NOTES
A place for musings on design, culture, & inspiration.
Wanna hear me ramble on about a few of the typefaces I have designed, and a recent publication project that I am excited to share? Then this is for you my friend. Cold Style, a casual …
As I celebrate another trip around the sun this weekend, I’ve been reflecting on the incredible opportunities and good fortune I’ve had in both life and career. I’m deeply humbled—and immensely grateful—for the people and experiences …
Over the holidays, a good friend gifted me Paula Scher: Works. I first heard Scher’s name in college, mostly in conversations tied to Pentagram (where she’s a partner). Over the years, I read more, admired more, …
Another post in my series: Albums That Inform Me Everyday (A/TIME). This installment features the album Cure for Sanity (also known by its full title The Pop Will Eat Itself Cure for Sanity) and is the …
As a parent of two young children, I have countless cherished moments, but one stands out: when my 4.5-year-old son showed an interest in creating his own alphabet—and turning it into a font. His excitement was …
Another post in my series: Albums That Inform Me Everyday (A/TIME). This installment features the album Storm The Studio by Meat Beat Manifesto. It is the debut album by English electronic music group Meat Beat Manifesto, …
Graphic designer Neville Brody is from England and not really a household name in the American cultural landscape (unless you are a designer as well). However, if you are a fan of print magazines you have …
Another post in my A/TIME (Albums That Inform Me Everyday) series features the group St. Etienne and their album "Foxbase Alpha". This album includes one of the group's best-known songs: a cover of Neil Young's "Only …
Starting a new post series called: Albums That Inform Me Everyday (A/TIME). The first entry is a little known gem of a band named "Ultramarine". Their album "Every Man and Women is a Star" is their …
I joined the Chicago Graphic Design Club in 2024 to give back to the graphic design community in Chicago (and at large). Having worked in the industry for nearly three decades with an emphasis on branding …
I (like most creatives) am inspired by many different disciplines, styles, and sometimes...yes, even trends. For as many years as I have been a graphic designer I have also; painted with acrylics, taken photographs, experimented with …
Since my college days during the 1990s I have known of (and been inspired by) Mr. Segura's work. First through his T-26 Digital Type Foundry, and then through his graphic design studio — Segura, Inc. It …
Jason Lee is generally known to the masses as that guy who played Earl in the tv show "My Name is Earl" from 2005-2009. However, he had a previous life as a professional skateboarder. He Continues …
Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. I was …
The Graphic Design Club of Chicago has a playlist on Mixcloud featuring curated mixtapes by Chicago based graphic designers called MU Radio. I contributed a set that was based on a bunch of older demo tracks …
As I get older, each year the New Year's resolution gets simpler and more clear. You'd think by this time in history, with all we have gone through, learned, and experienced; that we'd be closer to …
Recently I had the chance to sit down (virtually) with Christian Solorzano from the Chicago Graphic Design Club to be interviewed for their "Underscore" podcast. To say I was flattered would be an understatement. We chatted …
This beverage company out of California is on a mission — to reduce plastic waste in our world's land fills. They are also out to "murder your thirst". With a truly unique brand and marketing strategy, …
As a middle-age skateboarder, and a professional designer practicing in the area of branding, I always have an eye to industries that enter the skateboarding space. Especially major shoe/clothing companies. As a "purist", I fought (in …
Having a toddler, I am currently going through the animated movies phase of his interests. It's a nice mental journey back to my youth. We have watched all the classics and some newer ones. Movies like …
As a fan of architecture and interiors, over the years I have found my way to appreciate industrial and product design as it relates to furniture and other lifestyle items. One local Chicago studio of note …
With the fairly resent resurgence of "maximalism" and experimental digital typography in graphic design, I was reminded of one of my earliest influences — The Designer's Republic out of Sheffield, England. With their formative aesthetic from …
