The last project for this year’s graduate seminar is designing a series of three posters. Purpose for the posters could be informative, educational, political, social or decorative. Posters needs to work together individually and as a group to make a graphical statement. Computer typesetting and images could be used, but the typographical focal point must be created by hand.

After giving the project some thoughts, I wanted to do something fun. I picked phrases that Dao and Dan had said in the past to use for the posters. The three I picked are quite hilarious.

“Daddy, dump fuck.”

While we were driving one day, Dan said to me real loud, “Daddy, dump fuck.” I was shocked so I asked him, “What did you just call me?” He replied, “Dump fuck” and pointed me to the dump truck. My execution was to take pictures of the dump truck toys and used Photoshop to place the toys together by hand to form the word “Fuck.”

“Daddy, I am allergic to your singing.”

We were driving home from daycare and I hit a pretty terrible falsetto just to tease him and he gave such an idiosyncratic respond: “Daddy, I am allergic to your singing.” My execute was to draw musical notes in Illustrator and place them together by hand to form the word “singing.”

“Daddy look, it’s my tadpole.”

I still can’t figure out where Dan got the association from. I was about to give him a bath. As I put the water in the bathtub and put him in, he said to me, “Daddy look, it’s my tadpole.” Then he grabbed his penis. I asked him again, “Your what?” He replied, “Tadpole.” I laughed my ass off in silent.

This seminar has been fun. Creating analog type was much more pleasure than I thought. Special thanks to my wife for assisting me on a few pieces. She’s much more craftier than I am and she is so good at mounting.

Mười năm về trước khi có tâm sự tôi thường viết lên đây. Vui, buồn hay giận tôi cũng có thể viết một cách tự do. Sau khi viết ra tôi cảm thấy nhẹ nhàng và thoải máy. Giờ đã khác. Tuy không ai cấm tôi nhưng tôi tự kiềm chế bản thân. Có lúc cũng viết nhưng rồi xóa đi.

Mấy tháng qua có một vài chuyện không vui nhưng không biết tâm sự cùng ai. Viết lên đây tôi cũng không muốn nên tôi đã tìm đến rượu và mượn rượu giải sầu. Tôi không phải là dân nghiện rượu. Tôi thích uống một vài ly cocktail nếu có đồ ăn ngon hay lâu lâu làm vài shots với anh em bạn bè.

Khi vui rượu cho tôi thêm một chúc lân lân như đang trên mây. Tôi rất thích cảm giác đó. Nhưng khi không được vui, rượu khiến tôi thêm sầu muộn, cộc cằn, cô độc và chán nản. Tôi nhận ra được đều đó và đang tìm cách giải quyết vấn đề riêng mà không cần nhờ đến rượu.

Có lẻ tôi nên chấp nhận số phận và không nên mộng ảo nữa. Nên thay đổi chính mình nếu đã hết đường lựa chọn. Tôi không muốn ảo giác của mình mà phải đánh mất hết tất cả. Tôi đã suy nghỉ rất kỹ và biết mình nên làm gì và không nên làm gì.

Even though Mitchell and Wightman’s comprehensive manual focuses on book typography, many principles could be applied to any form of typesetting. From leading to spacing to massaging, this book delves into great details with clear visual examples to demonstrate the subtlety of good design. The book itself is a beautiful design with the main text set in Albertina. If you’re designer who cares about readability, Book Typography is a must-have as a reference.

For my video résumé, a graduate project in my class on professional design practices, I knew from the start that I would not appear in front of the camera talking about my résumé or my work. I took the professor’s advice to create something that I am passionate about to give potential employer my personality. My passion is for web design and typography; therefore, I created a short typographic motion to show why I love the web and why now’s the time for an exciting transformation to be a web designer. I used FreightSans, a strong, bold sans-serif typeface, to tie the video into my personal brand.

For the musical score, I sampled a clip from Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time.” The tune was written in the mid 40s when jazz was dominated by white swing band including Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Jimmy Dorsey. Parker wanted to take jazz back to Black American; therefore, he and Dizzy Gillespie started the bebop moment. Bebop required virtuosity and the ability to play furious speed. “Now’s the Time” is one of the pieces that marked the transformation from jazz dance club to the street. I wanted to use that transformational vibe to show “Now’s the Time” to be a web designer as typography is making its into the web.

For the leave behind project for my class on professional design practices, I created a six-panel accordion to be given out after a job interview. I wanted my perspective employer to know that I care about typography and that I pay attention to the type world. The front side of the piece has my contact information, a bit about myself and the title panel that reads: Jan Tschichold’s Typographic Rules. On the interior side, I listed out the six rules Tschichold has created. Because I wanted this piece to be simple, easy to produce and convenience to give out, I based the panel on the size of the business card. The final product ended up looking like my business card, but has some extra typographic information. If I would go to a real job interview, I would make this pieces ahead of time and give them out the interviewers instead of my business card. Killing two birds with one stone.

From Blackletter to Comic Sans to Ubuntu, Walters’s stories on Fifty Typefaces That Changed the World are concise and compelling. The visual examples also make it a great coffee table book.

Vài phút nhìn lại:

• Giờ Này Anh Ở Đâu
• Một Chút Quà Cho Quê Hương
• Biển Nhớ

David Ogilvy:

When the client moans and sighs,
Make his logo twice the size.
If he still should prove refractory
Show a picture of his factory.
Only in gravest cases
Should you show the clients’ faces

With the effort to make Visualgui into a consistent brand, I decided to play up the logo quite a bit. I settled on League Gothic typeface after using it on my business card and other print materials I have done for my class on professional design practices.

For this new update, I also want show how beautiful and responsive a designer can do with SVG, especially with typography. The logo is only 3K since I designed for mobile first. The actual size of the logo is 320px wide, but it can scale up all the way to however your screen can accommodate. If you visit this site on a mobile phone, you can see that the logo is not large at all.

With the humongous logo, I am losing the big image hero on the homepage. Even though I am going to miss it. I have always had trouble filling it in. If I don’t change it for two weeks, I feel it started to get old. I am also wanting to move away from doing that updates as well.

I have been revisiting Miles Davis’s early work and loving his fine-ass ballad playing. Here are a few albums I am enjoying.

Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet

This album kicks off with the heart-rending rendition of “It Never Entered My Mind.” Miles played the mute trumpet as if he’s about to cry. “In Your Own Sweet Way” is another sensational standard with the Miles touch.

Steamin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet

Miles played a few bebop numbers including “Salt Peanuts” and “Well, You Needn’t,” in which he sounded less confidence than the ballads “When I Fall In Love” and “Something I Dreamed Last Night.”

Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet

Relaxing to some mid-tempos like “If I Were A Bell” and “If I Could Write A Book,” but the beautiful ballad is “You’re My Everything,” in which Miles told Garland to play some block chords.

‘Round About Midnight

Miles’s take on “‘Round About Midnight” didn’t sit well with Monk, but it was his admission to Columbia record. His muted tone cuts straight to the emotional core.

Somethin’ Else

This is a Cannonball Adderley’s album, but Miles stole the spotlight on “Autumn Leaves.” This is one of the finest ballad-playings period.

My Funny Valentine

Miles plays with title track without the muting device and his lyricism was still impressive. “All of You,” “Stella by Starlight,” and “I Thought About You” were beautifully played from the all-star band.