…Must come to an end. I think anyone who loves type, or who dated typography at some point and time, fell in love with Jessica Hische’s Daily Drop Cap website. Not sure how I stumbled across Hische’s work but she’s uber talented and after following her for years (since 2009) I’m glad to see her work create some well deserved buzz. She’s inspired a ton of typographers, been featured online and in print, and finally earlier this year in Communication Art’s first ever Typography Annual. So in a way, it’s bittersweet to see her site, the Daily Drop Cap, come to an end but excited to see where her career takes her. The final alphabet was celebrity curated by other illustrators including The Heads of State, and Friends of Type. Also dope in the world of illustration and typography. So let’s take a moment of silence for The Daily Drop Cap. The site will no longer receive new additions, but will live on for use and inspiration. Enjoy!
Just last month the Nike Logo turned 40. The Nike “swoosh’” was created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).
For seven years after its founding in 1964, BRS imported Onitsuka Tiger brand running shoes. In 1971, BRS decided to launch its own brand, which would first appear on a soccer cleat called the Nike. Knight approached Davidson for design ideas for this new brand, and she agreed to provide them, charging a rate of US$2 per hour. Which even in 1971 was a crazy rate! But who knew?
In the spring, Davidson presented a number of design options to Knight and other BRS executives, and they ultimately selected the mark now known globally as the Swoosh. “I don’t love it,” Knight told her, “but I think it will grow on me.” Davidson submitted an invoice for $35! Fast forward 12 years later, In 1983 Knight gave Davidson a diamond Swoosh ring and an envelope filled with Nike stock to express his gratitude.
In June 1972, the first running shoes bearing the Swoosh were introduced at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Nike continues to use the brand today. Cheers to 40 years!
From the Design Forums
Have been all over the place. But some things have happened! Which should explain me NOT doing posts regularly…. {shakes head no} Not really. Although there’s no excuse, maybe some updates will do some justice.
Lingo launched their mid-summer line…and I helped!
OTR Fresh had a photo shoot for their summer look-book.. I shot the photography and designed it. It’s pretty dope.
My mommy turned 60! {she’s gonna kill me for this} We spared the candles and possible fire hazard and had 60 beautiful cupcakes instead. A sweeter solution.
One of the Bestie’s got married! I was lucky enough to take the pictures.
And to top it off, I had a mini getaway for one of the other Bestie’s bday (@infamouslyFAB). A lovely girls trip in the beautiful Key West!
Lovely Stationery dot com curates brilliant stationery solutions from around the world. I know we’re in a digital world, hence the blog, but it’s allowed print design to really open up to fun techniques that are all about skill and specialty. Print design has evolved into this specialized field for true craftsman of design. The Letterpress-er and Screen Print-er have carved out a niche that feels both vintage and contemporary at the same time. So it’s no surprise that even a man whose made his name by enlightening the digital age, still has some carefully curated letterhead. Embracing the emboss and use of seals are always nice, as are stamps and letterpress with a dyed paper edge. As a print graphic designer and a person that can tell a paper pound and finish by touch, I heart the digital age, but will always keep a special place for brilliantly designed pieces of paper.
While surfing the net, I found some inspirational words to recall anytime I feel a little defeated in the creative world. I took the merit to redesign the piece, but found the post by Michael Gillette a welcome lift to my day!
Complex Mag asked Bobby Hundreds of The Hundreds to select the Top 50 Streetwear Brands of all time. I’m not sure how he did it without being biased to his own brand. But I think he did a great job of highlighting the most influential Streetwear brands of the past, the present, and the future. And honestly, all of these brands are still relevant to the lifestyle and culture, so the past is the present which is in-turn shaping the future c) Stussy. Everyone with your finger’s crossed thinking Era Apparel made the list….we didn’t. You can breathe now. But seriously, if you ARE designing apparel and NOT being inspired by these brands. (And when I say inspired I mean INSPIRED, not ripping off. All you jack artists need to get some originality) But if you’re designing apparel and not being inspired by these guys you should probably just stop now. Some of my faves include 10 DEEP, UNDFTD, The Hundreds, and Benny Gold. Enjoy!
**sidebar: I cracked up to myself while typing this, spell check kept highlighting “streetwear” as incorrect. Does that mean it’s not officially a “style” yet?**
It’s June, well July and that means that it’s wedding season!! I bet you wonder how a single girl can get excited about all the hot summer marital bliss? It’s simple. I love balloons, fresh flowers, pretty paper, and a man in a suit. So, a wedding is the perfect venue to soak up design inspiration while stopping to smell the roses. And lucky for me in my wedding blog perusal, I came across THIS! Well-Groomed. A new wedding blog for MEN! It focuses on making the groom cool, and him no longer looking like the little man on top of the cake. It takes the bow-ties and suspenders and makes sense of it all. Take a look, there are no cheesy typefaces and content. The photography is beautifully shot, and the weddings are inspiring. If you’re always a bridesmaid and never a bride I guarantee you’ll be perfectly fine after viewing these weddings. And remember, there are always groomsmen!!!
Beastie Boys are back! Don’t act like you don’t know. Here’s the trailer for the 30 minute movie that served as a intro to the album that dropped at the end of April. To watch the entire thing, visit Hulu here!
I could go on and on about how successful J.Crew has been about creating and building a brand. I always anticipate their next window display, or look forward to a catalog. I LOVE their naming (see Crewcuts) and even their positioning has a way of saying so much. It says, yes we’re uppity and too good for you but come on in and sit down, but please please remember to wipe your feet first. Their look and feel is always so fresh, so it should come as no surprise that they’ve gotten visionary in their digital. They’ve chosen to think outside of the web banner box, or think inside of it and figure out a way to allow consumers to engage. And of course, it looks good. Check out the article by WWD that delves into detail but J.Crew has successfully created a campaign to solely live online, feels fresh in it’s thinking, and incorporates campy music. Bravo! Or better said in J.Crew speak, Cheers!
They say you're only as good as the company you keep. If that is the case, then I must be pretty frickin awesome.
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