Art and the craft of printing and the arranging of layouts
POPULARITY
Categories
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
Send us a textToday we are talking about signs that define Toronto! Featured today is Kurt Kraler, a registered Architect (OAA) and project manager at ERA Architects and co-creator of the book “The Signs That Define Toronto”.In this episode you'll better understand how and why signs can tell us so much about the changing culture of a city, including iconic signs like Honest Ed's, Tip Top Tailors and Zanzibar (and why the latter is particularly unique). You'll learn how signs can shape community identities, Queer signage in Toronto, and why signs in Toronto changed after 1911. You'll hear Kurt's big a-ha moment in the final stages of finishing his book, the importance of shifting policy around historical sign preservation, and a San Fransisco advocacy group's approach to restoring and preserving neon signage within their city.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)
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
This dual feature episode highlights Corita Kent's journey from nun to Pop Art pioneer, using screen printing to champion love and justice, and Britt Rohr's modern take on printmaking as the founder of Swell Press, blending craftsmanship and storytelling in her designs._______Support this podcast with a small donation: Buy Me A CoffeeThis show is powered by Nice PeopleJoin this podcast and the Patreon community: patreon.com/womendesignersyoushouldknowHave a 1:1 mentor call with Amber Asay: intro.co/amberasay_______Sources:Book: Learning by Heart: Teaching to Free the Creative Spirit by Corita Kent and Jan StewardAbout CoritaCorita Kent (1918–1986), also known as Sister Mary Corita, was a nun, artist, and educator whose screen prints and serigraphs fused Pop Art with powerful messages of love, justice, and activism. As chair of the art department at Immaculate Heart College, she inspired a generation of students with her innovative teaching methods and bold use of everyday imagery. Her works, including the iconic Love stamp and Rainbow Swash mural, continue to resonate globally as symbols of creativity and compassion. Today, Corita is celebrated for her unique ability to elevate the ordinary into the extraordinary. About BrittBritt Rohr is the founder of Swell Press, a California-based letterpress studio known for its meticulous craftsmanship and timeless designs. With a passion for tactile art forms, Britt has carved out a niche in creating bespoke print pieces that marry modern aesthetics with the classic charm of letterpress. Her work has been featured in numerous publications and admired for its ability to tell meaningful stories through design. Follow Britt:Instagram: @swellpressWebsite: SwellPress.com ____View all the visually rich 1-min reels of each woman on IG below:Instagram: Amber AsayInstagram: Women Designers Pod
SHE LOOKS FORWARD TO YOUR PROMPT REPLY—Jody Quon's desk is immaculate. There's a lot there, but she knows exactly where everything is. It's like an image out of Things Organized Neatly.She rarely swears. Or loses her temper. In fact she's one of the most temperate people in the office. Maybe the most. She's often been referred to as a “rock.”She remembers every shoot and how much it cost to produce. She knows who needs work and who she can ask for favors.She's got the magazine schedule memorized and expects you to as well. She's probably got your schedule memorized, too. She's usually one of the first in the office and last to leave. In fact, on the day she was scheduled to give birth to her first child, she came to work and put in a full day. When her water broke at around 6pm, she called her husband to say, “It's time.”I don't know if any of this is true. Except the baby thing. That is true. Kathy Ryan told me so.I had a teacher in high school, Ms. Trice. She was tough. I didn't much like her. She would often call me out for this or that. Forty years later, she's the only one I remember, and I remember her very fondly. In my career, I've often thought that the best managing editors, production directors, and photography directors were just like Ms. Trice. These positions, more than any others, are what make magazines work. They're hard on you because they expect you to be as professional as you can be. They make you better. (I see you, Claire, Jenn, Nate, Carol, and Sally.)I suspect that a slew of Jody Quon's coworkers and collaborators feel that same way about her. Actually, I don't suspect. I know. I've heard it from all corners of the magazine business. I heard it again yesterday from her mentor and good friend, Kathy Ryan.“She just has that work ethic,” Ryan says. “It's just incredible when you think about it. The ambition of some of the things that they've done. And that has been happening right from the beginning. Ambition in the best sense. Thinking big. And she's cool, always cool under pressure. We had a grand time working together. I still miss her.”Jody Quon is one of those people who makes everybody around her better. That's what I believe. And after this conversation, you probably will, too.es.”—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
