For some reasons I had this book on the shelf since June when I got it for free at the Typographics conference in New York. I took it with me last week to read on my vacation and it turns out be a page-turner. Tamye Riggs has done an excellent job of giving us some insights on the Adobe Type team. I am a huge fan of Robert Slimbach’s and Carol Twombly’s typefaces and this book provides some intriguing details about their works and processes. If you attend a type conference and spot this gem, which sets in beautiful Adobe Garamond, pick it up. Thanks to Adobe for this wonderful gift.

Took a short family vacation to Punta Cana. The kids, including the one in mommy’s tommy, loved every moment of it. We stayed at the Royalton, which is the same resort as the Memories Splash we went to in February. The last time we were there, I was in the middle of writing Professional Web Typography. This time I worked on my Vietnamese Typography while the kids were sleeping. We had a great time, but it is now back to reality.

I have been working around the clock on my book, Vietnamese Typography. In addition to the website, which is now in beta, I am working on print materials for a gallery show with three other graduate cohorts. The show will begin on November 30.

Even though the website is the main focus, I am creating a print edition to complement it. I am experimenting with the trade book format and running a test print using both Blurb and Lulu. I wanted to make them at economical as possible so that I could distribute them at a low cost. I am also considering selling them. I need to see how they turn out first.

While waiting impatiently to see the proof copies, I am taking a break from this project to catch some sleep. I has made a living hell for myself working on the site, the book, and the posters. I have not done my physical activities to spend time on this project; therefore, I will be spending time with the boys this weekend to regain some energy.

I am proud to have discovered my nephew’s talent for design. ET (Eric Tran) Designs is his online portfolio inspired by On Designs. For a twelve year-old, his work is impressive. He also started a blog. Now that I know he is into design, I’ll definitely provide him some guidance. So glad to see a family interested in design.

Insightful essays, meticulous explanations, and striking designs make this book an important and compelling read. The attention to the letterforms throughout the book not only explains why the classic typefaces continue to play a vital role in the digital age, but also help you learn the details of type. It is definitely worthy on any designer’s bookshelf.

Tuần vừa rồi cả nhà bay đến vùng biển Miami dự lể cưới đứa cháu. Mướn khách sạn ngay biển nên hai thằng con rất thích. Ngày nào cũng tắm biển rồi tắm hồ bơi nguyên ngày nên chúng tôi cũng chẵng đi đâu ngoài ăn một tối cùng gia đình hai họ, dự tiệc cưới, và đến khu vườn trái cây của người Việt để mua nhản, chôm chôm, cóc, và ổi.

Hai đứa nhỏ bây giờ tuy quậy lắm nhưng cũng biết hưởng thụ. Vào nhà hàng đồ biển ăn uống no nê rồi kết bạn quậy. Đi dự tiệc cưới cũng vậy. Nhảy đầm cho đến khuya rồi lăn ra ngủ. Vừa xỉn vừa phải ẩm từng thằng từ xe lên phòng ngủ.

Được đi chơi vài ngày cũng vui và nghỉ ngơi. Cuối tháng này đi tiếp qua Dominican Republic cũng chỉ ăn, ngủ, nhậu, và tắm biển. Cuộc sống bây giờ chỉ đợi bao nhiêu đó thôi.

In the past few months weighing the pros and cons, I have decided to separate my personal blog from my professional work. The decision is hard to make because Visualgui has become both my personal and professional presence on the web for so many years. On one hand, I still enjoy blogging and designing for the web. With everything in one place, it is easier for me to focus my attention. On the other hand, the blog is somewhat limiting my design decision because I wanted to support Vietnamese type. In addition, the blog is always about readability.

With my portfolio separated, I can use more type choices and play more with the design. With that said, allow me to introduce ON Designs, a brand new website that showcases only my work. The concept of ON Designs is played off Omit Needless Words inspired by inspired by William Strunk’s 17th principle of composition. ON (Omit Needless) Designs focuses on the necessity of the users. A user-centered experience should contain no unnecessary elements; therefore, every design decision needs to be thoughtful, simple, and intuitive.

Even though I have been working on this site in the past few weeks, I decided to changed the typeface to Acumin, a new design by Robert Slimbach, after seeing the announcement on Typekit yesterday. To stay true to the brand, Omit Needless Designs, I wanted to make the site as simple as possible. I invite you to visit my brand new site.

A fascinating look into the process of making type in the sixteenth century. By provides the technical considerations and challenges that went into the punchcutting technique, Smeijers makes you appreciate type design. It’s an intriguing read for type nerds. Just finished through the entire book and I already wanted to reread it to soak in all the details.

Đạo is at lesson 39 with Let’s Read: A Linguistic Approach. We have been reading three to four lessons each night. He shows tremendous improvement. When we read together Đán also wants to read. I started him with the alphabet. The book doesn’t have the letters in the alphabetical order. It starts with A, I, Q, and so on. For the past five days, I couldn’t get Đán to get past the first two letters. He doesn’t seem to be focused or he’s having a hard time recognizing the letters. It’s frustrating and worrisome at the same time because he’s turning four soon. I am hoping that he’s not focusing. I’ll talk to his teachers today to see if they can help him or figure out if he has some learning disability.

Ms. Johnson ends her latest NetFlix special, Not Fancy, with her mockery of Vietnamese accent at the nail salon. Her imitation is no longer offensive, it is just pure lazy. If she wanted to make fun of a foreign language, she at least should have learned it first or done some research. Her gibberish came off stupid, if not stereotypical, even though that was not her intention. Ms. Johnson is not the extreme type of comedian because most of her materials were lighthearted and she hardly used profanity. Not Fancy is an enjoyable PG entertainment if you can get past her somewhat irritating pitch.