Podcasts about Typography

Mastering Book Cover Design for Amazon & Kindle: A Practical Guide. In the crowded world of self-publishing, your book cover is more than just a pretty picture—it's your first impression, your marketing powerhouse, and the visual hook that can make or break a sale. Whether you're publishing a paperback on Amazon or a Kindle eBook, designing an effective cover is essential. Here's how to make sure yours stands out in the crowded Amazon marketplace. Why Your Book Cover Matters You've heard the saying, “Don't judge a book by its cover,” but let's be honest: readers absolutely do. On Amazon and Kindle, your cover shows up as a thumbnail alongside hundreds of others. A compelling design can make readers stop scrolling and click—while a dull or unprofessional one may get overlooked entirely. Key Differences: Kindle eBook vs. Paperback Cover Before you begin designing, understand the format you're creating for:Kindle eBooks: Require only a front cover. It should be optimized for digital screens and look good at small sizes (thumbnail view).Paperback Books (KDP Print): Require a full cover including front, back, and spine. You'll need to factor in the trim size, page count, and bleed areas.Amazon provides a Cover Calculator & Template Generator for paperbacks:https://kdp.amazon.com/cover-calculator Design Specs for Amazon & Kindle Covers Kindle eBook Cover Requirements:Dimensions: Ideal ratio is 1.6:1 (e.g., 1600 x 2560 pixels).Minimum size: 1000 pixels on the shortest side.Maximum file size: 50MB.File type: JPEG or TIFF.Color: RGB only.Paperback Cover Requirements (KDP Print):File type: PDF for print.Resolution: 300 DPI.Color: CMYK.Bleed: Typically 0.125" on all sides.Spine width: Depends on page count and paper type.Design Principles That Sell 1. Know Your Genre Each genre has visual cues. Romance uses soft, emotional imagery. Thrillers often use dark tones and bold fonts. Non-fiction covers tend to be cleaner and typography-driven. Look at the top 10 books in your category for inspiration. 2. Typography is CrucialUse no more than two fonts.Title should be readable at thumbnail size.Avoid script or decorative fonts unless genre-appropriate.Author name can be smaller but still legible.3. High-Quality Images Avoid using pixelated or stocky-looking images. Invest in high-resolution assets or create custom illustrations/photos. Sites like Unsplash (free) or Shutterstock (premium) are great sources. 4. Balance and Hierarchy Design with clear visual hierarchy:Title firstSubtitle second (if applicable)Author name thirdLeave breathing space. Don't overcrowd. 5. Thumbnail Test Shrink your design to 100 x 160 px. Can you still read the title? Is it still eye-catching? This is how it will appear in Amazon search results. Tools for Designing Book Covers For DIY Authors:Canva (Free & Pro): User-friendly with KDP templates.BookBrush: Designed for authors, with genre templates.Adobe Express: Quick designs with good typography options.For Professional Designers:Adobe Photoshop or InDesign: Full control for advanced design and print-ready files.Affinity Publisher: A powerful InDesign alternative.Using Amazon KDP Cover Creator (Optional) If you're not comfortable with design tools, Amazon's built-in Cover Creator is simple and free. It has templates, font controls, and lets you preview in 3D. However, it's limited in customization, so it's best for basic layouts. Avoid These Common MistakesUsing low-res images or blurry graphicsCentering everything by defaultOveruse of effects like drop shadows or bevelsInconsistent visual tone with the genreMisaligned spine elements on paperbacksIgnoring bleed and trim linesPro Tip: Hire a Designer If You Can A professionally designed cover can significantly boost your credibility and sales. If you're serious about publishing, consider hiring a freelance designer from platforms like Reedsy, 99designs, or Upwork. Always provide your book's genre, blurb, tone, and any visual references you like. Final Thoughts Your book cover is a visual handshake with your reader. On Amazon and Kindle, it's your billboard, brand, and storefront rolled into one. Invest time and care into it. With the right tools, creative direction, and an understanding of what sells, you can design a cover that attracts, engages, and converts browsers into buyers.

NOTED. (RELENTLESSLY)—When a company publishes a magazine, or at least an “editorial” product, for whatever reason, it is called custom publishing. I have a long editorial background in custom. And custom has a surprisingly long history itself.How long?John Deere started publishing The Furrow in 1895. The Michelin Star started as a form of custom content: what better way to sell tires to monied Parisians than by enticing them to take a drive to the countryside to try a great restaurant?Amex Publishing famously published Travel + Leisure among other titles for decades. That in-flight magazine you once enjoyed on your flight overseas? That, too, is custom publishing.Now, after some down years, custom publishing is leaning waaaaay into print again. Henrybuilt is an industry leader in designing and constructing well-built products and furnishings for the home. Henrybuilt is not, however, a company that you would think is screaming for a magazine.But the qualities that make a great magazine—attention to detail and craft, the curation of ideas, hard work—are the very qualities that have made Untapped, a “design journal that looks back to look forward.” Led by editor-in-chief Tiffany Jow, Untapped is a smart, well-designed magazine that avoids the pitfalls of most design journals in being free of jargon and thus accessible.With an enviable level of editorial freedom, Jow has created an editorial product that richly explores livable spaces and champions “ideas-driven work.” The result is a growing media entity across platforms independent of Henrybuilt while hewing closely to its brand. It's good stuff.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Send us a textMeet emerging typeface designers, Paulina Marin and Darrab Qureshi! Paulina designed a typeface called Funky Pants and Darrab designed an Arabic typeface called Qalam in GCM 806 Advanced Typography at Toronto Metropolitan University. In the following conversation, you'll get to hear about each typeface. You'll also hear their perfect type pairings, sensory descriptions of each (sight, smell, touch, sound and even taste), as well as what was easy and difficult about the process. Let the type geekery begin! I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

THE SYSTEM WORKS—When I decided to launch this podcast back in 2019, it didn't take me long to realize that I didn't want to do it alone. The first person I called? Today's guest, Debra Bishop.I've known Deb a little bit for a long time, but well enough to know her insight, humor, and world view would elevate every conversation we'd have. But also, and more importantly, she is without question one of the most consequential editorial designers working today. Deb has helped define the visual and structural DNA of some of the most iconic media brands of the last few decades, from Martha Stewart's Blueprint, to More Magazine, and now, to The New York Times for Kids.What sets Deb apart is not just her eye, but her mind. She's a master of creating editorial systems—cohesive, flexible frameworks that hold entire magazines together, giving them both structure and soul. Her designs guide readers effortlessly, creating rhythm, clarity, and a sense of trust.Deb never overdesigns or distracts—she amplifies. Her layouts are confident, elegant, quietly powerful, and often these days, lots of fun. And as a leader and mentor, she's shaped not just magazines but careers. She's helped raise the standard for what editorial design can be, and what a creative partnership should look like.Deb makes everything better: the work, the process, the people around her. Her influence is everywhere—including on this podcast—and I feel incredibly lucky to call her a friend and colleague.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Commercial Type and Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Send us a textWelcome to a thought-provoking and paradigm-shifting conversation with James McCrae, author, poet, and teacher who empowers creators to live with purpose and turn imagination into reality.In this conversation you'll hear how James' career has always been rooted in both art and writing, including his navigation through various facets of the design industry. You'll hear why James believes that social media is an art form in its own right and how making mistakes have been some of his greatest moments of learning.We talk about the role ego plays in creative practice, and the importance of planting intentional seeds, allowing quality ideas to grow and mature in our subconscious. We also talk about trust and control in creative processes.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Show DescriptionJen Simmons stops by to talk about new CSS and Safari features like Form Control Styling, Declarative Web Push, Typography, contrast-color(), and more. Listen on Website →GuestsJen SimmonsGuest's Main URL • Guest's SocialSafari & WebKit Evangelist. Member of the CSS Working Group. Webmaster since 1996. Links webkit.org Safari Release Notes WCAG 2.0 contrast-color() function APCA Color Contrast Tool Color.js Release Lea Verou's page on color contrast Declarative Web Push Web Push for Web Apps on iOS and iPadOS CSS Forms Level 1 Specification in Progress line-height units Home | Open UI text-wrap: pretty margin-trim CSS shape() function Two Lines of Cross-Document View Transitions Code Sponsors

