Lighthouse
Sunrise
Happy.
What it’s like to have three kids…
This post was originally posted on November 13, 2015 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
I get asked a lot what it’s like to have three kids. Mostly from people with two kids thinking about whether they want to have another. Sometimes, the question comes from younger couples who are thinking about having kids.1 And I always struggle to answer.
My standard answer is that when you have three kids, you have to switch from man-to-man to zone. You lose a little control. You are outnumbered. And while that is completely accurate, it sounds scary and intimidating, which isn’t at all what I want to communicate. I love having three kids.
My other answer is that with three kids, how far apart they are really matters. I’ve had friends with three kids under four years old. For us, our oldest was seven when her brother was born. Those are two radically different situations. But that doesn’t really answer the question.
Sunday morning, an interaction with the kids gave me the answer I was missing. We were waking up and getting ready for church.
Middle child: What are we doing for breakfast?
Me: I don’t know. We’ll probably have a small breakfast now and maybe go to brunch after church.
Youngest: WHAT! We can’t go to a restaurant! We need to go to church! (He LOVES Sunday School.)
Me: We are going to church. We might go out to eat after church.
Youngest: Why can’t we eat at church?
Me: Because they aren’t serving breakfast at church.2
Oldest (from another room): We’re having breakfast at church?!?
And that’s what it’s like having three kids — like adding a person to a game of telephone. It gets a little bit crazier. Funnier. Unpredictable. Often delightful and occasionally frustrating. But never boring.
Bob Wertz is a creative director, type designer, Ph.D. student and researcher living in Columbia, South Carolina. He’s been blogging since 2008.
Beautiful fall day on campus.
Moving an InDesign page to a different document
This post was originally posted on November 11, 2015 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
NOTE: While this page may have useful insights, be aware that it was published more than 10 years ago and may not be relevant for current software versions.
This week, I needed to copy pages from one InDesign file to another. Thankfully, it’s super easy.
Select the page you want to copy from the pages palette. Choose “Move Pages…” from the flyout menu on the pages palette. (Or Layout > Pages > Move pages…)
You can then choose which pages* you want to move and where you want to move it. The default is to move the pages to another spot in the same document, but you can select any document that is open.
Select the destination with the “Move to:” combo box.
And you are done. As a bonus tip, there’s a similar trick in Photoshop, too, that I’ve written about in the past.
* In case you were wondering, it doesn’t matter if the documents you are merging are different page sizes.
Saturday morning sketching.
Post-haircut frozen yogurt. One long. One short.
Introducing Intermodal
This post was originally posted on November 5, 2015 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
I’ve been fascinated by stenciled type for a while. Stencils started as a practical necessity – an easy and utilitarian way to reproduce type. But the use of stencils has evolved and is now visually representative of industry and military.
A few weeks ago, I quietly rolled out my latest stencil typeface on Creative Market: Intermodal.
Intermodal started as an experiment. I wanted to create a design that had only vertical stencil cuts. I didn’t like how the cuts on other stencil designs didn’t line up cleanly. By only using vertical cuts, I didn’t have to worry about the horizontal alignment.*
Intermodal is an all cap design, but includes a wide range of foreign language characters, a set of Opentype tabular numerals and an alternate “9.” Intermodal doesn’t have traditional weights. Instead, there are five widths, from A to E. A is more narrow and E is wider. The different versions can be used together to create a utilitarian look. I’ve also got an oblique version of each width for a total of 10 fonts in the family.
For now, the entire Intermodal family — 10 fonts in all — is available exclusively at Creative Market for $29.
Intermodal is one of my favorite creations. I hope you like it.
* After my first set of sketches, I noticed that it was structurally very similar to Power Grid. So I added a stencil version to Power Grid 2.0 and I continued to refine Intermodal. Different look, but similar design approach.
I used to read the ads
This post was originally posted on November 3, 2015 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
When I was a kid, I loved magazines. I was curious about everything and in the 80s and 90s – before the internet — there was a magazine for everything. I got magazines about photography, sailing, model railroading, computers, science, cars, bicycling, comics, art, baseball cards and more. If you wanted to learn about a topic, magazines were a cheap and easy way to find out more. In fact, I read MacUser before I could ever afford my first Mac.
I’d read them cover to cover. And that often included the ads. Ads were an integral part of the experience because they were targeted directly at the magazine’s audience. The ads complimented and supplemented the editorial content.
Some of those magazines are still around*, but blogs and online content are much more efficient ways to gather information, especially for beginners.
Today, ads on blogs are more like billboards than the niche, targeted magazine ads. Many of these blogs serve ads that are from a network and most of those ads have no real connection to the blog’s topic.
Network buys allow advertisers to serve ads only to a target demographic. This seems like a dream situation for many advertisers, but reaching niche audiences is much more difficult. It’s hard to identify from demographics or browsing history who is interested in a topic like cameras or fountain pens.
