Christopher's Blog

Julien

2012-01-26T07:59:00.001-05:00

Totally smitten for the font Julien by Peter Biľak (Typotheque), who also created another favourite of mine, History.
(via Typographica's Favourite Typefaces of 2011)

Desiderata

2012-01-24T10:17:00.002-05:00

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

-Max Ehrmann, 1927
(Thanks for the reminder, Auntie!)

Type around T.O: Public school edition

2012-01-19T08:49:00.004-05:00

NEUnited

2012-01-17T08:44:00.001-05:00

I was contacted back in August of 2011 to create a logo for a new online forum for Northeastern University (in Boston, Massachusetts). NEUnited is a blog for students & alumni to share stories about LGBT life at NU. Huge thanks to Greg for contacting me - it has been an honour working with you and Joe these past few months. I wish you both the best of luck!

Check out the site here.

Winter

2012-01-13T11:09:00.003-05:00

It's a snowy day in Toronto this Friday the 13th. I hope you all have a warm, lovely weekend.

-CR

Alphabet 100

2012-01-11T09:57:00.000-05:00

This year, I decided to devote more time to 2 of my favourite things: sketching and lettering.

I'm happy to announce a new project called Alphabet 100. I designed this sheet to help me organize my ideas (based on this exercise from my art school days). Every week, I will print out this template, choose one glyph, and create 100 rough sketches. From there, I will place the best / coolest / most interesting solution in the top corner, and then render it in Illustrator. My plan is to post the roughs and final version on the new blog every Wednesday. I should be able to cover all 52 glyphs (26 upper case, 26 lower case) in the 52 weeks of 2012 (fingers crossed!)

Let me introduce the first letter: capital A!

And, the final refined vector drawing:

Please subscribe to the new blog if you'd like to follow the progress.

And if you'd like to try it yourself, please download and print the free template here.

Let the fun begin!

Words to live by

2012-01-05T08:57:00.002-05:00

-from "The Power of Side Projects and Eccentric Aunts" by Tina Roth Eisenberg, aka @swissmiss.

Housekeeping

2012-01-03T13:09:00.000-05:00

Nothing feels better than have organized, inspiring workspace. After surviving the holidays and catching up on sleep and RSS feeds, I finally got around to dusting and tidying my office. The last time I changed up my wall was 2 years ago (!), so it was about time for a fresh look. Below are a few close-ups!

Here's Po the Teletubby, and my Love letterpress print I created with Tanya at snap + tumble.

This is an awesome alphabet exercise book (also from Tanya!) and some porcelain kitties from Grandma.

This is a watercolour I found from grade 6 (who knew I'd end up living in Toronto?)

This is an antique Speedball alphabet book I found back in 2009.

This is a postcard from my trip to Istanbul, a photo of my grandparents, and some letterpress blocks.

This is a name block (from my Veer days), another kitty from Grandma, a letterpress print from Tanya, and some antique date blocks I found at the St. Lawrence Market.

And this is a framed version of my alphabet print, available in my shop.
(Special thanks to everyone who placed orders over the holidays!)

Looking back, moving forward

2012-01-01T16:02:00.000-05:00

2011 was a busy, awesome year, filled with some big changes, exciting landmarks, and new beginnings. As I move into 2012, I'd like to take a moment to look back on some of the goodness of this amazing year:

In January, I started a side project called 12 over 12, where I planned investigate the numbers 1 through 12 - one per month - from January to December, 2011.
On February 1, I launched my professional website, christopherrouleau.com (with the help of my ridiculously talented friend, Chris Roberts). I also created my first batch of handmade business cards to get things rolling.
In March, I visited my grandparents in Saskatchewan. It was lovely.
April rolled around, and I was thrilled to design the identity and season posters for Shakespeare Toronto. I even saw my first poster outside MuchMusic headquarters, which was awesome. (Huge thanks to Peter McHugh for this opportunity!) I also got to design a scripty wordmark for 32blades.com, a syncronized skating blog/forum. (Thanks Chelsey!)
June was ridiculously fabulous when I launched the Official Gay Card into the world, a fun website and print piece created to celebrate Pride 2011. The project went viral after it was picked up by Dan Savage at the Slog, Andy Towle at Towleroad, Trendhunter, and NOW Magazine. After one month, the site had almost 70,000 page views from 137 countries, 2450 PDF downloads & 1575 iPhone downloads. So much fun!
In July, I was fortunate enough to visit two Canadian National Parks for the first time - Niagara Falls and Banff. Stunning². In between trips, I was asked to design and hand-bind a series of chapbooks for David Bateman, which were a lot of fun. (Thanks David!) July also marked my 5 year blogoversary.
In August, I was able to visit Montreal - and take lots of pictures.
September was a busy month. I launched a promo piece called "10* reasons to work with me" - you can see pictures here and here. I also got to design some super fun typographic art prints for a young lad named Lincoln. (Thanks again Stacey!) And finally, I launched two fun task-managment print pieces: the "Let's Get Sh*t Done Sheet" and the "What The H*ll's For Dinner Sheet".
In October, I designed a logo for Fulcrum Group, an HR consulting company in Alberta. (Thanks Gary!) I also had the joy of creating my first oil painting for some good friends, Hugh and Tracey. It was a lot of fun. At the end of October, I also announced that I would officially be pursuing freelance graphic design full-time in 2012. Exciting!
November was another busy one. After a lovely, relaxing visit to Ottawa, I saw my first non-fiction book cover design come to life. It was so exciting to see the book at the launch, and get a copy in my hands. I also launched my shop and made my first art print available for sale.
And, December. On the first day of the month, I launched the Toronto Etiquette Project. This little passion project exploded in the national media, and I found myself on CBC Radio, CTV National News, and on the cover of the Toronto Star newspaper. It was a shock and an honour. Feel free to read the exciting progression on my blog here. As of today, the blog has been viewed just under 20,000 times, and the cards have been downloaded almost 3000 times.

