my open door.net

Sure, I admit it. I am a type geek and I don’t care who knows it. I get turned on by the angle of a nice italic, or the graceful curve of a well-drawn serif.

If you’re a geek too, or even a geek-in-training, you should Fonts.com and its great articles on typography. There are articles on geeky topics like small caps, arabesques, and discretionary ligatures. It’s run by  Monotype Imaging, the brand that started with hot metal back in 1887.

Besides technical articles, you can find typefaces from many foundries organized by category or  designer. There’s even a series of questions that will help you identify a font by sight.

The last day included some informative Affinity Sessions, a trip to the Civil Rights Museum, and some dramatic presentations in the closing General Session. Here’s what I thought about what I saw.

Affinity Session
From Shepherd Fairey to Fair Use: What’s Law Got to Do with Us? Linda Joy Katthwikwel. What it was: a copyright attorney and design educator explain the complexities of intellectual property law. What I thought: This was one of the most informative sessions I attended. Read More…

Friday’s sessions were great. The hard part was figuring out when to eat and go see Memphis. Here are my thoughts from those I attended.

Adobe Breakfast Workshop: Exploring Creative Suite 4, Claudia McCue
What it was: The latest features in CS4 presented by one of Adobe’s evangelists. What I thought: It was nice to get the highlights presented to us by a pro, and better to get her email address for later!

In between sessions I browsed the AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers of 2008 exhibit, and the PostGig poster exhibit. What it was: the best-designed jackets and books, and some beautiful band posters from some of the best artists and designers in the country. What I thought: Would security notice if I walked out with these? Read More…

Karen and I got to Memphis just in time to check into the hotel and for me to get to the kick-off session. This conference is quite a big deal, with 1400 attendees, splashy graphics and signage, and lots of design glitterati on hand. Last night we got our fix of design celebrities, hearing from Michael Beirut, Carin Goldberg, Stephan Sagmeister, and Chip Kidd.

Richard Grefé welcomed us, and Kurt Anderson moderated, introducing speakers, making relevant comments, and keeping things moving along. Al Bell, chairman of the Memphis Music Foundation, and former Stax Records entrepreneur welcomed us to Memphis with a rousing sermon-styled presentation on creativity with courage. His comments linked music with art and design and introduced the history and culture of Memphis. Read More…

I’m packing my bags and practicing my Elvis voice for the AIGA conference this week in Memphis. Make/Think is October 8–11, 2009, which means (hold the applause) I won’t be teaching my Thursday Typography and Design I classes, but there will be work to do and attendance will be taken.

Meanwhile back in Memphis I’ll be checking out the speakers, events, and Command X, the graphic design reality show. It’s pretty cool that the AIGA folks are heading to Tennessee for a national gathering, and I for one plan to show some southern hospitality. Karen and I were stuck at the Ecolodge, but thanks to a last-minute call we’re upgraded to the Crown Plaza, where we’ll be sipping mint juleps in the jacuzzi, or whatever it is people do in 4-star hotels.

Tomorrow after the Milton Glaser film, Pellissippi design students will meet up at Mellow Mushroom for free pizza to kick off the semester for the AIGA student group. We’ll start by electing officers. Whether you’re a member or not, come down and get involved in AIGA, the professional organization for design. Photo by ilker.

• 9 pm Wednesday, September 23
• Mellow Mushroom on the strip map

This just emailed to me from UT Design prof Deb Schmerler:

thursday, october 1, 2009, 7pm
Art and Architecture Building, Rm 109
The University of Tennessee
Public Slide Lecture

One of my Design II students (Ben? Farmer?) turned me onto What the font, this great free site that identifies type using a screen shot or graphic you upload. I tested it with Anivers, a great-looking font by Jo Boivenga that’s kind of obscure. I made a screen shot of the font at 72 points, in black with a white background. What the Font identified it within seconds, at the top of a list of 15 options. The next time you’re trying to figure out a font, check this out.

Our new AIGA student group will have its first meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 2:45 in room BA203. With two conferences and a local film premeire on the agenda, the student group will really need to hit the ground running!

Get down to the Knoxville Museum of Art to see the Knoxville premier of this film about an important American designer and illustrator. Also, I’ll be giving away a copy of one of Glaser’s books.

• Wednesday, Sept. 23rd, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, KMA Auditorium
• Student AIGA Members: $3
• Professional AIGA Members: $6
• Non-AIGA Members: $10

Artfully directed by first time filmmaker Wendy Keys, the film glances into everyday moments of Glaser’s personal life and capture his immense warmth, humanity and the boundless depth of his intelligence and creativity.