Death by Kerning: January 2009

Be My Valentine

Finding the right Valentine's Day card can be tough. Should it be sappy, or funny, or serious, or none of the above? I personally like the really simple, not-too-sugary ones. Here are a few that meet my "love card criteria" from Etsy. From top to bottom: Together by things are better with a parrot; You&Me by Escargot Studio(actually, this is my attempt at starting my own Etsy shop... be kind!); Bee Mine by do a little design. |DBK

Going Dutch

Happy Monday! Let's start off this week with some modern and functional typography. Rotterdam-based Stikseldesigns and produces some beautiful screenprinted linens. The colors and patterns make these designs contemporary, with a little metropolitan feel. See more at Stiksel's Etsy shop. [via poppytalk] |DBK

OMG

Fellow designer and friend Carolyn of Pedestrian Typography designed some fun buttons for the Inauguration last weekend, and passed them out to strangers and celebrities alike. Nice job, Carolyn! |DBK

Camus Floor Lamp

This is such a cool lamp. I want one. This is the Camus Floor Lamp by Palette Industries. [via Design Milk] |DBK

Inauguration 2009

Can I just tell you how crazy/amazing/awesome it was to witness all of the history made this week? Being a DC resident, I've been in the middle of it all since Friday. From attending the Mayor's Inaugural Ball on Sunday to watching the inaugural ceremonies (from the warmth of my living room) today, I'm still in awe. Well, it's no surprise, I'm happy to see a new president in office. But I'm also happy to see a new White House website up and ready to go. It went up right at noon today. It provides tons of useful information, all within a sleek, modern and functional design... I would expect nothing less from this administration. There's also a nice little Presidential Slideshow. Check it out for yourself at www.whitehouse.gov. |DBK

If Movie Posters Could Talk

These posters are hilarious. Holy Taco has created a few movie posters that they feel is a more honest depiction of the movie. Too funny! [via Quipsologies] |DBK

Akzidenz

Akzidenz happen. So do great shirts. Shirt designed by Plural Design Chicago, you can buy it here. |DBK

Think Again

This simple sign could serve as a constant reminder (as if you need one) to think and rethink. UK-based Cox & Cox designed this piece of decor to fit into any space, providing instant inspiration. [via black. white. bliss] |DBK

antoine + manuel

Some quirky and interesting work by Paris-based antoine + manuel. I love the RGB logo. There's much more work on their website.|DBK

Type & Ceramics

I started taking a pottery class a few weeks ago, and ever since I have new appreciation for well-crafted ceramics. Getting your pot to look balanced and centered and smooth and aesthetically pleasing is hard! So, when I saw these beautifully modern ceramics by Zuzana Licko on the Emigre website, I had to share.

Zuzana has also written a short essay on the connections between pottery and type design. She writes that "both disciplines deal with creating visually and structurally balanced shapes. Both deal with the duality of inside & outside form. And both require resolving transitions of curves."
Click here to read more about the connections and dualities of pottery and typography. |DBK