As I transition fully into my new freelance career, there are a lot of unknowns about what 2012 will bring. But having said that, I could have never guessed how 2011 was going to unravel one year ago - and I couldn't be happier. Here are some exciting things to watch out for:

another annual blog project(s) - announcement(s) coming soon
Toronto Etiquette Project 2.0 - coming January/February (hopefully!)
more art prints in the shop - as soon as I can
Official Gay Card 2.0 - June 2012
more typographic love on this blog (as well as some possible collaborations...)

If you or anyone you know needs a designer, or you want to chat about cats or fonts, do not hesitate to send me an email:
hello [at] christopherrouleau [dot] com

And if you are on Twitter, let's be friends! Find me at:
@Chris_Rouleau

Thanks for making 2011 the best year ever. Here's to another great one!

xoxo,
CR

Happy

2011-12-23T12:53:00.001-05:00

Sorry for my blog absenteeism! The last few days I have been filled with sharing food, drinks and memories with great friends and family in Calgary. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, this month also marked an exciting career transition in my life, as I ready myself to pursue freelance design full-time. I think it was perfectly fitting that yesterday was the winter solstice, a day that symbolizes both an ending and a beginning. As I look backward, I am so grateful for everything that has happened this past year, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store in 2012.
I want to wish everyone (friends old and new) a wonderful holiday season, and a happy-filled new year.

xoxo,
CR

(Thanks to Ale Paul for the new year's advice, pictured above, via @araadt)

Twelve over twelve

2011-12-12T16:20:00.001-05:00

Twelve months after the first post, 12 over 12 (my side blog dedicated to the numbers 1 to 12) is complete! Click here to check out all the numbers.
(And if you love the alphabet, be sure to check out 26 in 52, where I profiled each letter of the alphabet over the course of 2010.)

UPDATE: Toronto Etiquette Project, one week later

2011-12-07T20:51:00.001-05:00

One week ago, I hit "Publish" and launched the Toronto Etiquette Project into the world. I emailed the link to a handful of Toronto friends, sent out a few tweets, and continued my day as usual. Since the project was so small and fairly specific (ie. for and about Toronto), I expected that the blog would circulate amongst friends, and that would be that. Little did I know...

After the first two days, the blog had gotten 3500 hits and had coverage on BlogTO, Global Toronto, Treehugger, Newstalk 1010 and CBC Radio 1.

On day 4 (Monday), things went berserk. The project was featured on the cover of the Toronto Star, I had four radio interviews (CBC Radio Metro Morning, 96.9 FM Radio Humber, AM 680 Radio, AM 640 Radio), my first on camera interview on Global TV (at my apartment!), and the hits jumped to 7300.

And since Monday, I had an interview with Post City Magazine, an in-studio interview with Stephen LeDrew at CP24, and 3 minute Q&A interview on CTV News (which got national coverage?) Yesterday, things came proverbially full-circle when I was asked to do a morning interview on CBC Radio Saskatchewan's Morning Edition. I was shocked that the story has somehow made it back to my home province, but so honoured to be able to reconnect with my roots. (Plus, I got to give a shout-out to my grandparents, which made them very happy.)

So, why full-circle? I am very proud of my small town roots, and unbelievably grateful for the support of my family through the last 29 years. I wouldn't be who I am today without them.
They taught me the importance of hard work and discipline.
They taught me to respect others, and respect myself.
And they taught me to say 'please' and 'thank you'.

As the blog surpasses 10,000 hits and 1300+ downloads this morning (just moments ago), I humbly thank everyone for embracing this project. At this point, the numbers don't really matter. It's not about the cards. What matters to me is that there are good people are out there (in Toronto, and everywhere) actively trying to make life better, just by being nicer to our fellow citizens. I think this inspires more hope than any statistic possibly can.

Take care. And thanks.

CR

UPDATE: Toronto Etiquette Project (or, The Power of the Media)

2011-12-06T07:42:00.001-05:00

Woah.

Let me first say that growing up in Saskatchewan, I never even imagined living in Toronto. And then yesterday, I see myself on the cover of the Toronto Star. What a crazy 24 hours it has been! Here are a few quick updates on this exciting project.

Yesterday, I had five interviews for the Toronto Etiquette Project:

CBC Radio Metro Morning
96.9 FM Radio Humber
AM 680 Radio
AM 640 Radio (with Arlene Bynon)
Global TV

And then I found out that my Toronto Star interview from the weekend was featured not only in the morning Metro paper, but also on the cover of the Toronto Star.

Also, in the past 24 hours:

the blog has jumped from 4300 to 7300 hits, and
the PDF download of the cards has jumped from 555 to 1042 downloads

Needless to say, I am blown away with the response. I cannot thank everyone enough for the kind words of support. To me this project is already a success because it has sparked a conversation in the name of good. Even if you don't agree with the premise, you can't argue that Torontonians are overwhelmingly in favour of making positive change for their city. And I think that is a great sign.

Thank you again.

CR

UPDATE: Toronto Etiquette Project (or, The Power of the Internet)

2011-12-03T10:39:00.001-05:00

What an amazing 2 days it has been...