I’ve been listening to podcasts lately. Podcasts about topics like fountain pens, pencils and space. The ads that run on these podcasts are like the old magazine ads — they support and complement the editorial content. And as a result, I’ve made purchases based on recommendations from ads on podcasts. I can’t say that I’ve ever made a purchasing decision based on a random banner ad.
Context matters. If I was a media buyer today, I’d look closely at podcasting and tightly curated ad networks. They might be the best fit for online advertising to niche markets.
* Still around, but much harder to find. Newsstands are gone in most parts of the country. Bookstores aren’t as common. Grocery stores have smaller and smaller selections of publications.
Ready to go.
Stormtrooper selfie
Clearly Rapunzel.
Help me please.
The definitive guide to rounding corners in InDesign CC 2015
This post was originally posted on October 28, 2015 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
NOTE: While this page may have useful insights, be aware that it was published more than 10 years ago and may not be relevant for current software versions.
Over the last two weeks, a 2010 post of mine on rounding corners has suddenly become very popular.* I wrote it for CS4 and posted an updated version for CS5. But I wanted to revisit the tip and update it for Creative Cloud 2015.
The process for rounding corners is actually more complicated than I expected and is different depending on what shape you are working with.
Rounding corners on a square or rectangle
Rounding the corners** on a rectangle is straightforward and there are actually a couple of ways to do it.
The yellow box method: When you click on a rectangle with the selection tool, a yellow box appears near the upper right hand corner. Click the yellow box and diamonds appear at the corners. Drag the corners inward to round the corners equally.
To round only one corner, click the yellow box and then, while holding down shift, click and drag on the corner you want to modify.
(1) Click the yellow box in the upper right hand corner to edit the corners. (2) Drag the diamonds to change the amount of the corner effect. (3) Hold the shift Key to change only one corner.
The dialog box method: If you prefer a little more precision, you can go to Object > Corner Options… and set the rounded corner to a specific value. And it’s easy to round one corner.
Set the amount and style of your corner effects with the corner options dialog box. Uncheck the chain icon to set corners independently.
The control palette method: You can set a rounded corner value for all four corners in the control palette.
View fullsize
The corner controls are easy to find… It’s the only icon in the Control Palette with blue dots.
Rounding all corners on polygons that are not squares or rectangles
So rounding corners on rectangles is easy, but what if you don’t have a rectangle. It’s still easy, but different.
The yellow box method: Doesn’t work. The yellow box appears only for rectangles. Triangle, trapezoid, hexagon… no yellow box.
The dialog box method: Works just like it does for the rectangle with one, major exception. You can’t round individual corners. All of the corners have to be exactly the same.
Try to change the corner size or shape on a shape other than a rectangle and all but one input field is faded out.
The control palette method: Exactly the same as the rectangle method, with no control over individual corners.
Rounding individual corners on a polygon
So let’s say I want to round selected corners on any polygon. None of the normal methods will work, but thankfully, Adobe provides a script for this.
The scripting panel (Window > Utilities > Scripts) contains an Application folder with sample scripts in Applescript and Javascript. Select the “CornerEffects.applescript” or “CornerEffects.jsx.”
The top part of the dialog box essentially provides the same options as the “Corner Options” dialog box. And the offset box allows you to adjust the size of the corner. The Pattern combo box defaults to “all points,” but take a look at the options available: first point, last point, second point, third point, odd points, even points and more…
When applied to a box, it gives you the ability to round or bevel selected corners. Sometimes, it takes a little trial and error to figure out which point the “first” point is. The first point usually seems to be point in the upper left and then selection moves counterclockwise.
Pretty much the only way to make these shapes in InDesign is with the Corner Effects Script.
You can also use the odd and even points patterns on a star shape. “Odd points” effect the inside points. “Even points” modify the outside points.
That should help you round any corner you need. As an aside, Adobe Illustrator has a completely different and superior corner rounding process. Personally, I hope that Adobe adopts the Illustrator method in InDesign.
* Google works in mysterious ways.
** You can do more than just round corners. You can bevel them or create several different effects. But most people just want to round them.
Little short for a stormtrooper.
New mechanical pencil from @jetpens.
Pine
Wait 'til next year
This post was originally posted on October 22, 2015 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
I’m a die hard Cubs fan and have been since I was little. My heart has been broken many, many times. And this year, my Cubbies ran into the buzzsaw that is the 2015 New York Mets and got swept in dominating fashion.
This team reminds me of another Chicago sports team — the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls — who couldn’t beat the Detroit Pistons for a number of years before winning six championships. In baseball and today’s sports environment, the window to win is so small. There’s a lot of pressure to win now because everyone else is getting better, too. But the Cubs will continue to improve with a ton of young talent. And that talent is only going to get better.
I enjoyed this season. It was fun to have my Cubs relevant again. And as much as I hate watching them swept out of the playoffs*, I’m confident that we are going to be good for years to come.
So, yes, I’ll give you the traditional Cubs fan refrain is always “Wait ’til next year!” But this year, it’s less lament and more warning. Next year, we’ll be even better.