A BETTER-BUILT MAGAZINE—When a company publishes a magazine, or at least an “editorial” product, for whatever reason, it is called custom publishing. I have a long editorial background in custom. And custom has a surprisingly long history itself.How long?John Deere started publishing The Furrow in 1895. The Michelin Star started as a form of custom content: what better way to sell tires to monied Parisians than by enticing them to take a drive to the countryside to try a great restaurant?Amex Publishing famously published Travel + Leisure among other titles for decades. That in-flight magazine you once enjoyed on your flight overseas? That, too, is custom publishing.Now, after some down years, custom publishing is leaning waaaaay into print again. Henrybuilt is an industry leader in designing and constructing well-built products and furnishings for the home. Henrybuilt is not, however, a company that you would think is screaming for a magazine.But the qualities that make a great magazine—attention to detail and craft, the curation of ideas, hard work—are the very qualities that have made Untapped, a “design journal that looks back to look forward.” Led by editor-in-chief Tiffany Jow, Untapped is a smart, well-designed magazine that avoids the pitfalls of most design journals in being free of jargon and thus accessible.With an enviable level of editorial freedom, Jow has created an editorial product that richly explores livable spaces and champions “ideas-driven work.” The result is a growing media entity across platforms independent of Henrybuilt while hewing closely to its brand. It's good stuff.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