Struggling to find the perfect gift for the UX designer in your life? In this episode of the Future of UX podcast, I'll guide you through a curated list of thoughtful, practical, and inspiring gifts that are sure to spark creativity and productivity. From tools like Time Timer and Post-it Dry Erase Surfaces to inspiring books like "The Design of Everyday Things", there's something for every kind of designer. We'll also explore unique ideas like LEGO Architecture Sets, AI subscriptions, and wellness gifts like Headspace. Whether you're shopping for a loved one or treating yourself, this episode is your ultimate guide to UX designer-friendly gifts for 2024. Category 1: Education & Learning Google UX Design Certificate: A comprehensive online course that covers the fundamentals of UX. SmashingConf Tickets: SmashingConf is one of the top conferences for designers and developers. It's a great way to network, learn about the latest trends, and leave inspired. Link to SmashingConf , ux prompt AI for Designers (Self-Learn Version): Dive into how artificial intelligence is reshaping the design world with this compact, self-paced course. Perfect for staying ahead of the curve. Sign up for the waitinglist here Category 2: Tools & Gadgets Post-it Dry Erase Surface: Turn any surface into a reusable brainstorming canvas. It's perfect for sketching workflows or jotting down quick ideas. Link to Post-it Time Timer Whiteboard Category 3: Creativity & Relaxation LEGO Architecture Sets Link to LEGO Aquarellfarben (Watercolor Set) Painting by Numbers Category 4: Typography & Design Trends Typodarium 2025: A daily dose of typography inspiration curated by global designers. Link to buy Gradient Calendar by Luzia Hein: Brighten any space with vibrant color gradients and functional design. Link toshop Category 5: Tech Gifts Logitech MX Master 3 Mouse: An ergonomic mouse designed for productivity. Link to Logitech Apple iPad Pro + Apple Pencil Noise-Canceling Headphones A High-Quality Camera Category 6: Subscriptions Yearly ChatGPT Subscription Figma Subscription Website Hosting (e.g., Wix): Category 7: Mindfulness & Wellness Headspace Subscription: Link to Headspace Customizable Aromatherapy Diffuser: Link to Amazon Category 8: Desk Accessories Inspirational Desk Posters: Motivational quotes or UX principles for a creative touch. Etsy Search Personalized Desk Pad: . Link to Lucrin Nice mugs e.g.: Link Category 9: Books & Resources "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman: A Link to Amazon "Creative Confidence" by Tom Kelley: Unlock your creative potential. Link to Amazon "A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI": Discover the fascinating evolution of networks. Link to buy Other resources
THE REST OF THE STORY—Most people in the world live in what we in the west sometimes dismissively call the “rest of the world.” Depending on where you live, “the rest” probably includes parts if not all of Latin America, Africa, the vast majority of Asia. Much like the tendency of Americans to call the champions of their sports leagues “world champions,” the word “world” is never what it seems. Except when it is.Founded as a non-profit by Sophie Schmidt in 2020, Rest of World is meant to challenge the “expectations about whose experiences with technology matter,” as its mission states. With a global editorial team led by Anup Kaphle, Rest of World's emphasis on the technological transformation of the daily lives of billions of people is eye-opening, educational, entertaining and fills in the gaps in our general understanding of how technology is used everywhere. When it won a National Magazine Award last year, one sensed that it had finally arrived to a broader audience.The rest of the world is a big place, perhaps too big for a paper magazine. That's why it's digital. Those in the “west” would be better served by understanding it. Because everything and everyone is, ultimately, connected.On another note: this is the final show of season 2. We'll be back after a short break to continue exploring the future of magazines, and the magazines of the future. ©2024–2025 The Full-Bleed Podcast is a production of Magazeum LLC. Visit magazeum.co for more information.