The Toronto Etiquette Project has made its debut - in a huge way. After launching Thursday morning at about 10am EST, we have gotten major coverage online (BlogTO, Global Toronto, Treehugger), on the radio waves (Newstalk 1010, CBC Radio 1), as well as innumerable mentions on Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. And as far as I can tell from my tracking and analytics, in the last 48 hours:

the blog itself has gotten over 3500 hits, and
the PDF of the cards has been downloaded (or at least viewed) over 500 times

I could not be happier with these results. A project of this nature doesn't work without people, and these numbers seem to indicate that Torontonians are interested in making positive change - together. Thank you everyone, truly.
(continued below)

I am especially pleased with the comments and feedback that are generating on forums, messages boards - and my email inbox. I'd like to take a moment to address some of the common concerns:

"What about a Cyclist card?"
Yes - there seems to be a concern for cyclists' road behavior. I actually drafted a Cyclist card in an earlier version, but I decided to exclude it for a couple reasons: 1) it seemed impractical because of how hard (and not to mention, dangerous) it could be to interact with a cyclist on the road, and 2) it was important that the cards all fit vertically on a letter-sized sheet to ensure the cut-and-accordian-fold format, and 6 cards just didn't fit. If you still want a Cyclist card, let me know, and I'll whip one up!

"What about cards for other cities?"
I hear you. I was going to mock up an alternate set of cards entitled "Urban Etiquette Project", but as the design took shape, the cards took on a very distinctive Toronto esthetic, which seemed like it would be incongruent in other cities. But having said that, the project itself remains flexible and could be easily adapted to take on any city's particular flavour. Want cards for you city? Let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

"What about cards that congratulate good behaviour instead of pointing out bad behaviour?"
I think this is a great idea! And I think it is even greater that this project is sparking new ideas. My hope is that this project will grow and evolve in unexpected ways that empower people to do more good, in Toronto and everywhere. The greatest changes have always started with a small idea.

"Do you actually think this will work?"
You know what - I don't know. It just launched 2 days ago, and I have yet to use one of the cards in my wallet. The reality is I am not walking around like an etiquette crusader with stacks of cards trying to hand them out. All I can say is that I hope it works, and it looks like it could do something. Please allow me to add 2 quick amendments to the unofficial project manifesto:

The Toronto Etiquette Project is a positive (not negative), active (not passive), collective (not selfish) way of thinking about our common condition. These cards are not weapons or violation tickets. They are not intended to offend, and should never be used in an offensive manner. And they are not a substitute for real dialogue. Please think of them as a conversation starter - a way to engage with your fellow citizens. As you carry the cards in your wallet/purse, think of them as a reminder that we should not be afraid to talk to people. If we can't find healthy ways to communicate with each other, we are in deep trouble.
[And this might seem terribly obvious, but I feel like I need to say it] please use your common sense, and do not risk your personal safety if you decide to use these cards. I do not want people to get hurt. These cards will not always be appropriate. If you have any doubt about the safety of the situation, maybe reconsider. We don't want to see these cards used as evidence in court.

"This project/designer is rude/patronizing/pompous/passive-aggressive/condescending/self-righteous/etc."
Thanks for sharing. Haters gonna hate.

Toronto Etiquette Project

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

I love Toronto.

I first visited Toronto in the spring of 2007, and fell in love with this city. Growing up in a small town in Saskatchewan, and then in Alberta for 8 years, I had never experienced a living, breathing metropolis. This city was alive. And through a series of fortunate events, I was able to move to Toronto in June 2009. The love affair began.

Shortly thereafter, the honeymoon period subsided, and I started to notice that some of the stereotypes that Western Canadians purport about Toronto were kind of true; depending on the day, Toronto could be quite fast-paced, impersonal, and, well, rude. On a Friday afternoon in downtown Toronto in the middle of an August heat wave, you won’t see a lot of smiles or hear a lot of niceties; you’re more likely to hear car horns blaring and see the occasional middle finger.

But let’s step back and look at a few statistics. According to Wikipedia,

Toronto is the largest city in Canada, and the the fifth most populous city in North America.
Toronto is one of the world's most diverse cities by percentage of non-native-born residents, with about 49% of the population born outside Canada.
Summer in Toronto is characterized by long stretches of humid weather. Usually in the range from 23 °C (73 °F) to 31 °C (88 °F), daytime temperatures occasionally surpass 35 °C (95 °F) accompanied by high humidity making it feel oppressive during these brief periods of hot weather.

In June 2011, a Toronto Star interview caught my attention. Entitled “Torontonians more and more rude: etiquette expert”, etiquette expert Linda Allan suggested that “indications of incivility are increasing”. But after examining the causes (which included our city's size, diversity and extreme temperatures), she ended the article with a glimmer of hope:

“...while many are quick to be rude, the rest of us are often too polite to say anything. […] Thankfully ... it’s perfectly polite to point out bad manners, so long as it’s done as discreetly as possible without raising one’s voice or using profanity. Indeed, it may be the only way things will change."

This paradox stuck with me. As Canadians, we seem to be programmed to resist confrontation, but at the same time, we are also known for our friendliness and generosity. We want to make things better for everyone, for the greater good. How could we align our passion to help with an obvious need improve overall public manners and etiquette?