THE PERSON BEHIND THE PERSON BEHIND THE CAMERA—Close your eyes and picture a classic Rolling Stone cover. Dozens probably come to mind—portraits of music legends, movie stars, political icons, cultural rebels. Bruce. Bono. Madonna. These images are etched into our cultural memory as more than mere photographs. They're statements.But when we remember the cover, and maybe even the photographer, how often do we remember the person who made it all happen? The one who dreamed up the concept, found the right photographer, navigated the logistics, managed the personalities, and ultimately brought that unforgettable image to life?It's the photo editor. But who thinks about the photo editor?Photo editors are essential—especially at a magazine like Rolling Stone—for decades its covers defined our visual culture. Behind every iconic cover is a photo director making hundreds of invisible decisions under pressure and facing tight budgets, unpredictable talent, and shifting editorial winds. They're the ones keeping shoots on track when the talent shows up two hours late. They're the ones coaxing photographers into greatness—the person behind the people behind the camera. Photo editors are expected to be tastemakers, producers, diplomats, caterers, and art directors all at once. Although their work is everywhere, their names are not. They're under-thanked. Underseen. Too often unknown. This is the paradox of their work: When a shoot goes well, it looks effortless. When it doesn't, they take the bullet.Laurie Kratochvil, Rolling Stone's visionary director of photography from 1982 to 1994, knows this all too well.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Commercial Type and Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Unlock the power of your voice with macOS dictation! Mikah Sargent demonstrates how to transform your spoken words into written text anywhere on your Mac, complete with punctuation commands, formatting tricks, and even emoji support. This comprehensive guide walks you through enabling the feature and using advanced dictation commands you probably didn't know existed. Enabling dictation in macOS - Access this feature through System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, where you can choose language, microphone source, and set up keyboard shortcuts. Auto-punctuation option - Let macOS intelligently add punctuation based on your speech patterns or manually dictate punctuation marks. Voice punctuation commands - Mikah demonstrates speaking marks like "period," "comma," "question mark," "open quote," "close quote," and many others. Typography symbols - Learn to dictate special characters including backslash, forward slash, ampersand, bullet points, and vertical bars. Text formatting commands - Control your text with commands like "new line," "new paragraph," "tab key," "no space on/off," and "caps on/off." Mathematical and currency symbols - Dictate special symbols including equal sign, greater/less than signs, and various currency symbols like dollar, euro, and yen. Emoji dictation - Add expressions to your text by saying phrases like "smiley face emoji" or "sobbing emoji." Intellectual property symbols - Easily add copyright (©), registered (®), and trademark (™) marks through dictation. Troubleshooting tips - Mikah offers advice for when dictation isn't working as expected, including checking your language settings and internet connection. Dictate messages and documents on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac Commands for dictating text on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/commands-for-dictating-text-on-mac-mh40695/15.0/mac/15.0 If Dictation on Mac doesn't work as expected - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/if-dictation-on-mac-doesnt-work-as-expected-mchlc480652b/15.0/mac/15.0 Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Unlock the power of your voice with macOS dictation! Mikah Sargent demonstrates how to transform your spoken words into written text anywhere on your Mac, complete with punctuation commands, formatting tricks, and even emoji support. This comprehensive guide walks you through enabling the feature and using advanced dictation commands you probably didn't know existed. Enabling dictation in macOS - Access this feature through System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, where you can choose language, microphone source, and set up keyboard shortcuts. Auto-punctuation option - Let macOS intelligently add punctuation based on your speech patterns or manually dictate punctuation marks. Voice punctuation commands - Mikah demonstrates speaking marks like "period," "comma," "question mark," "open quote," "close quote," and many others. Typography symbols - Learn to dictate special characters including backslash, forward slash, ampersand, bullet points, and vertical bars. Text formatting commands - Control your text with commands like "new line," "new paragraph," "tab key," "no space on/off," and "caps on/off." Mathematical and currency symbols - Dictate special symbols including equal sign, greater/less than signs, and various currency symbols like dollar, euro, and yen. Emoji dictation - Add expressions to your text by saying phrases like "smiley face emoji" or "sobbing emoji." Intellectual property symbols - Easily add copyright (©), registered (®), and trademark (™) marks through dictation. Troubleshooting tips - Mikah offers advice for when dictation isn't working as expected, including checking your language settings and internet connection. Dictate messages and documents on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac Commands for dictating text on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/commands-for-dictating-text-on-mac-mh40695/15.0/mac/15.0 If Dictation on Mac doesn't work as expected - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/if-dictation-on-mac-doesnt-work-as-expected-mchlc480652b/15.0/mac/15.0 Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Unlock the power of your voice with macOS dictation! Mikah Sargent demonstrates how to transform your spoken words into written text anywhere on your Mac, complete with punctuation commands, formatting tricks, and even emoji support. This comprehensive guide walks you through enabling the feature and using advanced dictation commands you probably didn't know existed. Enabling dictation in macOS - Access this feature through System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, where you can choose language, microphone source, and set up keyboard shortcuts. Auto-punctuation option - Let macOS intelligently add punctuation based on your speech patterns or manually dictate punctuation marks. Voice punctuation commands - Mikah demonstrates speaking marks like "period," "comma," "question mark," "open quote," "close quote," and many others. Typography symbols - Learn to dictate special characters including backslash, forward slash, ampersand, bullet points, and vertical bars. Text formatting commands - Control your text with commands like "new line," "new paragraph," "tab key," "no space on/off," and "caps on/off." Mathematical and currency symbols - Dictate special symbols including equal sign, greater/less than signs, and various currency symbols like dollar, euro, and yen. Emoji dictation - Add expressions to your text by saying phrases like "smiley face emoji" or "sobbing emoji." Intellectual property symbols - Easily add copyright (©), registered (®), and trademark (™) marks through dictation. Troubleshooting tips - Mikah offers advice for when dictation isn't working as expected, including checking your language settings and internet connection. Dictate messages and documents on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac Commands for dictating text on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/commands-for-dictating-text-on-mac-mh40695/15.0/mac/15.0 If Dictation on Mac doesn't work as expected - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/if-dictation-on-mac-doesnt-work-as-expected-mchlc480652b/15.0/mac/15.0 Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Robert Hallock, VP and GM at Intel, joins us for a deep dive into the rise of AI PCs and why they're more than just a buzzword. We unpack how new hardware accelerators are making smarter, faster, and more private computing possible, and why local, offline AI is about to become as essential as graphics in tomorrow's laptops. Robert explains Intel's ecosystem strategy, the real differences between CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs, and what it will take for AI features to reach everyone, not just creative pros but everyday users. Support the show on Patreon! http://patreon.com/aiinsideshow Subscribe to the YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/@aiinsideshow Enjoying the AI Inside podcast? Please rate us ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcatcher of choice! Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor. CHAPTERS: 0:00:00 - Podcast begins 0:01:41 - Defining the AI PC: What Makes It Different and Why Now? 0:03:47 - Architectural Shifts: How AI PCs Differ from Traditional PCs 0:05:29 - Intel's Role in the AI Ecosystem: Hardware, Software, and Industry Enablement 0:08:20 - Lessons from the Past: The Intel Web Tablet and Driving Industry Change 0:09:32 - Hardware Evolution: What Needs to Change for AI PCs? 0:11:02 - Real-World AI PC Use Cases: Enterprise, Creative, and Consumer Adoption Waves 0:13:51 - Local vs. Cloud AI: Privacy, Personalization, and the Value of On-Device AI 0:16:50 - Trust and Branding: The Meaning of “AI Inside” for Intel 0:19:26 - Accessibility and User Personas: Who Benefits from AI PCs Today? 0:22:30 - The Graphics-AI Connection: Why GPUs Became Essential for AI Workloads 0:25:10 - The Evolution of GPUs: From Graphics to AI Powerhouses 0:26:56 - Gaming's Role in Driving AI Adoption 0:28:00 - Historical Tech Drivers: Media, Typography, and Early AI Tools 0:29:37 - The Local AI Movement: Are We at an Inflection Point? 0:30:44 - AI Hardware Breakdown: CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs Explained 0:33:49 - Internal Challenges: Education and Customer Awareness at Intel 0:36:06 - Robert Hallock's Role at Intel and Closing Thoughts 0:37:17 - Thank you to Robert Hallock and episode wrap-up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IT'S LE MONDE'S WORLD AND WE'RE JUST LIVING IN IT—Name a major newspaper—anywhere in the world—and you will find a magazine. Or two. Or three. The New York Times is the obvious example of this. The Times of London is another obvious example. And now more and more legacy newspapers from around the world are publishing their magazines in English.La Repubblica in Italy publishes D. And now France's venerable Le Monde is out with M International, a glossy biannual that distills their weekly M magazine for an English-speaking audience.Long called “the newspaper of reference” in France, Le Monde occupies an oversized space in the French media. When the Olympics returned to Paris, Le Monde decided to create an english version of their newspaper for the web. Then they decided to create the magazine—in English—something that not just added an extra piece of land to their media ecosystem, but one that pleased their advertisers as well. We spoke to Louis Dreyfus, the CEO of Le Monde about the business case for English, how the magazines attract new readers to the newspaper, the power of print, and how AI is one of the reasons Le Monde can create in english in the first place.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Show Notes: Sarah Dobson, founder and creative director at Design of Brand, discusses their niche in helping founders of companies establish their brand identity. They offer a process that includes brand strategy, naming, and creating a visual identity system for launch or relaunch. She explains what a brand identity entails and provides examples of successful case studies.  Discovering and Designing a Brand Identity Sarah explains what the core of a brand identity is, how it is more than just a palette or a logo, and how she helps founders articulate that identity from developing the symbolic mark, word mark, and often, the name of the company through to the visual design elements of fonts and colours etc. She discusses her practice of collecting examples for design inspiration. She shares that he takes photos of various elements, such as typography, street signs, shapes, and color palettes, and banks them to find the right place in someone's identity. She also mentions that she started using Pinterest early on and quickly gained 800,000 followers. Sarah believes that understanding trends is crucial for creating unique designs and not looking like another brand. She uses Pinterest to research interiors and symbols for clients where she populates secret boards with images and ideas. She researches broadly online to find inspiration from a variety of sources and uses it to create visually appealing designs. Sarah mentions that she is considering launching a course to help people name their companies. She believes that sharing her capabilities with others would be meaningful to help more people develop their brand identity. A Case Study on Naming a Brand  Sarah shares a case study of working with a founder who didn't have a name for their company. She shares the story of Othership, a social sauna and cold plunge business in New York. The founder had stopped drinking and was looking for alternative alternatives to bars. Sarah explains that she had two clients who were also interested in Sonic culture and the Soho House of Wellness. The clients joined forces to establish their company and Sarah explains how she worked closely with them to develop a deep understanding of who they were and of the company they were developing. Sarah observed the founders as they were prototyping and building out the space. They developed breath work, audio and physical space to help them synthesize their vision for a more social, healthy way of having fun. Sarah explains how she encouraged them to change their name from Inward to Othership  because it reflected the founder's focus on connections and creating a healthy space with and for others rather than internal issues. She also explains how playing with suffixes and compound words is a part of the naming process. Case Study on Creating a Visual Identity Sarah discusses the process of creating a visual identity for the brand Othership, including the logo mark, buttons, and photography. She talks about where she found inspiration for the symbol mark, which included drawing inspiration from the spinning top toy and The Sims. The logo has had an incredible effect on people's lives, with at least five people now having tattoos of it. The color scheme was inspired by Disney's Fantasia, and the founders' energy was a key factor in the design, and the color palette was atypical and flexible, not just two colors. Sarah explains that this approach was similar to a design she developed for a super food snack cafe's color palette. In terms of process and iterations, Sarah mentions that, sometimes, two to three different concepts are explored, with one being the most likely one based on the client's preferences and the other exploring more strategic ideas. The process is seen as due diligence, with the goal of finding the one that resonates with the client. Case Study on the Brand Identity of a Cannabis Retailer and an Organic Food Snack Sarah discusses his experiences in creating a cannabis retailer in Canada, which was a unique and exciting venture. She created a brand called Superette, which aimed to make people feel comfortable buying cannabis legally. The brand was inspired by Peter Pan in Brooklyn, an old Polish bakery because the store felt like a community, with lineups and regulars for breakfast. Another case example is a nut milk bar cafe and a nut milk. The cafe was developed by a friend after completing a nutrition education course and wanted to provide a healthier cafe alternative to muffins and unhealthy drinks. The founder went on to develop and sell the nut milk, which  t is made from scratch and is nutritionally dense, making it a potential competitor to Starbucks. The brand was rebranded and reworked, with the word mark and visual identity system updated. The goal was to strengthen and optimize the brand for future success. A Design Perspective on Fonts Sarah talks about her knowledge with fonts. She shares a quote, “words have meaning but  typography has a feeling and can be spectacular.” She talks about the evolution of typography from handwriting, scripting, manuscripts, and the printing press to the computer. A study by the New York Times found that serifs such as Baskerville or Garamond were found to be the most believable font. Sarah suggests starting to educate oneself by examining their intuition and feeling the right fit. She mentions that Comic Sans, an early digital font, has been found to be beneficial for dyslexia due to its letter forms. Sarah talks about her methods of classification when choosing a brand font and gives a few examples of how a font feels. She suggests that anyone interested in learning more about fonts should start by exploring different font styles and their impact on the human subconscious. Timestamps: 01:44 Explaining Brand Identity  07:31: Case Study: Other Ship 17:30: Visual Identity and Branding Elements  22:17: Typography and Design Philosophy  22:34: Case Study: Superette  25:37: Case Study: Nut Bar  Links: Website Portfolio Design of Brand Instagram Othership Othership Inspiration "Logo Dump" Superette Nutbar Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