Explore the life and legacy of graphic design pioneer Jacqueline Casey, whose bold, modernist posters defined MIT's visual identity for decades — with insights from designer Michael Bierut, we uncover how Casey infused Swiss design principles with American ingenuity, led campus-wide design efforts, and created work that remains timeless and influential._______Support this podcast with a small donation: Buy Me A CoffeeThis show is powered by Nice PeopleJoin this podcast and the Patreon community: patreon.com/womendesignersyoushouldknowHave a 1:1 mentor call with Amber Asay: intro.co/amberasay_______Sources:Article: Eye Magazine Feature "Jacqueline Casey. Science and design"Article on Thérèse MollAbout Jacqueline (Jackie)Jacqueline Casey was a pioneering graphic designer whose work defined the visual identity of MIT for over three decades. Born in 1927 in Quincy, Massachusetts, she studied fashion design and illustration at MassArt before finding her way into graphic design. In 1955, her lifelong friend Muriel Cooper recruited her to the MIT Office of Publications, where Casey absorbed the principles of Swiss modernism and gave them her own twist—infusing wit, visual metaphors, and bold typography into her work.As Director of MIT's Design Services Office, she led campus-wide design efforts, creating posters and materials for scientific conferences, exhibitions, and cultural events. Her ability to simplify complex ideas with elegance and playfulness made her work timeless and celebrated globally. Today, her posters are held in the collections of MoMA, the Cooper Hewitt, and the MIT Museum, solidifying her as a quiet yet powerful force in modernist design history. About MichaelMichael Bierut is one of the most influential graphic designers of our time. A partner at Pentagram since 1990, his work spans iconic logos, brand identities, and campaigns for clients like The New York Times, Mastercard, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Bierut has been a longtime educator at Yale, co-founded Design Observer, and authored celebrated books, including How to Use Graphic Design to Sell Things. His work is held in the permanent collections of MoMA and the Cooper Hewitt, and his thought leadership continues to shape the design world.Follow Michael:Instagram: @mbierutWebsite: Pentragram.comThreads: @mbierut ____View all the visually rich 1-min reels of each woman on IG below:Instagram: Amber AsayInstagram: Women Designers Pod
CHIC, BUT MAKE IT NICE—It's a cliché because it's true: in the fashion world, you've got your show ponies and you've got your workhorses. We mean it as a compliment when we say that Samira Nasr truly earned her place at the helm of the 156-year-old institution, Harper's Bazaar. Don't get us wrong; Samira is seriously glamorous—she's the kind of woman who phrases like “effortless chic” were invented to describe. But she did not cruise to her current perch on connections and camera-readiness alone. Rather, she worked her way up, attending J-school at NYU, then making her way through the fashion closets of Vogue, Mirabella, Vanity Fair, InStyle, and Elle—where we met in the trenches, and got to see firsthand how she mixes old-school, roll-up-your-sleeves work ethic and her own fresh vision. When Samira got the big job at Bazaar in 2020, she became the title's first-ever Black editor-in-chief. The Bazaar she has rebuilt is as close as a mainstream fashion magazine gets to a glossy art mag, but it is far from chilly. As she has long put it, “I just want to bring more people with me to the party.” Which, when you think about it, is a brilliant mantra for a rapidly shifting era in media and culture. How to keep a legacy fashion magazine going circa 2025? Drop the velvet rope.The timing for this mantra could not have been better. After her first year in the role, Bazaar took home its first-ever National Magazine Award for General Excellence. In our interview, Samira talked about remaking one of fashion's most legendary magazines — plus, jeans, budgets, and even the odd parenting tip. We had fun, and we hope you—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 ©2021–2024
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. ©2024 The Full-Bleed Podcast is a production of Magazeum LLC. Visit magazeum.co for more information.
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.
