Work in Progress*

Postcards created as self-initiated.

What’s it all about? Very sorry you’ll have to wait and see…

Being a new Twitter user, I have decided to take a more graphical approach to the world of updates and fast moving technology! I hope to create a small printed blurb book from all the things that I see, hear or think…should be interesting to see it all unfold.

Following my recent submissions to the magazines March quarterly edition, the piece for ‘The Redwalls‘ article has been successful.
Read more.

There is a new function on the Grid Calculator buy page at the bottom. If you recommend a
friend or more you have a chance to win a free book, so why not recommend it to some
friends and have the chance of winning this months super awesome book?

This months book: Detail in Typography by Jost Hochuli

Subtitled ‘A concise yet rich discussion of all the small things that enhance the legibility of texts’, Jost Hochuli’s guide to micro-typography considers everything that can happen within a column of text. Detail in typography, designed by its author, is printed and bound in Switzerland to the best standards. It provides, in its own form and manufacture, a demonstration of how books can be made.
Reviewed by Typotheque

[Visit GridCalculator to find out more!]

Bloggers & Researchers on Flickr.com
_
Brilliant graphic design and typographic inspirations:
Please remember to read the group rules before submitting.

Typography and Lettering
Graphic Design
typo.graphy
Typophile
Swiss Legacy
kommunikationsdesign
Manystuff
FormFiftyFive
The Grid System
Typography Friday
International Graphic Design

More to be added.

If you have any Flickr.com Group Pool links, please send to contact [at] sarahfrance [dot] com and I will add them to this post.
Many thanks.

How could I forget, thank you Nitzan:

My Favourite Letters

GIFT IDEAS FOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
-

Chromatic Wood Type

This beautifully printed typographic arrangement appears in one of the rarest wood type catalogs of the 19th century. Specimens of Chromatic Wood Type, Borders, &c., Manufactured by Wm. H. Page & Co. Greenville, Conn., 1874. Held in the Melbert B. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection.

Cards printed in color on front, blank inside.
8 cards, 2 each of 4 designs with envelopes.
Size: 4.25 x 6 in. each

[via H&FJ]
[BUY for £4.71] current conversion rate

Type Trumps

Creative Review:

Rick Banks, has created a set of Top Trumps style cards where classic typefaces are the subject matter - hence the name, Type Trumps. Each card is designed to make the most of the particular font it features, and typophiles will happily find such faces as Frankfurter, Times, Helvetica, Johnston Underground and Neu Alphabet in the pack. Type Trumps players can battle it out using such statistics as year of design, the amount of weights, cost etc to win their opponent’s cards. Banks has given each typeface a ‘rating’ score, a ‘legibility’ score and even a ’special power’.

[via Swiss Legacy]
[BUY for £9.99]

Canvas Tote Bag

Here is a cross stitch printing with hand silk screened on a sturdy, gusseted canvas tote.

Avalible in size 11″ wide x 14″ high x 4 1/2″ deep and an 18″ handle. 2 colors currently available: pool blue and orange.

[via H&FJ]
[BUY for £16.14] current conversion rate

Grotesque Poster - Xmas Sales

The Grotesque poster is on sale for Christmas!

1 Poster for around £23 current conversion rate
or
2 Posters for around £40 current conversion rate

Only a couple of copies left…

[BUY]

Antonio Carusone for featuring my online portfolio on TheGridSystem.org last week.

Since October I have been trying to think of a way to create a conceptual approach to a simple desktop design. Here is a little feedback I received when I asked my Flickr contacts:

Here are just some of the many responses:

Ben Kimball: not a graphic designer, but as photographer/cartographer:

NatureyPrettyStuff
Self-Deprecating Humor
Maps
Forks
Failures I Learned From
Failures I Learned Nothing From
Intentionally Streaking Things
The Delightfully Odd

Mark Blyth: Neat idea!

Stuff that really needs doing
Stuff that I can procrastinate about
Stuff that’ll never need doing

Christine: Mine would be:

Black and white
To Repair
Sunsets
No work needed.

So as you can see it was very varied.

With the combination of TheGridSystem’s inspiring website and the urgent need of being more organised when it comes to my desktop; I decided what better way than to incorporate my websites Six Grid System into something I could use to get my files more organised and something I could share with other creatives.

Here is the end result using titles which are changeable for each individual user:

So now instead of having one file on my desktop saying the proverbial ‘Sort!’ I will now be able to place my files on my desktop in accordance to type and subject.

To download your own editable version:

[1200x1000]
[1200x1000 Inverted]

Please mail me for other screen resolutions.

CHANGING ‘The Look’
-

As a designer i feel i could change my identity everyday; i always find something new and more creative. But when is enough ever enough? It is true about designers being their own worst client - i am considering actually just going for ‘The Logo’ and adapt it when i come across a new font or concept.

How do you change and adapt your logo identities and are you ever happy with the final outcome?

John Boardley, the writer and founder of ‘I Love Typography‘ has set up a little group on Flickr called ‘my favourite letters.’

The group is all about sharing your favourite letters.
All you need to do to contribute to John’s project: submit work from your flickr account into the group pool. If you don’t have an account already, the basic flickr account is completely free.

Format Rule:
the letter [your favourite letter] from [name of typeface]
(symbols and punctuation OK too)

My entry:
_

[see group: my favourite letters]
[get a flickr account]