Thumbnail Sketches

At some point between high school and college, I was taught the art of thumbnail sketches. I often wonder if I am the only one who LOVES thumbnail sketches still, or ever. It seems like perhaps it is archaic, akin to the typewriter.

When I get started on the conceptualization stage for a new project, I turn to the tumbnail sketches. For those unfamiliar with these wonderful things: they are essentially very small and rather rough layout ideas. Voilà:

Often, the simple act of creating lots and lots of thumbnails, gets me the idea I am looking for. It's a designer's way of brainstorming. Do you remember those crazy brainstorming word webs from English class? Same idea.

I like to create my thumbnails in a sketchbook, very specifically a black, hard-covered sketchbook like the one I carried around in college. I was probably a little too excited a few weeks ago when I found a rather small, portable sketchbook. There are a lot of hours in the day when I am car-bound, or waiting-for-preschool-pickup bound and a brainstorm strikes. I now carry this little sketchbook around with me, it's perfect.

The Elements of Style

I would never refer to myself as a writer, but I do enjoy writing and have lots of fleeting moments where I decide I want to write a book. Then I get distracted and do something else. I've always believed that art and writing go together well. Both are creative endeavors, conceptual a lot of the time.

My seventh grade teacher, Mr. Schneider, instilled in me the importance of proper grammar and ever since those junior high days, I have been a stickler for it. I have lapses here and there, but for the most part, I still apply what I learned seventh grade English when I write anything. This is important to me as a graphic designer, because like good design, good grammar requires an extra attention to detail. A misplaced comma (its vs. it's) or a misspelled word (I am guilty every-so-often) signals to me that the writer has no attention to detail.

Oh, you can imagine my delight when the illustrated edition of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style came out in 2005. This book has been out for quite awhile, but this edition is special. In addition to the all-important rules of grammar, it also is beautifully illustrated by Maira Kalman. Her illustrations are witty and charming. They add a whole new dimension to this extremely useful book when paired with the sample sentences explaining proper grammar usage. One of my favorites is a full-page Kalman illustration of a sad looking basset hound with the following caption underneath: "Well, Susan, this is a fine mess you are in."

I refer to this book quite often, but one time of frantic reference will always stand out for me. Back in 2007, our first son Lewis was born. One day I was writing an email with his name in the possessive. Sh*t, I thought in my sleepless stupor trying to remember Mr. Schneider's rules in forming the possessive singular of proper nouns already ending in -s. Why did we pick a name that ends in -s? I didn't know what to do. I cared far more about this than the average new mom would have, but that's how I am. Enter The Elements of Style's very first rule:

1. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's.
Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus, write,
Charles's friend
Burns's poems
the witch's malice

There is was, right there in the front of the book. An odd sense of relief swept over me.

Tomato Paste

Here I am writing about tomato paste. Typically food packaging is pretty unremarkable, tomato paste is no exception. And as a graphic designer, I do notice these things. However, I am kind of enraptured by this tube of tomato paste that arrived at our house via Peapod a few weeks ago. Every time I see it, I smile. I think it's a big part of the reason I've been cooking so much Italian food lately!

Of Books and Type

I don't typically make New Year's resolutions, but my resolve to read a lot more this year coincided with the month of January. I seem to be at a "quiet" point in my life at the moment where I have time to read. I am striving to read different genres, pushing myself out of my normal reading comfort zones. Fiction, non-fiction, classics, young authors . . . my reading so far this year has included all. Here I am between Harbach and Kafka, reading a graphic design book, specifically on typography. It is aptly titled Just My Type written by Simon Garfield.

I hadn't heard of this book, but it was given to me by my father who likely heard about it in The New York Times or on NPR. Both trusted sources for book recommendations. Lucky enough to go to a university whose graphic design program had a huge emphasis on typography, this book is right up my alley. I haven't yet finished this book, I actually just started reading it today, but am already finding it hard to put down.

Interesting facts are interspersed with antecdotes, quotes, and font examples. I was excited to finally learn the story behind the phrase, "mind your p's and q's." This phrase harkens back to a time of typesetting when "the compositor would still have to 'mind their ps and qs, so alike were they when each letter was dismantled from a block of type and then tossed back into the compartments of a tray.'" (Garfield, p. 23)

I also learned that Eric Gill who happens to be the creator of my favorite font, Joanna, was apparently a creep. I still like the font, but probably won't look at it the same way.

Whenever I design a printed piece for a client or myself, the type is always a priority. The font, the kerning, the leading, the layout are all so crucial. Just My Type mentions that "the most important questions when selecting type have become: Does it fit the role it was intended for? Does it get its message across? And does it add something of beauty to the world?" (Garfield, p. 61) I couldn't agree more.

In fact, the cover of the Chad Harbach novel I just finished exemplifies this notion:

T.J. Plumbing

Not to sound cliché, but oh, well...in this day and age it is rare to find any form of signage that any amount of thought was put into. Poofy letters angled to look like they are jetting into the future and swooshes abound. Bright, obnoxious colors. So literal, there is no room for any sort of imagination.

Exception: the TJ Plumbing sign on the corner of Glenview and whatever cross street that is in Wauwatosa, just west of the village. I get so confused over there, angled streets all over the place. Every time I am waiting at this stoplight, I study this sign, wishing I had my camera. Finally I did have it and took a photo. Partly for this blog, but also because I am afraid that one day I will drive by and the sign will have been replaced by something ill-conceived. I want to preserve this rarity.

One of the sad truths behind this is that I do not call this plumbing company when I need my washtub unclogged or my drippy sink fixed. But I don't think that has anything to do with their beautifully, understated sign. I digress. I love this sign for it's non-garish colors, earthy brown hues, but it has always stood out to me. The lettering is worth really looking at. No font exists like this, someone probably hand-lettered this, there was a lot of thought put behind the way the J sort of looks toilet-like, but not really. The way the L connects to the G in the word "plumbing", the way the P stretches a little further down than the baselines of the other letters, but doesn't look odd.

And the co. inc., it's not an afterthought. These letters, which are obviously important to this company have their own line. They are smaller than the other letters, but not so small that they are overlooked.

Lack of imagery. No clip art photo of some plumber plunging a toilet, the letters stand alone. The most beautiful plumbing company sign in existance, it has to be.