Discover the story of Marget Larsen, a trailblazing designer whose iconic Christmas boxes, bold typography, and fearless creativity shaped mid-century advertising and design in San Francisco right as the psychedelic / counterculture era was budding, with industry insights from guest Sean Adams, previous AIGA President, and Dean at Art Center._______Support this podcast with a small donation: Buy Me A CoffeeThis show is powered by Nice PeopleJoin this podcast and the Patreon community: patreon.com/womendesignersyoushouldknowHave a 1:1 mentor call with Amber Asay: intro.co/amberasay_______Sources:Book — Baseline ShiftDesign Observer Article by Sean AdamsCommunication Arts FeatureBook — Earthquakes, Mudslides, Fires & Riots: California and Graphic Design by Louise SandhausAbout MargetMarget Larsen was a trailblazing designer and art director who transformed mid-20th-century advertising with her bold, unconventional approach. Born in San Francisco in 1922, Larsen began her career at I. Magnin, where she discovered her passion for typography and lettering while taking night classes at the California School of Fine Arts. She rose to prominence as the art director at Joseph Magnin, a trendsetting department store, where her iconic Christmas boxes turned gift packaging into collectible works of art. Larsen later joined the boutique agency Weiner & Gossage, where her groundbreaking ads combined witty copy with daring typography, earning national acclaim. From designing bread wrappers to creating fundraising sweatshirts for Beethoven enthusiasts, Larsen's fearless creativity knew no bounds. Despite her immense contributions, Larsen's name remains largely forgotten in design history, though her work continues to inspire with its playful wit and timeless innovation. She passed away in 1984, leaving behind a legacy that shaped advertising, packaging, and graphic design as we know it. About SeanSean Adams is a celebrated designer, author, and educator whose work has shaped the design industry for decades. As the Dean of the Visual Art and Communication Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design, Sean has mentored countless designers while championing the importance of design history and storytelling. He is the only two-term national president in AIGA's 100-year history and a recipient of the prestigious AIGA Medal, the organization's highest honor. Sean co-founded the renowned design firm AdamsMorioka, working with iconic clients like Disney, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and The Metropolitan Opera. He has authored several influential books, including The Designer's Dictionary of Color and How Design Makes Us Think. As a passionate advocate for elevating overlooked figures in design history, Sean brings his expertise and insight to today's conversation about Marget Larsen's remarkable contributions to the field.Follow Sean:Instagram: @seanaadamsWebsite: AdamsMorioka.comLinkedIn: Sean Adams ____View all the visually rich 1-min reels of each woman on IG below:Instagram: Amber AsayInstagram: Women Designers Pod
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER—“I was a publication designer for 20 years, making book covers at Knopf with Sonny Mehta, Carol Carson, and Chip Kidd. Later, in the early aughts, I made stories and books—and other things—at Martha Stewart Living. Then I took a brief adventure to graduate school—to learn a new trade. And finally I moved to The New York Times, where I helped create several of its legendary digital products, like NYT Cooking.In December 2020, I bought a building on the Delaware River—and opened the Frenchtown Bookshop.My name is Barbara deWilde … and this is The Next Page.”—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 ©2021–2024
Well, the time has come... The Seventh Bell has struck... The final Misery has come to pass... How will our Hopeless Scvm deal with The End Of All... Find out on the Season finale of Flail to the Face! This episode's Scvm: Levi Brusacoram as Phil the Fugitive Knight by All Eyes No Game https://alleyesno.itch.io/mork-borg-fugitive-knight Thomas Geno-Stumme as Qillnach the Profane Survivor @munkymoto https://makooti.itch.io/the-occult-ossuary Jake Vaughn as Ardie (Arv) the Indomitable Mountaineer by Rugose Kohn and Turdwad, the Feculant One https://rugose-kohn.itch.io/indomitable-mountaineer Nate Seibert as Skreech the narcomancer https://morkborg.exlibrisrpg.com/entries/narcomancer Kevin Welch as the Game Master @Smiling_dm1 This episode and season features: ADVENTURES: https://philipjensen.itch.io/trapped-within https://bogfolk.itch.io/monolith-harvest https://jvcparry.com/products/chvrch-ov-the-wvrm https://rugose-kohn.itch.io/adventure-chapbook-vol-5 https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/black-antlers https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/367011/random-encounters-issue-1 https://madnessheart.press/product/journey-through-the-dying-lands/?v=0b3b97fa6688 SUPPLEMENTS: https://elchupalabras.itch.io/myrvr https://the-rolled-standard.itch.io/ Thoughts and Prayers by Stockholm Kartell (out of print) https://linderon.itch.io/ https://gnomelackey.itch.io/hraxets-humble-homes Cover art & Typography by Thomas Geno-Stumme. Episode edited by Kevin Welch and Levi Brusacoram. Theme music: Haunting of the Flesh courtesy of Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio SFX courtesy of Epidemic Sound Find us on whatever social media platform you use: Facebook Twitter Instagram BlueSky
Send us a textTired of horribly designed holiday cards? Ever wondered why a 'u' on some old stone buildings looks like a 'v'? Curious as to why some fonts have such weird names? Worry and wonder no more! This week, we're exploring all TYPES of fonts, and how we came to get just so many different ones today! Join us for this quirky, trivia filled episode!
