I’ve been bogged down in a backwash of assignments that I’ve been neglecting for far too long than is healthy. Oddly enough, the torrent of work has also induced an overwhelming sense of lethargy, even drowsiness, that’s robbed me of any blogging sense. It’s like those narcoleptic dogs who fall asleep when they get excited while running about or catching sight of their next meal.
When I’ll manage to have my wits about me to blog anything worthwhile, I dunno.
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In the meantime, take a look at these beautiful new coins issued by the Royal Mint of the United Kingdom. The graphic designer wannabe in me is just awed.
(from the Ministry of Type via kottke.org via Peter Levin).
We, however, still have our god-awful pennies (and nickels, which I actually irrationally hate even more than pennies themselves).
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An add-on: After posting I just noticed this note in the Times about the Obama campaign’s design choices, especially its consistent use of the typeface Gotham. Gotham was designed by the typographer Tobias Frere-Jones, of Hoefler & Frere-Jones, whose work has been both influential and stunning.
To me, many of the readers who complain about the superficiality of focusing on such things as type, design, and ‘look’ miss the point. Presumptions of depth are always predicated on the existence of some surface. Yes, of course we should make our choices on the basis of ideas, substance, etc., but visual iconography has always played an important role in campaigns; logos and typefaces do a lot to convey the sensibility of a campaign, whose effects may be ineffable, but that’s not the same thing as negligible.
“To me, many of the readers who complain about the superficiality of focusing on such things as type, design, and ‘look’ miss the point.”
Agreed – and those coin designs are absolutely stunning. Thanks for the heads up, I hadn’t seem them anywhere else.
You might be interested in last week’s New Yorker, where you’ll find a nice essay on the debate over eliminating the U.S. penny, nickel and quarter.
You might also care to know that Tobias is the brother of an especially talented music critic, who also writes for the New Yorker.
Ta da!
@Matthew: They are nice, aren’t they? PS – somewhat on topic and thanks to you, I am now a devoted user of Pilot Varsity pens. They really are the best.
@JLena: I actually link to the New Yorker article! And I’m a devoted reader of Sasha Frere-Jones, but didn’t know the family connection (though it did cross my mind.) But yes, what talent all around!
oops re: link. apgs.
see tobias in documentary “helvetica”, if you haven’t, already.
ah these coins are rubbish! we get new coin designs quite often, just different symbols on the backs but all the new ones look the same. where’s the variety gone! the new £20 notes still look like gift vouchers to me too :/