TWIST & SHOUT— Philip Burke's portraits don't just look like the people he paints—they actually vibrate. Just look at them. With wild color, skewed proportions, and emotional clarity, his illustrations have lit up the pages of Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Time, and Vanity Fair, capturing cultural icons in a way that feels both chaotic and essential.But behind that explosive style is a steady, spiritual core.Burke begins each day by chanting. It sounds like this: “Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō. Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō. Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō.” It means “devotion to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound,” he says. The chant grounds Burke and opens a space where true connection—on the canvas and in life—can happen.This daily practice is more than a ritual—it's a source of creative clarity. Burke's rise was rapid and raw. Emerging from Buffalo, New York, he made his name in the punk-charged art scene of the 1980s with a fearless, high-voltage style. But it was through his spiritual journey that the work began to transform—less about distortion for shock, and more about essence, empathy, and insight. Less funhouse mirror, more human.Our Anne Quito spoke to Burke about how Buddhism reshaped his approach to portraiture, what it means to truly see a subject, and why staying present—both on the page and in life—is his greatest creative discipline.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Commercial Type and Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Send us a textElliot Jay Stocks is a designer and musician, known in typographic circles thanks to his time as Creative Director of Adobe Typekit, founder of typography magazine 8 Faces, and for his recent collaboration with Google that lead to the creation of Google Fonts Knowledge. In this conversation, you'll hear about Elliot's prolific career in type. We talk passion projects and opportunities to broaden skills sets and unique opportunities that can happen from following one's genuine interests. Elliot also shares his process for writing and designing my very favourite typography textbook, as well as the entry point for students who are just beginning to formally explore the world of letterforms. A quick note that this episode isn't sponsored — as always I'm just a curious human trying to connect with interesting, creative people and projects out in the world. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textWelcome to 250th episode of Talk Paper Scissors where I celebrate YOU the listeners, chat about podcasting milestones and share info about the upcoming release of my book called Brave Creative Human: Reframe imposter syndrome, embrace failure and be unapologetically you, with the foreword written by the one and only Drag Artist & Creativity Professor, Guy Anabella! Release date: September 28, 2025!Here's to the celebrating the small successes that turn out to be not so little with time and consistency.*Note: The Book above is not my book; it's a delightful read by author Keith Houston that's “a cover-to-cover exploration of the most powerful object of our time”. I couldn't agree more! I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

THE NEW, NEW COFFEE GENERATION—On today's show we're creating a storm in a coffee cup about everyone's cup of joe. We're spilling the beans about your morning brew. You're going to hear a latte puns about your cuppa, your high-octane dirt, your jitter juice, your elixir, and by the time we're done you will have both woken up and smelled the coffee.Luke Adams is the editor in chief of Standart, a magazine about a bean that was first cultivated in Ethiopia in the 9th century and within a few hundred years had many of us hooked. It is a subject obviously and extravagantly rich in history, lore, and possibility. What it is not, however, is a paean to what Luke calls “cutting-edge coffee-making geekery.” Rather, Standart is about growers and roasters. It is about cafes and third spaces. It is about culture. It is, in other words, about you, the coffee drinker. It attempts to bring together a disparate potential readership around a singular subject, one that not too many actually talk about. Because while cafes encourage conversation, that conversation is rarely about what we're drinking. Even when it's a “damn fine cup of coffee.”—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

THE WHISTLEBLOWER—I was a reporter and editor in newspapers, including Chicago Today—which had no tomorrow—the Chicago Tribune, and the San Francisco Examiner. I made a shift to magazines becoming TV critic for People, where I came up with the idea for Entertainment Weekly, launching in 1990.After a rocky launch—a story I tell in my new book, Magazine—I jumped ship for the Daily News, then TV Guide, and finally the internet at Advanced Publications. I left to teach and write books about the fall of mass media in 2006. My name is Jeff Jarvis, and this is The Next Page.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES—Psychedelia has an image problem. At least that's what editor and journalist Hillary Brenhouse realized after she saw through the haze.Both in art and literature, psychedelia was way more than tie-dye t-shirts and magic mushrooms. Instead of letting that idea fade into the mist, she kept thinking about it. And the more she looked, the more she realized maybe she should create a magazine to address this. And so she did.Elastic is a magazine of psychedelic art and literature. It says so right there on the cover of the beautiful first issue that just launched. So this is not your standard issue lit or art mag. After all, this is one backed by … Harvard, and UC Berkeley, and a couple of major foundations. Hillary Brenhouse has learned a lot about the craft and the business of making and selling magazines this past year. Lucky for us, she and her team are quick studies. You can see it on every page of Elastic. And she also may have redefined the literary magazine. Without a single tie-dyed t-shirt or magic mushroom in the lot, man.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Bjoern Altmann In this episode of the Independent Thinking Show for @FifthWrist Radio, Roman (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TimesRomanAU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Claus (@tapir_ffm) speak with Bjoern Altmann (@bjoernaltmann) - horological illustrator, typographer, author and designer.Bjorn Altmann, a graphic designer and illustrator with a deep passion for horology. Discover Bjoern's journey from Germany to London, his expertise in typography, logo design and his fascinating work illustrating watches and manhole covers! The conversation delves into the significance of fonts in watch design, the meticulous process of creating (or imagining) accurate watch illustrations, and Bjoern's collaborations with brands like Tag Heuer (@tagheuer),  Ollech & Wajs ⁠(@OllechandWajs) and many others.This episode also provides a unique perspective on the often-overlooked world of typography and illustration in watch design and collecting.Please also make sure to check out Bjoern's amazing work on Instagram at (@bjoernaltmann) and  https://www.bjoernaltmann.com/   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@FifthWrist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  #fifthwrist #fifthwristradio #fifthwristradiopodcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #ollechwajswatchesIndependent Thinking Show is a place dedicated to showcasing the great people doing interesting and cool things in the world of horology. To join our crew group chat then please email us at contact@fifthwrist.com and if you have time please leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast.Theme Music for 2025 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Wrong Time by Silent Partner (via YouTube Free Music Channel)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

WHEN EUSTACE MET FRANÇOISE— I first met Françoise Mouly at The New Yorker's old Times Square offices. This was way back when artists used to deliver illustrations in person. I had stopped by to turn in a spot drawing and was introduced to Françoise, their newly-minted cover art editor.I should have been intimidated, but I was fresh off the boat from Canada and deeply ensconced in my own bubble—hockey, baseball, Leonard Cohen—and so not yet aware of her groundbreaking work at Raw magazine.Much time has passed since that fortuitous day and I've thankfully caught up with her ouevre—gonna get as many French words into this as I can—through back issues of Raw and TOON Books. But mostly with The New Yorker, where we have worked together for over 30 years and I've been afforded a front-row seat to witness her mode du travail, her nonpareil mélange of visual storytelling skills.Speaking just from my own experience, I can't tell you how many times at the end of a harsh deadline I've handed in a desperate, incoherent mess of watercolor and ink, only to see the published product a day later magically made whole, readable, and aesthetically pleasing.Because Françoise prefers her artists to get the credit, I assume she won't want me mentioning the many times she rescued my images from floundering. I can remember apologetically submitting caricatures with poor likenesses, which she somehow managed to fix with a little digital manipulation—a hairline move forward here, a nose sharpened there. Or ideas that mostly worked turned on their head—with the artist's permission, of course—to suddenly drive the point all the way home.For Françoise, “the point” is always the point. Beautiful pictures are fine, but what does the image say? Françoise maintains a wide circle of devoted contributing artists—from renowned gallery painters to scribbling cartoonists, and all gradations between—from whom she regularly coaxes their best work. I thank my étoiles chanceuses to be part of that group.And now, an interview with Françoise. Apparently. —Barry Blitt—This episode is made possible by our friends at Commercial Type and Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

EVERY DAY IS MOTHER'S DAY—A monochromator is an optical device that separates light, like sunlight or the light from a lamp, into a range of individual wavelengths and then allows …… Sorry. I failed physics the last time I took it and I would fail it again. I'm not telling you about my shortcomings for any reason, because a podcast about my shortcomings would be endless.But I thought I'd look up the word when confronted with Monochromator magazine, which aims to “deconstruct selected films under a shared monochrome to reconstruct them for social relevance.” Look, that's what it says on the website.But when you read the magazine, you get it. This is politics and social issues filtered through big movies. How big? The first issue uses Barbie and Oppenheimer to examine the rise of American power (hard and soft).Having said that, it's very interesting reading and not heavy. And editor Alex Heeyeon Kil is not even sure she's editing a film magazine. She sees Monochromator as a discussion about the real world using fictional stories, in this case movies. And her team, divided between South Korea and Germany, publish this annual magazine knowing they might step on more than a few landmines.Strap in. Or turn on a lamp and take a look at the light and maybe you'll understand what you're seeing better than I ever will.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

