I just saw a link on Quipsologies pointing to a “new” font collection from Adobe and AIGA called the Adobe® Font Folio® Education Essentials and gave it a click. It promises nearly 500 fonts in Open Type format, is available for pre-order and will begin shipping in April. This sounds like good news for the design students of the world (or at least North America), right?
I have to admit that I am skeptical.
What can a children’s mystery teach us about art history and the importance of not just looking at the world around us, but actually seeing the world around us? You might be quite surprised.
7 Days is a daily tabloid that comes to us every day from the humming metropolis of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. They are kind enough to have put a stand where faculty, staff and students can grab a copy as we are moving about campus. I have noticed a trend in the way they design the cover of this publication: shocking headline on the left, light hearted slice-of-life photo on the right. I have wanted to write about this and show an example for quite a while and today I had the time and 7 Days provided the opportunity.
So I was flipping through my Type Directors Club Annual tonight (#27) while the girls are watching the latest Barbie video and I get to page 155 and I see a very well done identity and stationery package from the fine folks at Wink in Minneapolis. I admire the hand lettering and continue flipping. I then arrive on page 158 and see another well done identity and stationery package from the fine folks at Wink in Minneapolis.
And then I did a double take.
Last summer I noticed some new license plates driving around Abu Dhabi and liked the look of them. The first thing I noticed was the use of a new typeface for the numbers. It had a very distinctive gap in the 9 and 0 and a bent leg on the 7. I was curious about the typeface but didn’t do any research on it. Then last month I came across this post on kottke.org about the new typeface being used on German license plates and clicked on the link which led me to the answers to all of the questions I had about this new typeface.According to Erik Spiekerman (whom I am inclined to believe because he is both German and a Typomaniac) the type face is called FE Mittelschrift and was designed to thwart forged plates. I have to admit it does have an interesting look.The original typeface was designed by Karlgeorg Hoefer in 1970’s and has been in use for German plates since November of 2000. And thanks to the fine folks over at Fountain for only $49.00 you can have your very own version too.
On a side note, I wonder if the designer of the new Red 5 series of Abu Dhabi plates is a Star Wars fan?
So when I get home from work today Kristin tells me that Cailin got bit at school. By what, you may ask? A bug? A small animal? Nope. Another kid. A fourth grader.
As it turns out my two darling little girls started a gang fight at school today. Third graders against the fourth graders. All out warfare on the playground and a trip to the principles office. Madelyn insists it was all a big misunderstanding. One or two kids pushing or yelling is a misunderstanding. Gang warfare between grades is on a whole different level.
Oh well, at least they are leaders and not followers.
Sean finally received his deluxe edition of the Helvetica film yesterday and I watched it. It is a really well done documentary and deserves all of the high praise it has received throughout the film festival circuit as well as the design related blog-o-sphere. It is very interesting, very informative and very entertaining. It also has a very nice soundtrack with some excellent bands. I would recommend this film to anyone.
And it also lets me know that I am not alone. There are others out there like me. You might be one of them.
I went to an opening for an exhibition tonight and let me start by saying that all of the art opening type of people you see at art openings were present. The crazy haired smelly guy, the short haired very well dressed lady, lots of thick framed glasses and designer square toed shoes.
The art scene is growing in Abu Dhabi, and the work was good. The exhibition, titled “Desert Whispers” was held at the Ghaf Gallery which is one of only two or three actual galleries in Abu Dhabi. Two of my former students were part of the show and I was quite happy to see them talk about their work.
There were two notible exceptions tonight. I have never been to an opening in the U.S. where foriegn dignitaries and ambassadors attend in chauffeur driven blacked out Mercedes. Nor have I ever been offered a fresh fruit juice or soft drink by a Fillipino waitress while looking at art. I kind of like it. It should happen more often.
The above image is one of the many reasons I will not be sad to leave the UAE in June. It has been almost three years since I have been able to look at anything on Flickr. Or read a blog that is hosted on Typepad (no Chris Glass, No Swissmiss etc…). Or use Skype. Or use iChat because the government owned (and only) internet provider doesn’t like AOL. Or any number of other things that the UAE finds objectionable or might cut into their bottom line. And you never know when something might disappear behind an impenetrable light blue wall.
Weak
Update: You can now add ffffound to the list. Another one bites the dust.
Update 2: And Twitter goes down. They’re dropping like flies.
Definitely not a mix up at the hospital. Hope is one of us. The picture of Emma was taken a few months ago and when Hope pulled that face I new right away they were cut from the same cloth. We have some exciting times ahead of us.