I checked the interwebs, and as it turns out, this has been a common concern in Toronto. In 2006, the blog Torontoist released these 4 etiquette citation cards combating Parking Etiquette, Transit Etiquette, Entertainment District Etiquette, and Personal Hygiene Etiquette:

And then in 2010, the National Post newspaper unofficially formed the TTCC, the Toronto Transit Civility Commission, which included 4 transit-focussed posters aimed at transit users who trim their nails, don’t tend to their body odour, listen to music loudly, and hog seats on public transit:
Even across the border, New Yorkers seem interested in this concept of urban etiquette. In June of 2006, New York Magazine released “The Urban Etiquette Handbook”, which thoroughly outlined a series of “rules for getting along in an endlessly wired, ruthlessly crowded, sexually libertarian city.” The topics included: The Office, Cell Phones / iPods, City Living, and Subway / Cabs. As well, New York artist Jay Shells has garnered some attention for his “Metropolitan Transit Authority” project, which included these 4 sassy installation pieces:
And outside NYC, I would be remiss not to mention the valiant effort by Chicago-based studio Coudal Partners back in 2004, and their SHHH cards (the Society for HandHeld Hushing), which specifically targeted cell phone users:

More recently, an interesting not-for-profit campaign that popped up in large cities across Canada (including Toronto) was called the People For Good campaign, spearheaded by Zak Mroueh (of Toronto’s Zulu Alpha Kilo) and Mark Sherman (of Montreal’s Media Experts). With their large-scale posters and billboards (and a companion iPhone app), their objective was to “make the world a better place, one good deed at a time.” When asked for comment by the Globe & Mail in July of this year, Mroueh elaborated that “something like this can make people think differently, truly think more positively.” I couldn’t help but agree.

This is how Toronto Etiquette Project was born. I wanted to create a mini-campaign of my own, amalgamating the best parts of all these endeavours, improving upon their shortcomings, and incorporating my own creative sensibilities. My 5 objectives from the outset were always:

usability & interactiveness - something people would feel compelled to use in real life
visual clarity & stylistic unity - a branded, flexible system that looked professional, legit
succinctness - short and sweet
smart, but not smart-ass; polite, but not preachy
100% fun & free - with a sense of play and lightheartedness that would make people smile

I also wanted to pay tribute to one of Toronto's iconic landmarks and, one of absolute favourite things about Toronto, the TTC subway stations:

Here are the final results:

I focussed on the aforementioned idea that it’s perfectly polite to point out bad manners, so long as it’s done as discreetly as possible. These 5 cards can be printed at home or work (in colour or black and white), and used discreetly in the most common violations of public etiquette in Toronto (as compiled from personal experience, suggestions of friends, and online blogs and forums).

As long as people approach this project with a sense of playfulness and reasonable discretion, I feel that these cards have the potential to 1) improve public etiquette in Toronto, 2) engage people in human-to-human discussion and 3) put a smile on people’s faces. Inspired by the words of Robert Wong, (Executive Creative Director at Google Labs) at the recent Design Thinkers conference in Toronto, designers should always strive to help and delight.

On November 10, 2011, the Toronto Star proclaimed that Toronto is still the most least-liked city in Canada, especially by our Western friends in Alberta. And while my love affair for Toronto continues, my Western roots can’t ignore some of the cold, hard, nasty truths of modern metropolises like Toronto. Call me a dreamer, but I don't believe this has to be this way. Did you know that Toronto used to be called "Toronto the Good"? My hope is that the Toronto Etiquette Project will offer a fresh perspective on Toronto’s infamous civility problems, and will reinvigorate people to engage in collective, positive change.

So, let's get this started. View the companion site here, or download the cards here. And please email and share the links on your social networks so we can get them in as many hands as we can.

Let's make Toronto Greater. Together.

CR

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” - Plato

p.s. I am always open to hearing feedback, criticism, recommendations or revisions. Please send me an email or find me on Twitter.

Food's greatest stage

2011-11-30T08:27:00.001-05:00

Today marks the grand opening of the new Toronto Loblaws, located in the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. I wouldn't normally blog about a grocery store opening, but I am totally in love with the art deco-inspired renderings I have seen on billboards, the new website, as well as window signage on the outside of the new store. The style is perfectly in line with the building itself (which broke ground in 1931) and other era buildings on the block, including the Hydro Toronto building and College Park.

BlogTO also reports that the builders have also revived the original 1950s lettering for the marquee. This makes me very, very happy.

(Top images: Loblaws, Bottom images: BlogTO)

The shop is open

2011-11-27T20:35:00.001-05:00

Big news! As promised, my first alphabet print is available on my new BigCartel site. These 18" x 18" alphabet posters are screen printed with black water-based ink on 245gsm pure white 100% cotton archival paper.

Special thanks to Bianca and Mike at Studio XIX in Toronto for their impeccable printing work - I couldn't be happier with the results.

Know a typography lover? Spread the word, or purchase your limited edition copy today!

Thanks in advance for your support!

CR

Teaser

2011-11-25T17:06:00.001-05:00

If all goes as planned, I have two exciting announcements to make next week. Above is a taste of one of them... stay tuned!

Have a great weekend!

Wrecked... in print!

2011-11-21T10:19:00.001-05:00

Here are a few supplementary shots of my copy of Wrecked Upon This Shore.
Absolutely thrilled!

Wrecked Upon This Shore

2011-11-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

Please join me in congratulating my dear friend Kate Story on her second novel, Wrecked Upon This Shore. I am thrilled to say that this is my first non-fiction book cover design (!), and honoured that Kate asked me to do it.

If you happen to be in Peterborough, the official Ontario launch party is tonight:
Titles Book Store
379 George St. North
Free admission
7:30 p.m.

You can purchase the novel through the publisher, at your local bookstore as well as Chapters/Indigo.

Thanks Kate, and congratulations!

p.s. More photos to come after I pick up my copy tonight.

Type around T.O: Square and rusty edition

2011-11-15T11:39:00.001-05:00

Hart House Theatre

2011-11-14T11:59:00.001-05:00

I am absolutely loving the designs, type treatments and colour choices for Hart House Theatre's 2011/2012 season by in-house designers Sara Herron and Firoozeh Tangestanian. Bravo!

Weekend words

2011-11-11T17:47:00.001-05:00

Have a great weekend!
(image via)

Type around T.O: Gill Sans revealed

2011-11-09T12:08:00.001-05:00

Weekend book find

2011-11-08T14:41:00.001-05:00

Found this lovely typographic artefact by James Craig this past weekend in Ottawa.
(You had me at Helvetica.)