A MAN AT HIS F*#KING BEST—While several interesting themes have surfaced in this podcast, one of the more unexpected threads is this: Nearly all magazine-inclined men dream of one day working at Esquire. Some women, too.Turns out that's also true for today's guest, which is a good thing because that's exactly what David Granger did.“But all this time I'd been thinking about Esquire, longing for Esquire. It'd been my first magazine as a man, and I'd kept a very close eye on it.”Unless you're old enough to remember the days of Harold Hayes and George Lois, for all intents and purposes, David Granger IS Esquire. And in his nearly 20 years atop the masthead, the magazine won an astounding 17 ASME National Magazine Awards. It's been a finalist 72 times. And, in 2020, Granger became a card-carrying member of the ASME Editors Hall of Fame.When he arrived at Hearst, he took over a magazine that was running on the fumes of past glory. But he couldn't completely ignore history. Here, he pays homage to his fellow Tennessean, who ran Esquire when Granger first discovered it in college.“What Phillip Moffitt did was this magical thing that very few magazine editors actually succeed at, which is to show their readers how to make their lives better. And while he's doing that, while he is providing tangible benefit, he also coaxes his readers to stay around for just amazing pieces of storytelling—or amazing photo displays or whatever it is—all the stuff that you do because it's ambitious and because it's art.”Upon taking over at Esquire, Granger's instinct was to innovate—almost compulsively. Over the years, he's introduced some of print's most ambitious (and imitated) packaging conceits: What I've Learned, Funny Joke from a Beautiful Woman, The Genius Issue, What It Feels Like, and Drug of the Month, as well as radical innovations like an augmented reality issue, and the first print magazine with a digital cover.Over and over, those who've worked with Granger stress his sense of loyalty. Ask any of his colleagues and you'll hear a similar response: “David Granger is one of the finest editors America has ever produced. He also happens to be an exceptionally decent human being.”At his star-studded going-away party after being let go by Hearst in 2016, Granger closed the evening with a toast that said it all: “This job made my life, as much as any job can make anybody's life. It had almost nothing to do with me. It had everything to do with what you guys did under my watch. I've done exactly what I wanted to do—the only thing I've ever wanted to do—for the last 19 years. I'm the luckiest man in the world.”We talked to Granger about retiring some of Esquire‘s aging classics (Dubious Achievements, Sexiest Woman Alive), his surprising and life-changing Martha Stewart Moment, and what really went wrong with the magazine business.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Commercial Type and Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Send us a textFrom the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 5!)This episode is guest hosted by Natalie Annabelle.Name: LoraRelease Date: 2022Designers: Cyreal, (Type Designer) Alexei Vanyashin, (Photographer) Olga KarpushinaClassification: Serif fontOwned By: Open Source / SIL Open Font LicenseClaim to Fame: A classic serif typeface that exudes sophistication and readability.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textFrom the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 5!)This episode is guest hosted by Sam Weinberg.Name: EurostileRelease Date: 1962Designer: Aldo NovareseClassification: GeometricOwned By: URW Type FoundryClaim to Fame: Popular in Sci-fi media and space exploration branding. Used in the original Dr Who title sequence.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textFrom the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 5!)This episode is guest hosted by Joanne Liao.Name: Abhaya Libre Release Date: 2015Designer: Sol MatasClassification: SerifOwned By: The Abhaya Libre Project AuthorsClaim to Fame: It's a redesigned version of the existing FM Abhaya typeface made suitable for the Latin alphabet.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textFrom the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 5!)This episode is guest hosted by Matthew Karton.Name: Lexend Release Date: 2019Designers: Bonnie Shaver-Troup, Linnea Lundquist, and later Thomas Jockin, Santiago Orozco, Héctor GómezClassification: Sans-SerifOwned By: The Lexend ProjectClaim to Fame: An early typeface designed for people with Dyslexia, and low reading fluency.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

EVERY DAY IS MOTHER'S DAY—If The Full Bleed's second season had a theme, it just might be “We Made A New Magazine During the Pandemic.”  Listen to past episodes and you'll see that our collective and unprecedented existential crisis ended up producing a lot of magazines.Melissa Goldstein and Natalia Rachlin met as coworkers at the lifestyle brand Nowness in the UK. Later, with Melissa in LA and Natalia in Houston, they bonded over their new status as mothers: they had given birth a day apart. And they both found that magazines aimed at mothers were deficient. These titles spoke of babies and parenting and the decor of the baby's room, but they rarely spoke of the moms as… people. So they created Mother Tongue, a fresh look at womanhood and motherhood, and a kind of reclamation of both terms. The magazine functions as a conversation between like-minded moms from everywhere. Plus, like all modern media brands, Mother Tongue has great merch. The election looms large, of course, over the magazine and our discussion—we spoke a week after it and let's just say both Melissa and Natalia were still processing the results. But Mother Tongue is not going to shy away from talking about that either.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. A production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Graphic designers think they know typography. You pick a font, tweak some kerning, and boom—you're a type expert, right? Wrong.Most designers are blind to the power of lettering, and it's keeping them stuck in the same sea of mediocrity. While they tinker with fonts, lettering artists are out there crafting custom letterforms, charging premium rates, and landing clients like Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, and Adobe.This week on The Angry Designer, we sit down with Martina Flor, a world-renowned lettering artist who built a global empire by breaking the rules. She ditched the generic designer path, took massive risks, and carved out a niche that most designers overlook.In this episode, we dive into:The massive difference between lettering and type designHow specializing can make you more valuable than 99% of generalist designersWhy waiting to be “discovered” is a fantasy—and how real success is builtThe one mindset shift that took Martina from unknown to industry leaderIf you're tired of blending in and want to build a career that actually excites you, this is the episode you need to hear.Listen now & take control of your design future!Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast

“THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE GRAPHIC DESIGN”—Simon Esterson is one of the most influential figures in British magazine design shaping the field for decades with his distinctive approach to editorial work.Unlike many designers who built their careers within major publishing houses, Esterson chose a different path, gravitating toward independent publishing where his influence could be greater and his contributions more impactful. This decision allowed him to play a key role in fostering a rich culture of design-led publications.His early work at Blueprint, the legendary British design and architecture magazine, set the stage for a career that would lead him to The Guardian, The Sunday Times of London and the Italian architecture magazine, Domus, before establishing his own London based studio, Esterson Associates.Today, Esterson's most visible project is Eye, the internationally-renowned journal of graphic design. As its art director and co-owner, he has been instrumental in maintaining its reputation as one of the most essential platforms for design professionals.Thanks to his nonstop editorial work, Esterson is widely considered to be a mentor and role model for generations of British designers proving that great editorial design does not require vast resources, but rather a clear vision and an understanding of how design can elevate content.That's what great designers do.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Commercial Type and Freeport Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

In the first episode of season 2, we speak with Jack Smyth – a freelance designer and illustrator from Ireland. His clients include Penguin Random House, Faber & Faber, Harpercollins, Granta, Daunt Books, Simon & Schuster, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Politico and The Atlantic. He has previously worked inhouse at 4th Estate, Simon & Schuster, Little, Brown and Tower Records and holds an MA in Graphic Design from Kingston University. In 2024, he was named the designer of the year at the British Book Awards. He has received 9 ABCD awards, a BBDPA award and has been featured in Creative Review, It's Nice That, Communication Arts and the 100 Archive. He lives in Dublin with his wife and cat. Cover Meeting was hosted by Steve Leard and produced by James Ede of beheard.org.uk.