Go Cubs!
* This year, we did beat the Pirates in a one game playoff and the Cardinals in the NLDS. And those wins were a lot of fun.
Inbox Zero-ish
This post was originally posted on October 9, 2015 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
Zero
About eight years ago, I discovered Merlin Mann’s Inbox Zero series at 43 Folders. At the time, I had no system for handling email and a corporate job that generated a lot of email. There was too much email volume and I had no idea how to manage it all.
Inbox Zero completely changed the way that I manage email. I’m not a hardcore Inbox Zero or GTD* user, but I’ve incorporated much of the Inbox Zero philosophy into my workflow.
I find that designers are particularly bad at managing email. They don’t want to spend time sorting and filing email when they can be sketching, coding or creating. For me, though, having a massive inbox hanging over my head completely stresses me out. A system for handling email helps me function better as both a creative director and a designer.
I’ve been talking with a bunch of folks lately about Inbox Zero. People with thousands of unread emails in their inbox. As we talked, I realized that I’ve never blogged about my personal email process.
First things first… If you haven’t read Inbox Zero, go read it now. It’s a series of blog posts written in 2006. I reread it recently and it’s dated, mentioning apps that no longer exist. It was written before the release of the iPhone, too, so you’ll see some references to Blackberry. (Remember those?) But even though the posts are old, the Inbox Zero philosophy is still as applicable as ever. (Especially pay attention to the section that tells you how to get from an thousands of messages to zero in a hurry.)
My list below is about my office email, which is Microsoft Exchange-based. My home email isn’t handled as rigidly, although I may change that.
Here’s my version:
- My inbox stays at between 25-50 messages. Sometimes it gets to zero. Sometimes it gets to 100. But it rarely gets over 100. (I’m talking here about total messages, not unread messages.)
- If it does get over 100 messages, I look to schedule some time to sort.
- I sort all my mail into a number of folders. The most important is “action required.” I also have buckets for “future reference” and some specific project related folders. Set up a folder structure that makes sense for the type of email you get. These folders reside on the server so they still sync to my iPhone and iPad.
- If something ends up in “action required,” it also ends up in Wunderlist. Wunderlist*** syncs a to do list between my home and office Macs, iPad and iPhone. That way, an “action required” item also ends up on my master to do list.
- As projects are completed, I check them off Wunderlist and trash the corresponding email.
- My “future reference” folder is where information goes that I don’t need to act on, but may need to refer to later. The bonus is that it’s easily searchable.
- My inbox is always at zero when I leave for vacation.
- I typically do most email work in the morning and late afternoon. I also do quick email sprints if I get a few minutes before a meeting.
- I find that I sort email really quickly on my iPhone or iPad. But I prefer typing longer responses on my Mac. So I use all my devices in managing my email.
- I don’t allow for email notifications on my phone, except for those people that I’ve tagged as VIPs. No beeps or buzzes. No pop-up windows.
- I don’t subscribe to email newsletters or mailing lists that I don’t find absolutely critical.**
And that’s it. It’s not perfect. There are plenty of times that email gets away from me. (I get a lot of email.) But having a basic structure keeps me from drowning in electronic correspondence.
I’m always looking to adjust the system. I’m thinking about changing up my folder structure to better mirror the email I get. I’d love to find a way to automate copying a task from “action required” to Wunderlist. (I know I can forward the email to Wunderlist, but I don’t like the way it sets up the item on the to do list.) And I need to be more intentional about setting more rigid times for checking email and ignoring it the rest of the day.
There are newer email clients that try to make it easier to manage email.**** And while I’m interested in trying some of them like Mailbox or Inbox, they primarily work with Gmail or IMAP. Since most of my email volume is in Outlook/Exchange, they don’t work for me.
The hardest thing about Inbox Zero is finding balance and not obsessing about it. The sun will rise and the sun will set and you will get more email.
Remember that Newton’s Third Law applies to email, too. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If you send a lot of messages, you get a lot of messages. It’s really frustrating when you get caught up on email, send a bunch of responses, and within hours, you have a full inbox. Don’t get discouraged, that’s just the way things go sometimes.
Got any thoughts on my email process and how to improve it?
* GTD = Getting Things Done. It’s a wonderful system for staying organized and… well… getting things done. I suppose I use some GTD tactics, but I’m hardly a GTD fanatic.
** I do subscribe to mailing lists on my personal accounts, but I’m starting to be ruthless. I do have an Unroll Me account that I use on my main personal account and it does a great job of keeping junk mail under control.
*** I really like Wunderlist, but it could be any to do list or project management app. I’m a little nervous about Microsoft’s acquisition of Wunderlist, but maybe it will mean an easier connection between Outlook and Wunderlist.
**** The iOS version of Outlook is impressive, but it doesn’t support VIP notifications. Notifications are either all on or all off. That’s a deal breaker for me so I went back to using Apple’s default Mail app on my phone.