My online book, Professional Web Typography, gets some minor updates, noticeably the new typefaces. I replaced Adobe Caslon, Myriad, and Source Code Pro with Cardea, Vista Sans, and Fira Mono. Check the colophon.

I separated the chapters that were added the book was completed. I am planning on writing additional chapters when time permits. I also made some updates throughout the book to keep things fresh.

Thanks to readers who have read and supported the book. Your contribution is appreciated.

I have turned this blog into a Progressive Web App using this handy checklist as a reference. To pass the Lighthouse test, this site met the following requirements:

• HTTPS
• Responsive
• Service Worker
• Web App Manifest

This blog scores 99/100 on Lighthouse test. I also turned ON Designs, Professional Web Typography, and Vietnamese Typography. They all scored 100/100.

For this year’s conference, I wanted to hit as many different tracks as I could. The conference has five different tracks; therefore, choosing the one I wanted is a bit of a challenge. I also wanted to avoid any topic that is related to web technologies. I am so tired of hearing about Drupal, WordPress, Bootstrap, and so on.

It turned out that I had a better time listening to other topics. For instance, a presentation on how school libraries are using Minecraft as a learning tool for kids was fascinating. It is reassuring that the game my kids, Đạo in particular, are obsessed with is not a bad thing. In fact, I should encourage them to play and learn.

In addition, the conference gives me a guilty-free pleasure to be away from the office. I still answer work emails on occasions, but it is nice to just relax for a few days listening to people shared what they are doing. Today is my last day so I need to take advantage of it.

Last Saturday evening, I had the pleasure of attending Jim Van Meer’s exhibition for his MFA in graphic design. In his final project and thesis, he uses graphic design to send a powerful message on gun violence, a serious issue that we are still facing today in America. He writes:

My final project and thesis are an attempt to allow people to see the cold-hard facts of gun violence in America and let them ponder the effects that guns have on this country. Through the use of interpretive graphics, storytelling, and experiential methods, it is my intent to further the dialogue about guns and gun violence through a thoughtful perspective.

Based on the success of the exhibition and the book he has written, Jim will have my full support if he ever decided to run for office. We need more people like Jim to tackle this issue. If you want to read his thesis, download the PDF copy.

Vietnamese Typography welcomes two new additions to its “Type Recommendations” chapter: Mallory and Retina. These two typefaces, designed by Tobias Frere-Jones and his team, are big gains for the Vietnamese language.

I have admired Frere-Jones’s types and wanted to showcase them for a long time; therefore, I am very excited that he allowed me to do so. In return, I hope that my type specimen would bring more attention to people who are interested in Vietnamese typography. I also want to thank my friend Tim Brown for setting me up with Typekit.

Speaking of the specimens, I incorporated both the Standard and MicroPlus variations. If you want to see MicroPlus in action, look at the paragraph text on your mobile device or dragging in your browser.

Chen Hui Jing’s “A Complete Guide to CSS Grid” for Codrops and Rachel Andrew’s “CSS Grid Layout” are on my to-read list.

Better Web Typography for a Better Web is an email course teaches web designers and developers typesetting for the web. The author is Matej Latin who is the creator of Gutenberg—the Meaningful Web Typography Starter Kit and Quotes on Type.

I have been enjoying Chris Silverman’s One Hundred Things. Chris is a former colleague at Vassar, a dear friend, and a kick-ass illustrator. Also check out his beautiful editorial design for Vassar Stories.

Nick Babich:

When it comes to minimalism, don’t think it’s easier just because it’s simpler. Because there are fewer elements, you must provide the same level of usability with less interface elements.

For over 15 years of practicing minimal design, I still am in love with it.

Ricardo Magalhães:

While Mathew chose to leave behind the practical bits of the digital and technical world of web design, Donny Truong has done an epic effort at crafting yet another beautifully and knowledgeable guide to Professional Web Typography that no one in the web design world should miss. Apart from touching on the fundamentals of type, Donny presents very clear and by-chapter best practices on how to deal with fonts on the web, how to put their features to best use and how to craft efficient UIs using type.

Thanks Ricardo!