Type around T.O: Ottawa edition

2011-11-07T10:44:00.002-05:00

Parliament of Canada

2011-11-07T08:40:00.005-05:00

No Canadian can stand and look at this cluster of buildings [...] without feeling that somewhere on this Hill, perhaps by a happy accident, architects, masons, and stone carvers have managed to grasp and materialize the beauty of Canada, the vastness of its land, its loneliness, its youth and its hope.

-Bruce Hutchison's, The Unknown Country

Ottawa

2011-11-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

DesignThinkers 2011 recap

2011-11-04T12:26:00.002-04:00

For the last 2 days, I had the privilege of attending my first DesignThinkers conference in Toronto. I have never been surrounded by so much talent and creative energy, and the timing couldn't have been better as I embrace a full-time design career in 2012.

In the interest of the conference's theme - "Let's Connect" - I thought it important to try and share all of the information and inspiration I absorbed in the last 48 hours. Here's a brief summary of my favourite presenters:

DAY 1

George Lois, the "original Mad Man", whose work includes MTV, JiffyLube and multiple Esquire covers, et al.

"creativity can solve almost any problem"
"if you don't burn out at the end of the day, you're a bum"
"design is playing with yourself"
"intuition is more important than intellect"
it is our job as graphic communicators to "capture the zeitgeist of the times"
George's three commandments:

Reject group grope.
Reject analysis paralysis.
Reject con, create icon.

Robert Wong, Executive Creative Director at Google Labs, previously with Starbucks, Apple, et al.

happy wife = happy life
5 positive interactions cancels every negative interaction - be positive!
surprise = (empathy + creativity) / expectations
"designers will rule the world"
"comp the future"
"obsess the why"
"whoever has the strongest WHY wins"
your goal should always be to: 1) help someone, 2) delight someone, 3) or both
Google is 90% science, 10% babytalk (literally)
on success: "show up and be useful…make a dent…add heart…walk the walk…don't take yourself too f*ing seriously"
"technology can empower people…the web is what you make of it"
"give awesome powers to others…make others heroes"
"mandate recess"
"exceed your own expectations"

Allan Haley, Director of Words & Letters at Monotype Imaging

"if you're not failing often, you're not trying hard enough"

Rei Inamoto, Creative Director at AKQA, clients include Nike (Write the Future)

"it's not the man that makes the medium, it's the medium that makes the man"
"advertising is the price you pay for having an unremarkable product" -Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO
transform storytelling into storydoing
5 tips for designing a culture of innovation:

Do what wasn't possible 5 years ago.
Solve the obvious in an unconventional way, or solve the unconventional in an obvious way.
Specialization is the enemy of innovation.
If you can't find a way, make one.
Innovation needs a Hacker, a Hustler and a Hipster.

"the future belongs to those who create it"

Chip Kidd, Associate Art Director at Knopf/Random House

mantras are important; his current one: "B*tch, I don't know your life."
"…so I put some sh*tty typography on it (c'mon, it was the 90s)"
"figure out how to enjoy your process"
"try harder, try harder, try harder"
be careful what you wish for

DAY 2

Leland Maschmeyer, Creative Director and partner at Collins

"we have a culture obsessed with our own demise"
"when there is no vision, people perish"
"how can design unite people in devise times around a shared future?"
more technology is not necessarily better: the brightest light casts the darkest shadow, there are billions of big brothers surveilling each other
in the commons age,"access trumps ownership"
fill the world with fascination, with visions that compel us out of our limits
"fear doesn't tolerate indifference"
"although the world doesn't know what the world will look like - with [designers], they will"

Eric Ryan, founder of Method natural cleaning products

"progress is more important the perfection" (best is the enemy of good)
"if you can't be the biggest, be the fastest"
"the entire day should be a brainstorm"

Jessica Hische, letterer, illustrator, robot?

"don't think and execute on the same day"
"advocate for the specializers"
side projects ("passion projects") can be game changers
"make things you like and wish existed"
"technology can't (and shouldn't) replace everything"

Steve Edge, "madman, prophet, wanderer"

"passion looks after you"
"don't wait for that special day to put on your golden shoes"
"dress for a party everyday, and the party will come to you"

I hope these ideas inspire you as much as they inspired me. Have a great weekend!

Heart-wrenching theatre

2011-11-02T21:19:00.003-04:00

Toronto friends: please do not miss Buddies in Bad Times / Studio 180 production of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart, playing until November 6. It's likely to be the most powerful production you will see all year.

Applied Art, 1929

2011-11-01T14:46:00.000-04:00

I found this delightful antique applied arts coursebook for $6, filled with beautiful diagrams, illustrations, and these superb lettering specimens.

Tweet tweet

2011-11-01T07:09:00.002-04:00

Want to be friends? Find me on Twitter here!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:14:00.001-04:00

7 billion

2011-10-30T11:28:00.001-04:00

The United Nations has forecasted that the world's population will surpass 7 billion tomorrow. Only 12 years ago (in October 1999), the world passed the 6 billion mark. So, just how much is 7 billion? Here's a little visualization:

See that tiny dot? (No, that's not a speck of dust on your screen.) That's one pixel.
Let's say one pixel = one person.

Each one of these black blocks have 333,000 pixels (576 pixels X 578 pixels).
So, when you look at these three blocks together, you are looking at about 1 million pixels.

Now imagine looking at 7,000 sets of these blocks (21,000 blocks in total).
Or, imagine looking at an image on a monitor that was 83,666 pixels X 83,666 pixels.
The monitor would need to be about 64 feet X 64 feet.

That's 7 billion.
Yikes!

