Studio Missive #1

Hi friends,

Welcome to the first-ever issue of Studio Missives (I am super open to other titles, but this is what’s been bouncing around my head all week as I think about this). The Studio Missives are brief (ish) notes from me to you about what’s inspiring me this week, and any cool new projects I’m working on.

What’s inspiring me

1. Niko Kitsakis wrote about optical corrections in architecture and typography. It’s a thoughtful discussion that starts with an analysis of the geometry of Futura (which is perhaps less perfect than you might think), and how the Parthenon is designed without a single right angle anywhere in its structure. If the Parthenon were built with right angles, it would appear like it were falling outwards. (Seriously, Niko brings receipts. It’s wild.)

   A couple things stand out here: first, all these optical corrections, whether they’re for Greek structures or graphic design. are done by eye. That’s why they’re called ​“optical corrections.” And secondly, by definition, AI models are going to have a hard time understanding optical corrections, because they don’t have eyes. The things that make us human are the way we care for each other, and sometimes caring means avoiding hard edges in our temples. Or websites. (Same thing.)

2. I have watched Matthew Encina’s 20-minute breakdown of how he redesigned MODE’s brand identity something like six times. At this point, YouTube has basically pinned it to my home page. This is an inspiring masterclass on how to do any brand identity work, and has helped me refine my own process for brand work.
3. Stockholm Design Lab rebranded Sigma this year, and the result is pretty amazing. There’s a custom typeface, fantastic packaging, and even some cute mascots. BP&O’s breakdown is excellent, as always. Before I was a professional designer, I was a wedding photographer for a couple years. This is the best Sigma has looked to me in many years.

What I’m working on

If you know me at all, you’ll know that I am the sort of person who gets obsessive. Well, in preparation for this newsletter, I redesigned my entire blog, then I accidentally redesigned my portfolio in an effort to make it have a little more synergy. I’m proud of how it turned out, though.

I’ve taken a screenshot for posterity, because I’m sure I’ll end up tweaking this again later. But I’m really happy with where this has landed. There are numerous little tweaks to how I present my work here, and I hope that this gives potential clients a better window into my own personal taste and aesthetic.

Thanks for reading! I appreciate you.

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