A WEED GROWS IN PORTLAND—Anja Charbonneau would be the first to admit she didn't have a strategy in mind when she launched her dreamy celebration of all things marijuana, Broccoli magazine, back in 2016. Having worked as a freelance photographer and writer, and then as Creative Director of lifestyle favorite Kinfolk, she started Broccoli with the simple idea to explore Portland's then burgeoning cannabis scene and its culture.Fast forward to today: Anja Charbonneau oversees a publishing conglomerate that produces a number of magazines, books, and something called “oracle cards”—while also spearheading an advocacy group, and a whole lot more. If anything has changed, ironically, it's that the last edition of Broccoli was the last edition of Broccoli. Yes, there are new magazines on the way, and new books, and new ideas to explore, because Anja Charbonneau does not sit still, even while sitting atop her nascent empire.From cats to mushrooms to artful snails to all things celestial, Broccoli publishes stuff that tastes great and that's good for you and your soul.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON—Nearly 40 years after its launch, Spin magazine has returned to print—and at the helm, once again, is its founding editor and today's guest, Bob Guccione Jr. Launched in 1985 as a scrappy, rebellious alternative to Rolling Stone, Spin became a defining voice in music journalism, championing emerging artists and underground movements that mainstream media often overlooked. Now, as it relaunches its print edition, Spin will attempt to find its place in a media landscape that looks completely different. But Spin's origin story—and Guccione Jr.'s career—has been shaped by a complicated legacy. His father, Bob Guccione Sr., was the founder of Penthouse magazine, a publishing mogul who built an empire on provocation and controversy. Launched in 1965 as a scrappy, rebellious alternative to Playboy, Penthouse was more than just an explicit adult magazine. It was a cultural lightning rod, sparking debates on censorship, free expression, and morality. Though Penthouse funded Spin's launch, the father/son dynamic was soon fraught with conflict over Spin's editorial direction combined with Penthouse's declining appeal. That tension led to a deep rift—the two were estranged for years. But Spin survived, thriving under Guccione Jr.'s leadership as it defined a new era of music journalism.We talked to Guccione upon his return to the magazine he built, and offers a spin-free take on dad, the launch, and the comeback.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Commercial Type and Freeport Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

THEY'RE FIXIN' TO CHANGE YOUR MIND—The people behind The Bitter Southerner are many things but they are not, they will remind you, actually bitter. The tongue is planted quite firmly in the cheek here. But The Bitter Southerner is, for sure, like it says on the website, “a beacon for the American South and a bellwether for the nation.” Sure, why not.But what started out as an ambitious e-newsletter has evolved now into a … project. Read The Bitter Southerner and you realize how ambitious and radical their business—and message—truly is. This is not just a brand but a movement, a way to talk about the South and Southern things, but through a lens many of us, through our own biases and ignorance, won't quite see. And the world is listening. Stories from The Bitter Southerner have either won or been nominated for eight James Beard Awards. And now they are up for a National Magazine Award for General Excellence. We spoke to co-founder Kyle Tibbs Jones about the genesis of the magazine, about what it means, about the community it has found and spawned, and about the future, not just of the brand but, maybe, of the South, and where The Bitter Southerner fits into it all.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Typography is more than just choosing cool fonts — it gives designers and brands the power to take action and spark change. This episode of Creative Characters is all about shaking things up in the design world with Monotype's Re:Vision, a transformative approach to our annual Type Trends report. Host Carl Unger joins report creators, Phil Garnham and Charles Nix, along with design leader and futurist, Lisa Gralnek, to discuss how typography can impact big cultural topics like AI, climate change, and aging. Get insights on how brands can step up and stand out, and learn about our bimonthly activations (kicking off at SXSW!) that'll explore these ideas throughout the year. Read the full report and sign up for the exclusive webinar at monotype.com/type-trends You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast

MAKE IT BIG. NO BIGGER—Paula Scher is not really a “magazine person.”But if you ever needed evidence of the value of what we like to call “magazine thinking,” look no further than Pentagram, the world's most influential design firm. The studio boasts a roster of partners whose work is rooted in magazine design: Colin Forbes, David Hillman, Kit Hinrichs, Luke Hayman, DJ Stout, Abbott Miller, Matt Willey, and, yes, today's guest.Paula has been a Pentagram partner since 1991. She's an Art Director's Club Hall of Famer—and AIGA Medalist. She has shaped the visual landscape for iconic brands—Coca-Cola, Citibank, Tiffany, and Shake Shack—always with her instinctive understanding of how typography, design, and storytelling come together.In other words, she plays the same game we do.In 1993, Paula collaborated with Janet Froelich on a redesign of The New York Times Magazine and built a platform for pioneering editorial innovation that continues to this day. In 1995, she helped me break down Fast Company's editorial mission, in her own distinctively reductive way: “It's about the ideas, not the people,” she said. It was a game-changer.But Paula isn't just a design legend—she's also a complete badass.Starting out at a time when the industry was still predominantly male, Paula carved out space for herself by fighting for it. Her work at CBS and Atlantic Records redefined album cover design. Later, her rebranding for cultural institutions like The Public Theater and the Museum of Modern Art helped cement the importance of an unforgettable identity system for any organization.And, as a longtime educator at New York's School of Visual Arts, Paula has molded generations of designers who have gone on to shape the industry in their own ways—including our very own Debra Bishop.We spoke to Paula upon the launch of her new, 500-plus page monograph, Paula Scher: Works.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Commercial Type and Freeport Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

WTF IS AFM?—Feeld is a dating app “for the curious” and its users are an adventurous, thoughtful bunch. And Feeld is also a tech company that happens to be led by thoughtful long-term types who see the value in print as a cornerstone for their community of customers. Enter A Fucking Magazine.Led by editors Maria Dimitrova and Haley Mlotek, AFM is a cultural magazine about sex that is also not about sex. Maybe it's about everything. Or maybe my old lit prof in college was right and everything really is about sex. The first issue of the magazine is out and it demands attention because it is beautiful and smart and literate. And also because it feels like something new.Discussions about AFM also lead to discussions about custom publishing: There is no hiding Feeld in the pages of AFM. All of the money behind the magazine is from Feeld, and half the contributors are also users of the app. Customers, in other words.As someone who came out of the custom world, I have long said the best custom media were the products of brands that were confident and forward thinking; when a brand saw itself more as patron and less as custodian. Meaning they didn't get overly involved.Luckily, the higher ups at Feeld are relatively hands off, and allow Maria and Haley to do their thing. Which is very fucking smart.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Freeport Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

THE WINNER—Clang! Clink! Bang! Hear that? It's the sound of all the hardware that Jake Silverstein's New York Times Magazine has racked up in his almost eleven years at its helm: Pulitzers and ASMEs are heavy, people!When we were preparing to speak to Jake, we reached out to a handful of editors who have loyally worked with him for years to find out what makes him tick. They describe an incredible and notably drama-free editor who fosters an amazing vibe and a lover of both literary essay and enterprise reporting who holds both an MA and an MFA. As one New York Times Mag story editor put it, Jake's superpower is his “vigorous and institutionally-shrewd support of skilled reporters with strong voices pursuing projects that were just a little beyond the paper's ordinary comfort zone.” Here's a theory we set out to test in this interview—one that we've floated in our newsletter, The Spread, for years now: Is The New York Times Magazine the best women's magazine out there? Yes, we're talking about the stories they produce under Jake, like Susan Dominus's ASME-winning, game-changing story about menopause and hormone replacement therapy, and Linda Villarosa's feature shining a light on the Black maternal health crisis. But we're also talking about the woman-loaded top of the Times Mag masthead, on which Gail Bichler, Jessica Lustig, Sasha Weiss, Ilena Silverman, and Adrienne Greene reign supreme—and seriously outnumber their male counterparts. And we could spend all day name checking favorite writers, like Dominus and Villarosa, but also Emily Bazelon, Danyel Smith, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Irina Aleksander, Jordan Kisner, Azmat Khan, Pam Colloff, Nikole Hannah-Jones, J Wortham, Wesley Morris. We could go on and on—you get the idea! So, did Jake agree with our women's mag theory? And what is it like to have the deep resources it takes to make these kinds of stories these days? You'll have to listen to find out.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Commercial Type and Freeport Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

