5 things to read and see
This week, read about this year’s biggest typography trends, hear women tell stories about their career progressions, and see my roundup of 2017’s top five college paper page designs.
5 things to read
1. 12 (More) Overlooked & Underappreciated Typefaces
Some typefaces don’t get the recognition they deserve. In this article, Paul Shaw explains why Fournier, Golden Cockerel, Photina and other typefaces are excellent and what sets them apart.
2. The 5 biggest typography trends of 2017
A handful of the top designers in the industry give their views on what the biggest trends of the past year were, along with what’s coming in 2018. Read about why ’90s inspired fonts, custom type and color fonts were a few of the choices.
3. Freelance State of Mind: is university really the only option?
Ben Tallon explains the pressure of going to college for designers and how the increasing prices of higher education are making it much more difficult to attend. He suggests intensive courses could be a good, low-cost alternative that allows for greater creative exploration.
4. Why Designers Need to Start Thinking About Blockchain
This article explains the technicalities of blockchain, how it will create a more open, accessible relationship between consumers and companies and why design that reflects that relationship is critical.
5. Women heading up design businesses tell their career progression stories
It’s often inspiring to hear stories from those at the top of their field to see how they got there. It’s also comforting to know that these women started out just like the rest of us and have come from a variety of backgrounds.
5 things to see
I’ve rounded up a lot of pages over the past year, so with the new year approaching, I thought I’d pick my overall favorites from 2017.
- The system | Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University
This complex topic has been broken down into a very simple graphic that is easy to understand. It’s clean and clear, and the text that accompanies the dots provides great context. The final red dot also attracts the eye to create a smart and effective page.
2. For whom the fog rolls | The Daily Californian, University of California Berkeley
The cover illustration is beautifully detailed, and the consistency between the pages is excellent. The illustrations and photos work together well to break up the text, and the different icons to represent different acts work incredibly well. Cohesive and very fun to look at and interact with.
3. The Religion Issue | Washington Square News, New York University
I love the complexity of the illustration and the simplicity of the idea. It’s immediately clear how this relates to the topic of religion without being too overt. But the detail in each piece of glass, the light reflecting off the letters and the tiny streams of light radiating out from the text bring it to another level.
4. Creating “the Oregon model” | The Daily Emerald, University of Oregon
This landscape plan concept is a great way to visualize the topic of creating a more sustainable university. It’s immediately recognizable, uses simple but pleasing colors and has a great combination of plain sketches and detailed areas.
5. The Orientation Guide | The Post, Ohio University
This orientation guide has wonderful consistency, a cool and dynamic landing page with hover effects, a great color palette and is perfect for incoming students who will definitely be exploring The Post’s website.
If you think you have a well-designed page or a good read to share for the next roundup, email me at shays2@elon.edu
Students, did you know you can join the Society for News Design for as little as $5 a month?
