Category Archives: Design

Use Numerals– Not Words– For Better Usability

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It’s always nice when a something comes out that backs up something you’ve been asserting on your own for ages, especially when that thing seems to be common sense. According to eyetracking data from a recent study, numerals (27) catch user’s attention more than words of the same meaning (twenty-three). Things that are ‘out of place’ (numerals) always stand out from their environment (words), so it makes perfect sense that the same should be true for text. This is a concept I’ve tried to incorporate into my designs for a while now, and I think it really does make a big difference in helping users glean useful information from content.

[via InfoDesign]

Design Icon – David Carson

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David Carson

I had the chance this evening to attend a talk by renowned designer David Carson— part of AIGA Colorado’s “Design Icon” series of lectures. David is a talented public speaker and had many insightful, interesting, and humorous things say about his work and the philosophy of design.

Readability has a lot to do with what you are interested in reading.

Everyone has intuition; you just have to learn to trust it.

Helvetica is the choice of corporations and war and mothers, and sometimes, lazy designers.

Find the thing that gets you excited and run with it.

If you can’t design, you can always become an information architect.

Nobody can re-create who you are, your background. Those things make your work special. Your personality must come through in your work!

While I’m personally not such a huge fan of Carson’s distinctive chaotic style, nor do I agree with everything he said, it’s hard to deny his massive skill and success.

For more information about David Carson and his work, take a look at his new book, Trek.

Typographic Design: Form and Communication, Fourth Edition

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Typographic Design: Form and Communication

My first impression of this book– sitting on the shelf of the campus bookstore where I had gone to purchase books for my very first design class– wasn’t great. The cover was dated and ugly, and a quick flip through the pages didn’t show anything all that exciting. Little did I know that by the end of the semester, Typographic Design: Form and Communication would have a permanent place on my design bookshelf next to such classics as Stop Stealing Sheep & Learn How Type Works and my old moleskine sketchbooks.

The fourth edition of this seminal text features a spiffy new cover, full color throughout the book (something previous editions are sorely lacking), two new chapters, and a fantastic new companion website. At a mere $50 from Amazon.com, I’m tempted to sell off my old copy and pick up the shiny yellow book for myself.

[via Design Observer]