news

Smart people producing smart publications

case studies

Recently we had the opportunity to design two very “smart” magazines. A new magazine for Drexel University's LeBow College of Business called Market Street; and Franklin & Marshall College’s F&M Magazine. Both were great to work on because of the design opportunities that they presented, but what struck us most about these projects is that these schools (and hopefully others) are producing magazines with great, well-edited and relevant content that would interest any reader. College magazines are crossing that bridge from closed-audience campus magazines into the mainstream to compete on an intellectual and interest level with magazines created and written for the general public. We found it just as interesting to read the articles as it was to design the pages. As the quantity of information available for consumption grows exponentially with the internet, be sure to check out college magazines as a source for quality information. You'll find a lot more there to satisfy your hunt for good reading than just campus news.

Check out Drexel’s smart mag.

Check out F&M’s smart mag.

Did you know?

design history

Does anyone know what “flong” means? I bet you don't know what a “pop test” is?

I enjoy collecting antique terms, especially for the design and printing fields. I take impish joy asking young students what “leading” means and how it was derived. Or what a “cut” is and how it got its name.

I savor old professional dictionaries, like the one here, of printing and graphic arts terms. Most of the terminology is on the verge of becoming obsolete. Read these pages and see how many terms you use — or know. Read on.

No choices to make

design news

Did you ever attend one of those chic parties where everyone was wearing black? There was still personality because everyone doesn't wear black quite the same, but for the most part things were a bit dull and predictable. Imagine trying the same trick with a typeface: What if every logo and every bit of copy out there all used the same typeface? Graphic decisions would be made simpler but we'd have to work twice as hard to create individuality...and would we like it? We're surrounded and inundated with so much typography every day that we often don't notice the nuances between typefaces or appreciate the personalities they have come to represent. Imagine MTV designed using Comic Sans (the typeface) or FedEx using Dom Casual. The world would take on an entirely different look. Did you even notice that the MTV on this page was in the wrong typeface? Is it better, worse or are you indifferent to the transformation? Take a look and decide for yourself.