On this edition of The Arts Section, host Gary Zidek checks out an exhibit that explores Chicago's relationship with typography. The Dueling Critics, Kelly Kleiman and Jonathan Abarbanel, join Gary to preview all the holiday productions opening on Chicago stages. Later in the show, Gary takes a closer look at the results of a new survey that provides some context on the current state of local small arts organizations. And we'll hear from the author of a biography about one of the world's most popular children's book authors.
(**Trigger Warning: This episode discusses Suicide) This dual feature episode celebrates Ellen Raskin's transformation from a prolific book designer to an award-winning author, seamlessly blending design and storytelling in works like The Westing Game. Briar Levit shares her own journey as a designer and author, using mediums like film, exhibitions, and publications to champion stories that inspire._______Support this podcast with a small donation: Buy Me A CoffeeThis show is powered by Nice PeopleJoin this podcast and the Patreon community: patreon.com/womendesignersyoushouldknowHave a 1:1 mentor call with Amber Asay: intro.co/amberasay Important Links:Graphic Means DocumentaryNew Book — Briar Levit: On Design, Feminism, and Friendship_______Sources:Book — Baseline Shift by Briar LevitArticle — Cooperative Children's Book CenterAbout EllenEllen Raskin (1928–1984) was a trailblazing designer and author who seamlessly blended her expertise in graphic design with her passion for storytelling. Born in Milwaukee during the Great Depression, Raskin pursued a fine arts degree at the University of Wisconsin before launching a prolific career in New York City, where she designed over 1,000 book covers, including the original cover for A Wrinkle in Time. Later, she transitioned to writing, creating critically acclaimed children's books known for their intricate plots and visual clues. Her most famous work, The Westing Game, won the Newbery Medal in 1979 and remains a beloved classic. Ellen's books, including The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) and Figgs & Phantoms, exemplify her unique ability to combine puzzles, humor, and thoughtful storytelling, leaving an enduring legacy in children's literature. About BriarBriar Levit is a graphic designer, educator, and filmmaker whose work brings underrepresented voices in design history to light. With nearly two decades of teaching at Portland State University, Briar encourages her students to explore design's role in shaping culture and amplifying diverse perspectives. She gained widespread acclaim for her documentary Graphic Means: A History of Graphic Design Production, which chronicles the evolution of design tools and highlights women's significant contributions during the shift from manual to digital production. Briar's feminist advocacy is further reflected in her book Baseline Shift, which celebrates the pivotal yet often overlooked roles of women in design. A former art director at Bitch magazine, she's dedicated her career to showing how design can be a tool for activism, history, and cultural critique.Follow Briar:Instagram: @briarlevitWebsite: briarlevit.com ____View all the visually rich 1-min reels of each woman on IG below:Instagram: Amber AsayInstagram: Women Designers Pod
Our Hopeless Scvm continue to travel through Sarkash in search of the abducted children of Ichorthorn, but not without incident... after incident... after incident... What can possibly happen now? In short... A lot! Find out on this episode of Flail to the Face! This episode's Scvm: Levi Brusacoram as Phil the Fugitive Knight by All Eyes No Game https://alleyesno.itch.io/mork-borg-fugitive-knight Thomas Geno-Stumme as Qillnach the Profane Survivor @munkymoto https://makooti.itch.io/the-occult-ossuary Jake Vaughn as Ardie (Arv) the Indomitable Mountaineer by Rugose Kohn https://rugose-kohn.itch.io/indomitable-mountaineer Walton Wood as Grinn the Gutterborn Scum @LiberLudorum https://scvmbirther.makedatanotlore.dev/ Kevin Welch as the Game Master @Smiling_dm1 This episode features: https://madnessheart.press/product/journey-through-the-dying-lands/?v=0b3b97fa6688 Cover art by Maryann Welch. Typography by Thomas Geno-Stumme. Episode edited by Kevin Welch and Levi Brusacoram. Theme music: Haunting of the Flesh courtesy of Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio SFX courtesy of Epidemic Sound Find us on whatever social media platform you use: Facebook Twitter Instagram BlueSky