I love Saturdays

2011-10-30T11:11:00.003-04:00

Yesterday at the St. Lawrence Market (probably my favourite place in Toronto)

Weekend words

2011-10-28T18:07:00.000-04:00

Have a great weekend everyone!

Laundry day

2011-10-27T16:42:00.002-04:00

As seen on Queen St. West.

The trouble with doppelgängers

2011-10-26T09:10:00.002-04:00

...is they mess up your Google Alerts. Pictured above is Chris Rouleau, also known as Blaze Ya Dead Homie, part of the American gangsta rap / horrorcore group, Insane Clown Posse. Him and his (*cough cough*) posse were arrested on Saturday, and needless to say, my Google Alerts have been haywire all week. Such is life, I guess. :P

Rocket by time

2011-10-25T08:47:00.001-04:00

Loving this infographic by James Rosselet, which shows times between TTC stops. Neat-o!
(via BlogTO)

Türkiye için (For Turkey)

2011-10-24T12:52:00.001-04:00

I recently found these delightful Turkish children's books. My thoughts go out to all of the Turkish citizens in Turkey and abroad who have been affected by the disastrous earthquake this weekend.

Words for the weekend

2011-10-21T16:41:00.001-04:00

A sudden change of direction

2011-10-20T08:28:00.000-04:00

Apologies for my absence the last few days. One week ago, I found out my colleagues and I will be laid off as of December 31, 2011. The last week has been a whirlwind of soul-searching and life-planning.

As you may or may not know, I have been pursuing freelance graphic design part-time for the last year. I have been so fortunate to work some amazing clients - both old and new. With this new development, I am happy to report that I will be available to take on design and type projects full-time starting on January 1, 2012!

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported me up to this point. I am so grateful to be surrounded by such amazingly supportive and talented friends and family across the continent. It overwhelms me. I want you all to know that it was your words of encouragement that helped solidify my decision to pursue design. A giant group hug is in order!

Change, especially sudden change, is never easy. But I also believe that all things (good, and not-so-good) happen for a reason. I am so excited to see what the future has in store.

Please stay tuned… big, amazing things to come!

xo,
CR

Day on the farm

2011-10-17T09:24:00.002-04:00

I had a wonderful day yesterday surrounded by animals, food and new friends. Thanks Beth and Alex, Anne and Mike, and everyone else on the farm!

Morning coffee memo

2011-10-13T15:17:00.002-04:00

Weekend pie

2011-10-12T11:22:00.001-04:00

Weekend painting

2011-10-11T08:21:00.003-04:00

This weekend was spent enjoying the beautiful weather, eating pie, and finishing this oil painting for Hugh and Tracey's cottage. Life is good!

Thankful

2011-10-07T14:39:00.000-04:00

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend everyone.

Connecting the dots (Repost)

2011-10-05T21:00:00.000-04:00

I first posted this on 6/3/2011:

"... And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting ... And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

... Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

... Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

- Excerpt from commencement address by Steve Jobs at Stanford University, delivered on June 12, 2005. Rest in peace, Mr. Jobs. 

Geode fun!

2011-10-05T13:13:00.000-04:00

Fauxgo love!

2011-10-04T11:22:00.001-04:00

My Edward Lewis Enterprises logo from my silly Edward Lewis Scholarship Fund is featured on Fauxgo today, which presents logos of fictional companies or organizations.
Thanks Tymn!

Roughing it in the books

2011-10-04T08:18:00.000-04:00

Here's a logo I created for my good friend Melanie's new literature blog, Roughing It In The Books. You can see in the screenshot below that the colour scheme was based on her collection of antique books from the New Canadian Library. Thanks Melanie, and happy reading!

Fulcrum Group

2011-10-03T08:20:00.000-04:00

Above is the new logo I created for Fulcrum Group, an HR consulting company in Alberta. The objective was to create a clean, contemporary logo that instilled solidarity, professionalism and approachability. (N.B.: A fulcum is the point on which a lever rests / pivots, or, a thing that plays a central or essential role in an activity, event, or situation.) Below are a few of the preliminary mockups to give an idea of the logo's progression.
Thanks Gary, and best of luck with Fulcrum!

Nuit Blanche 2011

2011-10-02T11:50:00.001-04:00

Spectacular lightshow at Nathan Philips Square last night!

Hello October

2011-10-01T11:47:00.000-04:00

Don't mess with The Maids

2011-09-29T16:11:00.001-04:00

If you are in Toronto, do not miss Buddies in Bad Times production of
The Maids by Jean Genet
Running until October 9
(Above photo: Tanja-Tiziana)

My name is Chris

2011-09-28T15:35:00.001-04:00

Just a little sketch I found from my design school days...

Ottawa Action

2011-09-27T14:57:00.001-04:00

These are four banners I designed for Greenpeace Canada and their recent campaign, Ottawa Action. Below is a photo from the event on Parliament Hill yesterday. More photos here.

(Photo credit: Ben Powless/OttawaAction.ca)

What the Hell's for Dinner?

2011-09-26T10:15:00.001-04:00

In conjunction with the Let's Get Sh*t Done Sheet, I'd like to introduce the What the Hell's For Dinner Sheet!

This is a new tool I've created to take the worry out of weekly food planning. Simply print, plan out your week, and place on your fridge for easy reference.

Download your free copy from my website here!

Let's Get Sh*t Done!

2011-09-26T10:14:00.003-04:00

October starts this Saturday - what better way to start a new month than with a new Let's Get Sh*t Done Sheet!

This is a *new* version of the former Get Sh*t Done Sheet, a week-by-week personal task management tool I created to make weekly errands and chores less tedious - and more fun!

Download your free copy from my website here! And enjoy!

