Design (links) will save the world
Weekly Design Spam
In this issue:
Learn: Learning Music
Inspiration: Leta Sobierajski
Case Study: Slack Kit
Weird: 3D Reddit
Portfolio: Anthony Goodwin
Typeface: ITC Benguiat
Movie: Spirited Away
This newsletter was originally sent on 09/16/2019.
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Learning Music—Learn
Ableton does it again by creating an interactive crash course of music-making lessons. No prior experience or equipment is required; you’ll do everything right here in your browser. You’ll learn about using midi to create beats, chords, and melodies. In case you missed it, their last course on Learning Synths was also amazing.
Leta Sobierajski—Inspiration
Check out the work from Leta Sobierajski. She combines traditional graphic design with photography, art, and styling to create dope and colorful visuals. I see her work in awe, and I honestly get a bit jealous of how amazing it is.
Slack Kit—Case Study
After noticing inconsistencies, quirks, and discrepancies in their product, the team at Slack decided to work on a new design system. In this article, they share how they centralized standards and documented the bits and pieces that make Slack. They call it Slack Kit.
3D Reddit—Weird
Navigate Redditlike if you were at a museum in which the exhibition are photos of cats and memes. You can navigate the show using the WASD keys, like if you were in a game.
Anthony Goodwin—Portfolio
Check out the new portfolio from award-winner designer Anthony Goodwin. It has some cool paper-like effects, smooth transitions, and weird animations. Maybe it inspires us to work on our dust-gathering portfolios finally.
ITC Benguiat—Typeface
ITC Benguiat is a serif typeface designed by Ed Benguiat. The covers of the Choose Your Own Adventure books from the ’80s featured this font. It was recently made famous again when used as a throwback in the title intro of the Netflix show Stranger Things.
Spirited Away—Movie
Spirited Away is a charming animated fairy tale by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki from Studio Ghibli. It is a gorgeously drawn composed work of art, part Alice in Wonderland, and part Homer’s Odyssey. It follows a young girl, Chihiro, who gets trapped in a strange world of spirits when trying to save her parents.
We see Chihiro grow throughout the story — calling upon strength and courage that she didn’t know she had to free herself and her family. The tale takes us through the world of spirits in which we learn the significance of words and the quality of forgiveness. It shows the ugliness of materialistic greed and overconsumption. And it reminds us of the power of love.
I have seen this movie so many times, and I still find something new that surprises and moves me. I cannot recommend it enough.
When I was a child, my mother said to me, “If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk, you’ll end up as the pope.’ Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”
Hola, I’m Pablo Stanley, a designer who sometimes also writes comics. Every week I email this newsletter. I share a list of design-related gems, including inspiring work, cool typefaces, people to follow, articles to read, tools to try, and job opportunities. If you give me your email address, I’ll spam you every Monday with this stuff.
