Van Nuys, California

Older, devout design practitioners will no doubt be able to relate to these Patron Saints of Graphic Design (St. Exacto, St. Typo, St. Pixela)… more here.

(Thanks to Bob Roach for the link).

(click on image for larger size—found here)

(You can take this one to the bank… thanks Marian).

London, UK

It has taken humanity less than nine months to blow its ecological budget for the year, according to data from leading independent UK think-tank nef (the new economics foundation) and Global Footprint Network, a California-based environmental research organization.

Ecological Debt Day comes a full month earlier than last year, reflecting not only greater consumption of resources on a global scale, despite the recession, but also improvements in data collection giving a more detailed analysis than ever before. The new research, for example, indicates that the world has less grazing land available than previously estimated.

(Thanks to Jacques Lange in South Africa — sorry, link is now broken).

This day and age we’re living in gives cause for apprehension.
With speed and new invention, and things like third dimension.
Yet, we get a trifle weary, with Mister Einstein’s theory,
So we must get down to earth, at times relax, relieve the tension.
No matter what the progress, or what may yet be proved,
The simple facts of life are such they cannot be removed.
You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh…
The fundamental things apply, as time goes by.

—from Herman Hupfeld’s “As Time Goes By,” 1931

(thanks to Bob Roach from the GDC Listserv for the lyrical prompt)

From the troubled land of sans/sens…

I grew up with Helvetica (almost literally—during my elementary school years while living in Reinach [on the outskirts of Basel, Switzerland] I would pass by Münchenstein by tram twice daily; Münchenstein is where the Helvetica typeface was developed in the late 1950s by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas’sche Schriftgiesserei [Haas type foundry]).

So, while I admit to a biased preference for Helvetica over Arial (dubbed by many in our field as a “shameless impostor”) I do find it interesting to observe how much fuss some designer colleagues raise over the similarities and differences of these two leading sans-serif faces.

(I’m not sure of the original source of the image above, but it does provide a useful comparison of some of the similarities and differences in “tone of voice” of these two popular faces).

+ + +

Friend Martyn Schmoll has suggested a great little article on
I Love Typography: Arial versus Helvetica.

Antibes, French Riviera

“This sculpture is a creation by contemporary Catalan artist Jaume Plensa, who lives and works in Barcelona and Paris. Born in 1955, Plensa studied art at the Escola Llotja and in the Escola Superior de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi. He is currently one of the most important sculptors on the contemporary art scene. Plensa made his name in the 1980s with simple, large forms made from cast iron. His work then evolved into sculptural installations using light, sound and language…”

( From Yves Peters’ serendipitous encounter with Nomade during his vacation on the Côte d’Azur, from an article on The FontFeed).

I’ve only been to Antibes once, during the sweltering hot summer of 1979 — a bit of an abstecher on a road trip from Switzerland to Spain with my wife Beverly. I’ll admit, my most vivid memory is of the seemingly endless beaches populated with a preponderance of topless sunbathers — which I recall Bev found to be somewhat shocking (at first).

Thanks to Sal Randazzo for the link to Yves’ post (sorry, link no longer works).

Humble, Texas

This gasoline advertisement for Humble/Enco petroleum company (later Esso/Exxon [remember the “Put a tiger in your tank”campaign?]) ran in Life magazine in 1962… pretty much the exact opposite image of that which petroleum companies are trying to show today. Here’s the text from the advert:

EACH DAY HUMBLE SUPPLIES ENOUGH ENERGY
TO MELT 7 MILLION TONS OF GLACIER!

This giant glacier has remained unmelted for centuries. Yet, the petroleum energy Humble supplies—if converted into heat—could melt it at the rate of 80 tons each second! To meet the nation’s growing needs for energy, Humble has applied science to nature’s resources to become America’s Leading Energy Company. Working wonders with oil through research, Humble provides energy in many forms—to help heat our homes, power our transportation, and to furnish industry with a great variety of versatile chemicals. Stop at a Humble station for new Enco Extra gasoline, and see why the “Happy Motoring” sign is the World’s First Choice!

Click on the image above for an enlarged view. The hubris of Humble is really quite remarkable (Humble is the town in Texas that Exxon U.S.A. traces its roots to). Thanks to Gregor Brandt (via Ms. Marx).