THE HEART OF ROCK ‘N' ROLL—There's a saying about the Velvet Underground's first album: it didn't sell a lot of copies but everyone who bought it went on to form a band. Not everyone who read Creem went on to form a band, but almost everyone who ever wrote about rock music in a significant way has a connection to Creem. Founded in Detroit in 1969 by Barry Kramer, Creem was a finger in the eye to the more established Rolling Stone. Creem called itself “America's Only Rock ‘n' Roll Magazine” and its cheeky irreverence matched its devotion to its infamous street cred. Punk, new wave, heavy metal, alternative, indie were all championed at Creem.Writers and editors who worked for Creem read like a who's who of industry legends: Lester Bangs. Dave Marsh. Robert Christgau. Greil Marcus. Patti Smith. Cameron Crowe. Jann Uhelszki. Penny Valentine. And on and on and on.The magazine stopped publishing in 1989 a few years after Barry's death. A documentary about Creem's heyday in 2020 helped lead to a resurrected media brand, founded by JJ Kramer, Barry's son, and launched in 2022. The copy on the first issue's cover: “Rock is Dead. So is Print.”Totally typical Creem-assed fuckery. And still totally rock n roll, man. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

FARM-TO-NEWSSTAND PUBLISHING—The pandemic screwed a lot of businesses over, but it did a real number on the restaurant industry. Beset by low margins at the best of times, Covid was to the business what a neglected pot of boiling milk is to your stove top. But Max Meighen, a restaurant owner in Toronto decided to fill in his down time by … creating a magazine. Because of course he did.And so he cooked up Serviette, a magazine about food that feels and looks and reads unlike any other food title around.Nicola Hamilton came on as Creative Director soon thereafter. She had worked for a number of Canadian titles and during Covid, founded Issues Magazine Shop, one of Canada's—if not the world's—leading independent magazine shops. Because of course she did.Food magazines, like all media, have gone through a lot recently, and the changes wrought by digital media have been amplified by Influencers, TikTokers, Instagram recipe makers, Substackers, bloggers, you name it. The food industry is ruthless and not for the weak. And I think you'll find that both Max and Nicola are anything but. They are, quite simply, Master Chefs. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

NOT THE SAFE CHOICE—Most magazines are not political. Unless, that is, you create a bilingual Arabic-English language magazine about design out of Beirut. Or another bilingual magazine about women and gender—also out of Beirut. Then, perhaps, your intentions are a bit less opaque.Maya Moumne is a Lebanese designer by training who now divides her time between Beirut and Montréal. She is the editor and co-creator of Journal Safar and Al Hayya, two magazines that attempt to capture the breadth and diversity of what we inaccurately—monolithically—call “the Arab World.” Both magazines are also examples of tremendous design and, frankly, bravery.The subject-matter on display here means the magazines have limited distribution in the very region they cover—which is both ironic and the exact reason the magazines exist. That both have also been noticed and fêted by magazine insiders in the West is perhaps also something worth celebrating.Maya Moumne is a designer. Of the possibilities for a better and more inclusive future for everyone, everywhere.[Production note: This conversation was recorded prior to the violence in Lebanon. We send our best wishes to the staff of Journal Safar and Al Hayya and hope they are safe. And mostly we wish for a peaceful future for all.] Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Brea and Mallory discuss whether three star reads are good for your literary life! Plus, they solve a problem about a harmful book in a library, and recommend books where typography is part of the plot. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!Reading Glasses MerchRecommendations StoreSponsors -Pair Eyewearwww.paireyewear.comCODE: GLASSESLinks -Reading Glasses Facebook GroupReading Glasses Goodreads GroupAmazon Wish ListNewsletterLibro.fmTo join our Slack channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!Pre Order The No Pressure Book Journal!Books Mentioned - Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady HendrixA Room of One's Own by Virginia WoolfLong Way Down by Jason ReynoldsRemember You Will Die by Eden RobinsElla Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

This special insight-packed 30th episode is dedicated to episodes 14 to 29 highlights, featuring the best strategic, tactical and inspirational advice all 16 of the most recent guests gave at the end of their interviews. You can think of it as a perennial creative career advice resource that you can easily return to whenever you feel stuck, lack motivation or want to get inspired. If you are a creative professional in any industry and at any stage of your career, it will offer various guidance and wisdom to support you on your journey.Learn more at https://creative.voyage/

CHAMPION OF A BETTER FUTURE—Wired magazine feels like it's been around forever. And perhaps these days any media that has been around for over 30 years qualifies as forever.It has, certainly, been around during the entirety of the digital age. It has been witness to the birth of the internet, of social media, of cellphones, and of AI. It feels like an institution as well as an authority for a certain kind of subject. But what is that subject? Because Wired is not just a tech publication. It never was.Katie Drummond is the editorial director of Wired, a position she has held for just over a year. This job is the closing of a circle in a sense, because her first job in media was as an intern at Wired. She has worked almost exclusively in digital media since, for a range of outfits—many of them shuttered—proof of the vagaries and the reality of media in the digital age.At Wired Drummond oversees a robust digital presence, including video, the print publication, as well as Wired offices in places like Italy, Mexico, and Japan. She says that Wired “champions a better future” … meaning Wired seems like the publication of the moment, in many ways, at the intersection of tech, culture, politics, and the environment. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

EVERYONE IS A SALESMAN—In 1995, New York magazine declared Martha Stewart the “Definitive American Woman of Our Time.” And, as the saying goes (sort of), behind every Definitive American Woman of Our Time is another Definitive American Woman of Our Time. And that's today's guest, designer Gael Towey.But let's back up. It's 1982, and Martha Stewart, then known as the “domestic goddess”—or some other dismissive moniker—published her first book, Entertaining. It was a blockbuster success that was soon followed by a torrent of food, decorating, and lifestyle bestsellers.In 1990, after a few years making books with the likes of Jackie Onassis, Irving Penn, Arthur Miller, and, yes, Martha Stewart, Towey and her Clarkson Potter colleague, Isolde Motley, were lured away by Stewart, who had struck a deal with Time Inc. to conceive and launch a new magazine.Towey's modest assignment? Define and create the Martha Stewart brand. Put a face to the name. From scratch. And then, distill it across a rapidly-expanding media and retail empire.In the process, Stewart, Motley, and Towey redefined everything about not only women's magazines, but the media industry itself—and spawned imitators from Oprah, Rachael, and even Rosie.By the turn of the millennium, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, as it was rebranded in 1997, included seven magazines, multiple TV projects, a paint collection with Sherwin-Williams, a mail-order catalog, Martha by Mail, massive deals with retailers Kmart, Home Depot, and Macy's, a line of crafts for Michael's, a custom furniture brand with Bernhardt, and even more bestselling books. And the responsibility for the visual identity of all of it fell to Towey and her incredibly talented team. It was a massive job.We talk to Towey about her early years in New Jersey, about being torn between two men (“Pierre” and Stephen), eating frog legs with Condé Nast's notorious editorial director, Alexander Liberman, and, about how, when all is said and done, life is about making beautiful things with extraordinary people.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Mountain Gazette, Commercial Type, and Freeport Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

