Above: The front of our fundraising postcard for our participation in this year’s Tour de Cure. (Hey, did you know they typically don’t remove the “old organs” when you receive an organ transplant? And did you know that plural of pancreas is pancreata?)

Background

Since 2000, Lisa and I have been cycling in the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure fund-raising event. We’ve ridden in the MA and NH events, and this year we’re riding in 100 kilometer event in southern Maine for the first time.

We look forward to this annual event because it combines our efforts in the fight against diabetes with our love of cycling (and each other!). Each year, as we humbly request donations to the ADA as part of our participation in the event, we are also reminded of how fortunate we are to have so many supportive and generous friends and family members.

If you’d like to support our efforts this year, you can make a tax-deductible donation via our personal page on the event’s website. Or, just as appreciated, drop us a note via the comment link below with any well-wishes or good vibes. Thanks!

-Rob

I Love Typography has created a terrific series explaining some of the terminology that often leads to furrowed brows and/or blank stares during our conversations with the saner folks (i.e. non-designers).

Part I, Who Shot the Serif? Typography Terms provides a brief, illustrated explanation of serif fonts and their anatomy, including such terms as ascender, ligature, spine, and bowl.

Part II, The Return of the Serif, Type Terminology, a further explanation of serif fonts is provided, delving deeper into the differences between Adnate Serifs and Abrupt Serifs, as well as the evolution of serif fonts.

Inspired by Teal Triggs’ book Type Design: Radical Innovations and Experimentation, I decided to explore the use of calligrams. By definition, a calligram is formed when a group of words are arranged to visually represent its content. Calligrams are considered to be a form of concrete poetry, also called visual poetry.

The images created by these visual forms provide a unique means of integrating content and visual display -indeed the goal of any graphic designer.

In this most recent case, I explored the technique as a means of conveying an advertising message for a client in Rhode Island that creates custom foot orthotics using a new technology. The resulting calligram was to be used on the back side of a business card, providing an eye-catching means of delivering a message.