A PRETTY COMPLICATED ORGANISM—Like many of you, I was stunned by what happened on November 5th. It's gonna take me some time to reckon with what this all says about the values of a large portion of this country. As part of that reckoning—and for some much-needed relief—I've opted to spend less time with media in general for a bit. But on “the morning after,” I couldn't ignore an email I got from today's guest, New York magazine editor-in-chief David Haskell. [You can find it on our website].What struck me most about his note—which was sent to the magazine's million-and-a-half subscribers—was what it didn't say.There were no recriminations. Nothing about how Kamala Harris had failed to “read the room.” Not a word about Joe Biden's unwillingness to step aside when he should have. No calls to “resist.” In fact, the hometown president-elect's name went unspoken (as it is here).What Haskell did say that left a mark on me was this:“I consider our jobs as magazine journalists a privilege at times like this.” I was an editor at Clay Felker's New York magazine, the editor-in-chief of Boston magazine, and I led the creative team at Inc. magazine. And it was there, at Inc. that I had a similar experience. It was 9/11.I wrote my monthly column in the haze that immediately followed the attacks, though it wouldn't appear in print until the December issue. It was titled, “Think Small. No Smaller.” In it, I urged our community of company builders to focus their attention on the things we can control. This is how it ended:What we can say for certain is that the arena over which any of us has control has, for now, grown smaller. In these smaller arenas, the challenge is to build, or rebuild, in ourselves and our organizations the quiet confidence that we still have the ability to get the right things done.For all the attention that gets paid to EICs, most of the work you do is done through the members of your team: writers, and editors, and designers, and so many others.My friend, Dan Okrent, the former Life magazine editor and Print Is Dead guest, once said, “Magazines bring us together into real communities.”—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 ©2021–2024
WHAT MAKES STEVE BRODNER HAPPY—When your boss tells you to track down an amusing Steve Brodner factoid to open the podcast with, and one of the first things you find is a, uh, a “dick army,” welp, that's what you're going to go with. Lest you judge me, I can explain. Brodner's drawing of this army was inspired by a guy who was actually named Dick Armey (A-R-M-E-Y)! He was Newt Gingrich's wingman back in the nineties. I thought to myself, the people need to know this.However, with the election now a few days behind us, maybe the time for talking about men and their junk is over? What you really want to learn about is this Society of Illustrators hall of famer's career. Brodner's work, which has been called “unflinching, driven by a strong moral compass, and imbued with a powerful sense of compassion,” has been featured in Rolling Stone, The Washington Post Magazine, Esquire, The New Yorker, and many others.In this episode, Brodner talks about how the death of print has led to the current misinformation crisis. As it gets harder and harder to tell what's true, the future becomes increasingly uncertain. Even his most biting drawings are rooted in truth. “Satire doesn't work if you are irresponsibly unreasonably inventive. If satire doesn't have truth in it, it's not funny.”A production note: This episode was recorded exactly one week before the election. As our conversation began, we took turns telling stories about memorable election night parties, and our plans for November 5th. Here's Steve, talking about his plans…—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 ©2021–2024
I'm so excited to welcome Ellen Lupton to the PolicyViz Podcast! Ellen Lupton is a designer, writer, and educator. The all-new edition of her bestselling book Thinking with Type launched in March 2024. Other books include Design Is Storytelling, Graphic Design Thinking, Health Design Thinking, and Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-Racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers. She teaches in the Graphic Design MFA program at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore (MICA), where she serves as the Betty Cooke and William O. Steinmetz Design Chair. She is Curator Emerita at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, where her exhibitions included Herbert Bayer: Bauhaus Master and The Senses: Design Beyond Vision.Keywords: #EllenLupton, #Typography, #Design, #PolicyVizPodcast, #InclusiveDesign, #TypefaceVsFont, #DataVisualization, #ExtraBoldBook, #GraphicDesign, #Underrepresentation, #FintechDesign, #SocioeconomicImpact, #EducationalApproaches, #QualitativeResearch, #UserEngagement, #HumanCenteredDesign, #MICADesign, #BilingualProjects, #InstagramDesign, #TwitterDiscourse, #AIDesignConcerns, #BiasInAI, #AITypefaces, #UnderservedLanguages, #NewRailAlphabet, #FunctionalTypefaces, #WomenInDesign, #CalibriCritique, #TimesNewRoman, #ThinkingWithType, #DesignConceptsSubscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthFollow Ellen on Instagram and her website, and find her latest book, thinking with type on AmazonFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com
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
Attending this year's National Cartoonists Society conference and Reuben Awards has changed Dave's bucket list. He wants one of those danged trophies! (And so does Brad.) Also, after Dave looks at the analytics from his recent Kickstarter, he decides to leave Twitter and Instagram once and for all.On Today's ShowUPDATE: ComicLab stingersDave's new Bucket ListUPDATE: Dave's Kickstarter convinces him to leave both Twitter and InstagramUPDATE: Patreon's AutopilotToo many different comics?Pen name for a teacher? Taking a break to build up your bufferMade with Human Intelligence iconsArtificial IntelligenceSummaryIn this episode, Brad and Dave discuss their bucket list goals for their comics careers and the importance of leaving a legacy. Dave reveals his desire to win the Reuben Award and an Eisner, sell a book with high sales, and be invited to Angoulême or Japan as a guest. They also discuss the effectiveness of social media platforms for promoting their work. In the next half hour of the conversation, the hosts discuss Patreon's new Autopilot feature, which sends discounts to selected free members who seem likely to upgrade. They also talk about the importance of picking a lane and building a brand as a cartoonist and the benefits of using a pen name when transitioning to a new career. The hosts advise against switching between different comic genres and styles, as it can make it challenging to build an audience. They also recommend removing old comics that didn't gain traction and focusing on creating high-quality, well-branded work. The conversation explores using AI in creative work and the implications of labeling work as 'not made with AI.' The hosts discuss using pen names and the creative freedom it allows. They also touch on the challenges of typography on curved surfaces and the potential hypocrisy of artists when it comes to AI. They discuss AI's short-term and long-term impact on the creative industry.TakeawaysTechnical difficulties can be frustrating, but finding solutions and recording is essential.Having goals and aspirations in your comics career, such as winning awards or achieving high book sales, can provide motivation and a sense of accomplishment.Creators often desire to leave a legacy, which can be achieved through awards, book sales, and recognition from peers.Different social media platforms have varying levels of effectiveness for promoting comics, and it's crucial to find the ones that work best for you.Sharing your goals and aspirations with others can help hold you accountable and provide support and encouragement.Patreon's Autopilot feature sends discounts to free members who are likely to upgrade, improving the free-to-paid membership upgrade rate.Picking a lane and building a brand is vital for cartoonists to attract and retain an audience.Using a pen name can be beneficial when transitioning to a new career, such as becoming a public school teacher.Switching between different comic genres and styles can make it challenging to build an audience.Taking down old comics that didn't gain traction and focusing on creating high-quality, well-branded work can help build momentum and attract readers. Using a pen name can provide creative freedom and allow exploring different themes and styles.Typography on curved surfaces can be challenging and requires advanced skills.Artists may have hypocritical views on AI, being against its use in certain areas but accepting it in others.The short-term impact of AI in the creative industry may involve a crash-and-burn scenario due to wasted VC money, but in the long term, AI is here to stay.The ethical sourcing of AI is an essential consideration for its acceptance in creative work. 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.