THE BRAND CALLED US—In the summer of 1995, I got an offer I couldn't refuse. It came from my guests today, Alan Webber and Bill Taylor, the founding editors of Fast Company, widely acknowledged as one of the magazine industry's great success stories. Their vision for the magazine was an exercise in thinking different. Nothing we did hewed to the conventional wisdom of magazine-making. Our founders came from politics and activism born in the ivy halls of Harvard. Our HQ was far from the center of the magazine world, in Boston's North End—“leave the pages, take the cannolis.” And Fast Company was not a part of the five families of magazine publishing. It wouldn't have worked if it was.  I was one of the first people Alan and Bill hired, and as the magazine's founding art director, I could tell Fast Company was going to be big. And it was big. Huge, in fact. Shortly after its launch, a typical issue of the magazine routinely topped out at almost 400 pages. We had to get up to speed, and fast.Its mission was big, too. Bill and Alan's plan sounded simple: to offer rules for radicals that would be inspiring and instructive; to encourage their audience to think bigger about what they might achieve for their companies and themselves, and to provide tools to help us all succeed in work … and in life. Their mantra: Work is personal. The effect, however, was even bigger. The magazine was a blockbuster hit, winning ASME awards for General Excellence and Design. It was Ad Age's 1995 Launch of the Year. Bill and Alan were named Adweek's editors of the year in 1999. It even spawned its own reader-generated social network, the Company of Friends, that counted over 40,000 members worldwide. And it brought together an extraordinary team of creatives who, to this day, carry on the mission in their own way—including the founders. Nearly thirty years after the launch of the magazine, Alan is currently serving his second term as the mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Bill is the best-selling author of Mavericks at Work, among other books, and continues to lead the conversation on transforming business. We often said that Fast Company was the one that would ruin us for all future jobs. It was a moment in time that I and my colleagues will treasure forever. I am thrilled to be able to share that story with you today.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Mountain Gazette, Commercial Type, and Freeport Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum LLC ©2021–2025

Hi folks! We hope you're having a wonderful holiday season, and have plenty of opportunities to relax and spend time with friends and family. This week we're rewinding to one of our favorite episodes with Jonathan Hoefler, the legendary type designer. Enjoy the episode, and we'll see you in the New Year! Find the full episode and bonus content on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/rewind-jonathan-hoefler *** It's still not too late for a last-minute gift for the creative people in your life. Why not give the gift of education and inspiration by with a year-long subscription to Design Better Premium? We've even made a

What happens when your story gets too big for you to handle? Are you the right person for the job? (And if not you, then who??)On Today's Show:In over your headUPDATE: It was FCS all along Crossbar i technicalityAdvice to your older selfSummaryIn this episode, the hosts discuss the challenges creators face, particularly when tackling complex themes such as systemic injustice in long-term comic projects. The hosts emphasize the importance of pushing through creative doubts and the value of learning from mistakes in the writing process. In this conversation, they explore the complexities of creativity, mainly focusing on the challenges creators face after a hiatus. They discuss the importance of embracing imperfection, the role of confidence in storytelling, and the value of completing projects. The dialogue emphasizes that it's normal to feel doubt and that taking breaks can be beneficial. Ultimately, they encourage creators to follow their instincts and permit themselves to explore new directions in their work.In this episode, Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett revisit a previous discussion about the frequency of comic updates, introducing the concept of FCS (Frequent, Consistent, Significant) as a guiding principle for creators. They delve into the nuances of typography in comics, particularly the use of the crossbar I, and emphasize the importance of clarity in communication. The conversation takes a philosophical turn as they explore what advice they would give to their future selves, reflecting on the nature of change and the importance of embracing it as artists. In this episode, the hosts explore the themes of establishment in the cartooning world, the importance of embracing change, and the value of taking risks. They reflect on the advice they would give to their younger selves, emphasizing the need to cultivate joy and not let life's challenges steal it away. The conversation also touches on the cyclical nature of life experiences and the lessons learned from past regrets.TakeawaysSteven Seagal movies can provide unexpected comfort during tough times.The absurdity of Seagal's later films highlights a decline in quality.Long-term projects can lead to self-doubt about creative abilities.It's important to seek permission from oneself to pivot in creative projects.Tackling heavy themes in comics requires courage and skill development.Backing away from challenges may hinder growth as a writer.Learning from mistakes is a crucial part of the writing process.The hosts encourage embracing creative challenges despite fears.Systemic injustice is a complex theme that requires careful handling.Humor can be found in the most unexpected places, even in bad movies. You can't expect purity from yourself.Mistakes help you become a better writer.Consider the reasons behind your creative hiatus.Social change comes from many small actions.Confidence can wane, and that's okay.Finishing a project has intrinsic value.Taking breaks can help clarify your creative direction.Art is never truly finished until the artist says so.It's normal to feel doubt about your work.Follow your heart and pursue what excites you.FCS stands for Frequent, Consistent, Significant updates.Two updates a week can enhance audience engagement.The crossbar I rule aids in clarity of communication.Typography choices impact the readability of comics.Clarity of communication should guide lettering choices.Change is a constant in an artist's journey.Embrace the evolution of your artistic style.Reflecting on past decisions can inspire future creativity.Maintaining a connection with your audience is crucial.Enjoy the present and acknowledge your achievements. We often feel like we're still figuring things out, regardless of our experience.Establishment is a perception; we must keep building our audience.Change is necessary for growth, even if it's uncomfortable.Advice to younger selves often revolves around reassurance and encouragement.Taking risks is crucial; regrets often stem from missed opportunities.Improv offers immediate feedback that cartooning lacks.Life experiences tend to repeat themselves in different forms.Cultivating joy is essential, especially during tough times.The wisdom of older selves often reflects universal truths.You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and New York Times bestselling author based in Oakland, California. She specializes in typographical work for logos, film, books, and other commercial applications. Her clients include Wes Anderson, The United States Postal Service, Target, Hallmark, and Penguin Books, and her work has been featured in design and illustration annuals both in the U.S. and internationally. She's been named a Print Magazine New Visual Artist (20 under 30), one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Art and Design, an ADC Young Gun, a “Person to Watch” by GD USA, and an Adweek “Creative 100.” In our conversation, we discuss:• My new logo and brand!• Jessica's process for refreshing my logo/brand• Why most startups shouldn't worry about their logo/brand• The psychology behind different typography choices• Balancing creativity with business needs in logo design• Jessica's unique approach to pricing logo work• How AI is (and isn't) impacting the design world• Jessica's other creative pursuits, including children's books and art supply stores—Brought to you by:• The Enterprise Ready Conference — For B2B leaders building enterprise SaaS• OneSchema — Import CSV data 10x faster• Merge — A single API to add hundreds of integrations into your app—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/seeing-like-a-designer-jessica-hische—Where to find Jessica Hische:• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jessicahische• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicahische• Website: https://jessicahische.is—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Jessica's background(01:32) The logo refresh process(09:45) When to refresh your logo(11:45) High-level overview(18:04) Approaching Lenny's brand refresh(24:25) How to see like a designer(37:53) Lenny's new logo: where we landed(44:07) Brand's role in company success(50:04) Jessica's flexible pricing strategies and collaborative design process(57:14) Balancing multiple creative projects(01:01:48) Using AI in creative work(01:05:50) Upcoming projects and final thoughts(01:08:24) Lightning round—Referenced:• Jeni's: https://jenis.com• James Edmondson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestedmondson/• Figma Config: https://config.figma.com/• Helvetica: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica• MyFonts: https://www.myfonts.com/• Geometric sans serif fonts: https://www.myfonts.com/pages/tags/geometric%20sans%20serif-fonts• The Rise of Fractional Executives: https://www.reforge.com/blog/leveraging-fractional-executives• JH&F: https://jessicahische.shop/pages/my-oakland-store• Drawling: https://drawling.shop/• Jessica Hische's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jessica-Hische/author/B082XDN54V• Dreamforce: https://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce• Bezier handles: https://www.tella.tv/definition/bezier-handles• My First Book of Fancy Letters: https://www.amazon.com/My-First-Book-Fancy-Letters/dp/0593385012/r• The Creative Act: A Way of Being: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Act-Way-Being/dp/0593652886/• Inside Paragraphs: Typographic Fundamentals: https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Paragraphs-Fundamentals-Cyrus-Highsmith/dp/1616899417• Just Kids: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Kids-Patti-Smith/dp/0060936223• Robert Mapplethorpe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mapplethorpe• The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer: https://www.amazon.com/Emperor-All-Maladies-Biography-Cancer/dp/1439170916/r• Severance on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Severance-Toby-Stephens/dp/B001ARYGCU• Penco brown bag stand: https://penco.jp/en/products/db079/• XOXO: https://xoxofest.com/• Mariame Kaba quotes: https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/8156101.Mariame_Kaba—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe