I’ve had a few people ask me what my typography process is like when it comes to working on projects. I’ve shared a few free* goodies in the past, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Great typeface pairing is a learned skill, but I’ll go over some tips + tricks to help you get started out!

KNOW YOUR AESTHETIC Most of the time, font usage shouldn’t be based on what you think “looks cool” on a whim. The best thing you can do before starting any project ( even if it’s just for a blog post collage ) is to think about your aesthetic. Are you trying to be simplistic + modern?? Try something in the sans serif family. Or maybe you need a little bit of funk thrown in … keep your eye pealed for some unique typefaces. They’re out there! Serif fonts, on the otherhand, are perfect for many things including classic and vintage design. Always keep your key aesthetic in mind when trying to visually represent your project. Make sure your final choices feel right.

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I was paging through some of my favorite dribbble favorites and noticed a recent trend : teals, yellows, and neutrals. I’m also really enjoying the different techniques designers use to make something look very “modern vintage.” I know a few ways, but would love to learn more. Perhaps an afternoon spent with google + illustrator is in order. Which is your favorite one up there?? Gotta say, I’m favoring that cute little wiener dog up top, I mean, c’mon. How could you not?

I know I don’t get mixtapes out too regularly anymore, but I promise they’ll be around here & there. This week’s playlist is a mixture of funky cool tunes with pulsing beats. And I don’t know about you, but I prefer more intense music vs soft sounds while I’m working. I guess that’s just how I focus best. What does it for you?? Anyway, as usual, you can listen to this mixtape via the links below OR explore the archive of playlists, too. There are 24 of them now, wow!

♫ spotify | 8tracks

01. “Cards & Quarters” — Local Natives
02. “No Bones” — Yeasayer
03. “Medicine” — Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
04. “This Ladder Is Ours” — The Joy Formidable
05. “Similar but Not the Same” — The Nervous Wreckords
06. “No Church In The Wild” — Jay-Z ( ft. Kanye West, Frank Ocean )
07. “Amber” — Electric Guest
08. “No Rules” — Vacationer
09. “Near Death Experience Experience” — Andrew Bird
10. “Distractions” — Zero 7
11. “White Keys” — Yuksek

For this week’s wantlist, I wanted to focus on things that are basically unisex. Or could be. Or things for ladies inspired by the dudes. Here’s a little backstory : I used to wear dresses all the time – we’re talking pretty much everyday + people would ask me how many dresses I owned. But over this past year or so, I’ve seen a shift in my own personal style. I live and breathe simplicity throughout my design work, but it’s been taking over my closet, too. Blacks, browns, neutrals, and stripes are quickly becoming my “staple” items. With that said, I think it would be fun to brighten up a bit, whether it’s by clothing or home goods – all of the above are so fun, while still keeping it real. What are you guys leaning towards these days, style wise??

A good friend of mine from high school, Rob Wormley, approached me just before the end of last year in hopes to collaborate on an new adventure of his : Thought Circus. It’s a collaborative blog that covers all sorts of topics from life to culture + business and much more in between. We had a little catch up + brand sesh and kicked out some fun options! You can see the moodboard right here. Being that the word “circus” is involved, we wanted to incorporate that concept somehow without being too over the top, which you can see in some of the above options! In the end, Rob chose row one / number two + row three / number one as his direction. But ultimately, the non slanted version won for it’s ease of use!

And although the end result is nice and simple, the slight vintage texture and triangular pattern help capture that fun and playful feel of going to the circus. Cheers to an exciting new website, Rob! And hope to get a totally custom website someday to top it off.