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AMA: Elliot Jay Stocks, co-founder of Lagom magazine, founder of 8 Faces magazine, former Creative Director of Adobe Typekit

almost 8 years ago from Elliot Jay Stocks, Co-founder of Lagom magazine, founder of 8 Faces magazine

  • Dimitrie Hoekstra, almost 8 years ago

    Hi Elliot,

    I have been following you around for some years. What is your best tip for creating something new/being different with type on for example media such as web and mobile apps, while keeping the quality high?

    Of course buying fonts from foundries is a step in the right direction, but what is your train of thought when creating something amazing.

    1 point
    • Elliot Jay Stocks, almost 8 years ago (edited almost 8 years ago )

      Hi Dimitrie. That's a good one — and also tough to answer!

      Yes, paying for fonts and investing in really robust families (multiple script support, full OpenType features, expertly-spaced, etc.) is a great start. I would say the next step — and obviously this doesn't just apply to type, but more to design as a whole — is to consciously avoid trends. At the same time, of course, it's worth looking into why the ‘classics’ are considered classics. Some typefaces are great workhorses. But no typeface is an island, or so they say (do they say that?), and some of the most innovative typography can come through thoughtful type pairings. Tim Brown’s book, Combining Typefaces is a great reference in that regard.

      I hope that helps!

      1 point