For looking at stuff to buy.
Tumblr — For looking at whatever else.
7. What do you do when Not Working?
There's one of three things that I like doing when I'm not working: Spend time with my family, play Wiffle Ball, and go to the beach. Sometimes I can do all three at the same time.
8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Funny I should mention Wiffle Ball in the previous answer, because my hidden talent is that I am the greatest Wiffle Ball player OF ALL TIME.
9. Any tips or advice for fellow freelancers?
Freelance means you have no job security. No matter how popular you get, do not forget that. YOU HAVE NO JOB SECURITY. Don't get lazy.
10. What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?
I've been really into the new version of Flipboard on the iPad. It lets you create "magazines" from just about any source so I've jumped ship from my Tumblr inspiration blog to a Flipboard magazine and love every second of it. It feels a lot more tactile in the magazine format with the handheld screen, so curating stuff is a lot more satisfying. If you're reading this on an iOS device, then you can see my Flipboard magazine "BORN FREE" at this link: http://flip.it/3wuot
CXXVI Clothing Co.
Owner and co-founder of New York-based menswear line CXXVI Clothing Co. Creative direction, branding, apparel design, illustration, engraving, and accessory design.
Illustration and Lettering: A Hands-on Approach to Label Design
On May 13, Jon will begin teaching a two-week Skillshare class on hand-drawn label design. There will be a bunch of video lectures detailing research and inspiration, sketching concepts, brand development, and how to approach creating awesome labels with your own two hands.Jon's Studio
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