desktop download

Usually when I'm in meetings I doodle. Lots of lines and swirls. I did the same thing in school. Contrary to how it may seem it helps me concentrate. So recently, while waiting for an email reply or something where I'm still at my desk, this common little habit spilled over into a computer exercise. The result? A little gift for you my friend. Hopefully this will be a regular thing.


blue and red lines:
320 x 480 (iphone)
1024 x 768
1280 x 800
1280 x 1024
1440 x 900
1600 x 1024
1680 x 1050
1920 x 1200

iQ font

This is just great. Great great great. I would love to be involved in a project like this some day. Maybe this weekend. I think I'm free. Kate get your camera and we'll all think up an appropriate ukulele cover to go with it.

iQ font - When driving becomes writing / Full making of from wireless on Vimeo.

This was created by Pierre Smeets and Damien Aresta from pleaseletmedesign.com. Also check out their flickr and download the free iQ font from Toyota!

Typography 101

My plan was to get in early and do a post about Optical vs. Metrics kerning in InDesign. http://forums.adobe.com/thread/323629

this is hilarious.

I love love love fashion blogs. Street fashion blogs though. Which may seem odd seeing as how right now I'm wearing ugly, very comfortable flip flops, jeans, a tshirt, a slightly baggy cardigan and twisted up hair. Although to my defense I had a cute hat on this morning which I thought was a nice accessory to my mild mannered outfit, but it didn't last.
I am a regular contributor to a flickr pool called wardrobe remix. It's quite fun and sometimes, sometimes, gives me the nudge I need to wear shoes other than my flip flops. I also frequent (as a viewer not contributor) hel-looks (my favorite), the sartorialis, and face hunter.
I recently came across this poster on refinery29, which I'm adding to my fashion blog watch. It is so completely hilarious! I love it. Even in the sort of fashion sub-culture I consider myself an appreciator of there's a lovely hierarchy that can be made fun of.

somewhere over the pantones

While *waiting on some feedback today I took a gaze out of the window behind me and I do nearly every day to rest my eyes and stretch my legs and decided that it was very gray in Durham today. No. Not gray, like blueish gray. But a very pale blueish gray. Definitely a cool gray. And that led to me wonder what exact color the sky was. So I tracked down a(n old) pantone® fan book and tried to figure it out. I think it was in between Pantone 7541 C and Pantone Cool Gray 1PC. I couldn't be sure because every time I looked from the sky to the book my eyes adjusted for the brightness as did the camera phone exposure. So you'll just have to take my word on that one.

So this led me to wonder how a few other things translated in Pantone.

The up-to-date, solid chips coated, Pantone Book.
Again, let me mention that the fan book I was using was an older one and was chosen for it's ability to be held with one hand.
I believe its closest match was Pantone 7417 C.


Next, my arm.
Let it be known that I am a very pale person but did take a trip to the beach last Saturday which I think skewed these results. Pantone 473 C


My dress.
Which turns out looks duller on paper than on fabric. I suppose it has been washed a few times
Pantone 3395 PC


The lovely brick wall behind me.
This was hard because I had to choose one brick to match. But this is the brick I always glance to so it was the winner.
Pantone 1645 PC


My after lunch grapes
These are huge grapes by the way. Which I think made it a tad easier to match their color.
Pantone 374 PC


And finally, Chelsie's bag which I covet.
It's such a great color. Especially for a bag. It must be like carrying around a puddle of water. I have bag envy pretty frequent, but can't seem to ditch my own fall to pieces, full of buttons, ripped seams satchel I've had for years.
Pantone 307 PC

* disclaimer that i was not just tooling around at work

Typography 101

Above is a demonstration of editing a rag. The ultimate goal with a flush-left paragraph is “long short long” or “short long short”. Whenever possible, open or tighten character space to the full measure. The “AFTER” paragraph demonstrates what Chic McKinney coined”semi-justified.” Each line either makes the full measure OR falls short at the same measure. Finally, do whatever you can to avoid hyphens. Enjoy.