Update: 10* reasons to work with me

2011-09-23T08:26:00.001-04:00

Here are some shots of my new poster that I had printed this week. How delicious are those colours?!
Have a great weekend, friends!

Alphabet print #1

2011-09-22T09:08:00.001-04:00

This is the first in a series of alphabet prints that will be available through my site very soon.
Here are a couple proposed layouts:

Custom prints are always available - just send me an email!

Lincoln

2011-09-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

These are 2 prints that I created my dear friend Stacey's son, Lincoln. Both feature my sans serif font, Geometrica, and the bottom one is created with Lincoln's favourite words. This was super fun to work on, and I think the framing and placement in Lincoln's room look perfect. Thanks Stacey!

Suzanne Ferguson

2011-09-20T08:57:00.001-04:00

This is a logo I created for my friend, web developer and designer Suzanne Ferguson. She creates websites with a streamlined sensibility and a focus on clarity and usability. Suzanne knows how to keep it simple and elegant, and I think this new logo reflects this.
Good luck on all your future projects, Suzanne!

Good morning, afternoon, evening

2011-09-19T09:17:00.001-04:00

Mother Nature's impressive display at Lovesick Lake

The weekend is here

2011-09-16T20:06:00.000-04:00

Lots of fun stuff coming next week, including some exciting additions to my portfolio...
Have a great weekend everyone!

Collage type love

2011-09-15T10:06:00.000-04:00

1 We Sing As One by Jeff Rogers

2 Vogue Cover by Salvador Dali, 1944

3 ABC by Mike Lemanski

4 Lousiana by A. Micah Smith, part of State Mottos Project

5 Prosperity in 2010 by Jessica Walsh

Some of these via Typeverything, others via the internets

Type around T.O: TTC edition

2011-09-14T09:05:00.000-04:00

Officemate

2011-09-13T09:39:00.002-04:00

Modular awesomeness

2011-09-09T08:47:00.000-04:00

Loving this typeface by Moire via FontSeek

Spectacular

2011-09-08T08:49:00.000-04:00

-Paula Scher, quoted from the short PBS Arts documentary, Off Book: Type

10* reasons to work with me

2011-09-06T07:48:00.000-04:00

In light of Friday's post on crowdsourcing, here are 10 reasons why you should choose me over sites like 99designs.ca.
Have a great week!

Crowdsourcing?

2011-09-02T08:39:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about design crowd-sourcing in the last couple weeks. The impetus was a radio ad I heard for 99designs.ca, a new-ish graphic design marketplace. Essentially, clients create design contests, establish their prize, and a network of designers produce speculative (spec) work, hoping that their design will be chosen. From their site:

A typical contest has dozens of designers competing to produce the best design. The more money you [the client] offer, the more designers you'll attract.

For some reason, I found this really bothersome. Who is this site really for - clients or designers?
And then, in the last few days, a new site popped up: antispec.com. Their mandate:

Spec(ulative) work is a cancer within the design industry and all designers need to understand their role in fighting it.

This site - and the topic of spec work - seems to be dividing designers all over the internets: those in favour and those against. I am still having trouble formulating my stance on this topic (hence, this post). While I am aware of the overall globalization and "democratization" of online media and labour (n.b. the microstock photography industry in the last 10 years, or more recently, Amazon's Mechanical Turk), I can't help but feel a little shafted as a designer. Design contest sites are taking advantage of designers by creating a sweatshop environment (there's always someone who will do the "same" work for less). And by doing this, these sites are devaluing the graphic design industry as a whole.

I just participated in a crowd-sourcing design contest (the Logo for Human Rights), so I feel a little hypocritical saying that all crowd-sourcing is wrong (prominent designers Tina Roth Eisenberg [Swiss Miss] and Erik Spiekermann were even on the judging panel!) I thought my intentions were good at the time, but perhaps I will think twice before entering another contest, even if it is not-for-profit. As they note on antispec.com:

You’re better off contacting a charity and designing their website for free to add to your folio rather than pissing into the wind at a crowdsource website.

Sadly, I don't think this trend can or will be stopped anytime soon. As designers, we will have to make the best of it. And we will.

CR

Hello September

2011-09-01T09:08:00.000-04:00

Summer is coming to a close in Toronto - you can feel autumn knocking at the door.
I will have some new projects to share in the next month or two... stay tuned!

Type around T.O: Delivery truck edition

2011-08-30T10:34:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: Logo for Human Rights

2011-08-29T09:45:00.004-04:00

The bad news: my logo was not selected for the Logo Design Challenge for Human Rights.

The good news: above are the 10 finalists who were chosen.

In an effort to find a logo that truly represents human rights, it is now up to the world to choose. Please go to the site, cast your vote, and spread the word.

The winning logo will be presented on September 23rd.

Type around T.O: Make me smile edition

2011-08-26T15:55:00.001-04:00

Have a great weekend everyone!

How to work better

2011-08-26T10:26:00.001-04:00

Another inspiring list via SwissMiss

Then and now, part 5

2011-08-25T06:55:00.002-04:00

City Hall on Bay Street, circa 1930 and 2011

(top photo via BlogTO)

Jack Layton Memorial, Toronto City Hall

2011-08-24T08:13:00.002-04:00

A list that works for me

2011-08-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

via Swiss Miss

Type around T.O: No Parking edition

2011-08-23T07:02:00.000-04:00

Final words

2011-08-22T14:47:00.001-04:00

A sad day

2011-08-22T09:46:00.003-04:00

Jack Layton, NDP party leader and LGBT supporter, dies at age 61.

Pictured above at Toronto Pride 2011 with his wife Olivia Chow.

You will be missed, Jack.

As seen on Queen Street West

2011-08-22T09:38:00.002-04:00

Will Facebook be taken down on November 5, 2011?

Type around T.O: Stratford edition

2011-08-19T12:27:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday, I had the privilege of visiting Stratford, Ontario, and taking in two plays at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival:

Hosanna by Michel Tremblay, playing in the Studio Theatre until September 24, 2011

Jesus Christ Superstar by Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber, playing in the Avon Theatre until November 6, 2011

I ♥ Porter

2011-08-19T11:50:00.005-04:00

I considering using Porter Airlines to fly to Montréal last week because of sheer convenience. Flying out of Toronto Island airport seemed so much easier than schelping all the way up to Pearson International. Plus, I have always enjoyed their jazzy, laidback radio ads, and I wanted to see what I've been missing.

They did not disappoint.

First of all, I was able to get a seat sale - $41 one-way flight (before taxes) was an offer I could not refuse.
The trip to the airport was super fun - a FREE shuttle from the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, and then a quick ferry ride across the lake. I felt like a kid again.
There was NO lineup at security. I think I even saw a security guard smile.
They call their waiting room a lounge for good reason. Patrons have full access to a host of goodies in the kitchen (including 2 high-tech espresso bars), a "business centre" (with a dozen iMac desktop computers, à la Apple Store), and a elegant seating area (clean and comfortable grey streamline decor, with private areas for groups and families).
Once on the plane, the snacks were not pretzels and cookies. En route to Montréal (which I should say was only 55 minutes), we were given a small bag of Terra root vegetable chips, and a beverage (which included Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea). And on the way back, our snack was a perfect-sized roast chicken sandwich, a basil and olive oil tossed pasta salad, and a Lindt chocolate (pictured in the box above). Decadence!
This was the kicker: on my way back home, I arrived at Montréal Trudeau airport almost 2 hours early (poor calculation on my part). At check-in, the representative smiled, and offered to switch my flight to an earlier flight - at no charge. So I ended up getting home almost 2 hours earlier than expected!

I don't normally plug businesses on the blog, but I am willing to make an exception in this case. This easily the best and easiest travel experience I have ever had. I will be looking for any excuse to fly Porter in the near future, and I recommend you give them a chance.

Also, I must give kudos to the designers behind the Porter Airlines design and brand team. I am completely smitten over Porter the Raccoon. (You can only imagine how ecstatic I was to see him on the cover of my sandwich box, eating the letters 'p' and 'r'.) Below are a few more example of the illustration work, conceived by Neal Whittington in 2006, and now under the fine direction of Erica Dorn. Bravo!

Takin' it to the streets: Montréal street art

2011-08-18T20:13:00.000-04:00

Marché Jean-Talon

2011-08-18T20:10:00.003-04:00

Of all the places I visited in Montréal, Marché Jean-Talon was definitely one of my favourites.

Type around T.O: Montréal favourites edition

2011-08-18T20:05:00.002-04:00

Type around T.O: Old Montréal edition

2011-08-18T20:01:00.002-04:00

Type around T.O: Montréal script edition

2011-08-18T19:57:00.002-04:00

Type around T.O: Montréal facades edition

2011-08-18T19:48:00.004-04:00

A show of pride

2011-08-18T19:23:00.003-04:00

This summer, the city of Montréal showed its pride by sponsoring a massive art installation called Aires Libres (loosely translated, "Free Air / Free Space"). Several city blocks (1.2km between Berri and Papineau metro stations) along Sainte-Catherine Street East have been traffic-free and adored with 170,000 "boules roses" (pink ornamental balls). From the website:

The three different size pink resin balls will produce a five-tone hue creating the effect of a long sequenced ribbon. Enjoy unique and festive moments as you stroll under a sky of pink resin balls while experiencing the succession of nine different suspension patterns that stretch over a 1.2 km distance between Berri and Papineau streets. A color event that asserts itself in the heart of the Village.

The other exciting installation is called Manifeste:

Manifeste can only be revealed and decoded under certain angles. To read it, one must step backwards to Wolfe St., and then find the right angle .... Night or day, Manifeste is a reminder that vital thoughts and reflections surround us without being noticed and that sometimes a slight change in perspective suddenly places us in front of what is apparent. On occasion, when we are not seeing the forest for the trees, the crown of high forest reveals a message of hope.

Bravo Montréal.

Montréal Pride 2011

2011-08-18T19:16:00.003-04:00

La belle Montréal

2011-08-18T19:05:00.003-04:00

Time to land

2011-08-18T12:07:00.003-04:00

My summer mini-vacation(s) are coming to a close for the year. After doing a whirlwind tour of the West (Calgary, Banff & Edmonton), I was fortunate enough to be able to travel East to Montréal over the last few days. Many photos coming in the next day or two... stay tuned!

Less is more

2011-08-12T07:55:00.003-04:00

I absolutely love these Fairy Tale posters by Christian Jackson

Be sure to check out all 15 of them here!

(via)

Monoceros

2011-08-09T09:50:00.004-04:00

I highly recommend that you purchase (or loan) and read Suzette Mayr's new novel Monoceros.

Monoceros offers an intimate (and unique) portrait of a community of Catholic high school staff and students who are forever changed by the suicide of a bullied LGBT teen.

(Congratulation Suzette!)

Ridley's House of Novelties

2011-08-08T09:01:00.000-04:00

My sister gave me this fantastic Slinky for my birthday (sorry - I mean coiled spring toy!), designed by Joe Snow for Wild & Wolf. Check out some more of his amazing retro-infused toy designs below.

Hee Haw Collective

2011-08-06T16:44:00.004-04:00

I stumbled upon this awesome poster project in Edmonton called Hee Haw Collective, facilitated by designers Amanda Woodward and Kristin Gibson. Check out all the awesome posters here, and even become a contributor!