This post was originally posted on May 13, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
Things always loop back around
Each week for a year, I’m designing a shirt and releasing it on my Threadless store. This is the design for week 47.
I was a young kid when my parents got us a Commodore VIC-20. Around the same time, I was exposed to TRS-80 computers at school. With either system, you could load and play very simple games, but you could also write some simple programs. One of the easiest things to do was to write a simple loop, and then the string in the first line would repeat infinitely.
I’d go into Sears, Montgomery Ward or Service Merchandise and they had computers out in the electronics department. No one really knew how to display computers, and it was pretty clear the sales people had no idea what to do with a computer. The machines would just sit there. So I’d always write a loop, with “hello” or my name repeating infinitely. Just because I could.
It was also in that Chicago suburb that I learned about coffee. My father was the pastor at a Lutheran church with a strong Swedish heritage. And those church members loved their coffee. Strong, black coffee. No cream. No sugar. I didn’t drink coffee then… I was too young. But many years later, when I acquired a taste for coffee, I always tried to drink it black because I believed that had to be the best way to enjoy coffee. It’s funny how experiences from childhood always manage to loop back around.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. He’s currently nearing the end of a project to design a new shirt a week for an entire year. Follow Bob on Twitter, Instagram and Micro.Blog.
This post was originally posted on May 6, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
Facts at my fingertips
Each week for a year, I’m designing a shirt and releasing it on my Threadless store. This is the design for week 46.
My daughter, Jill, was asking me what I read for fun when I was her age. The answer probably isn’t surprising for anyone that really knows me: I read the encyclopedia for fun.*
My family had a set of World Book encyclopedias. I’d grab a volume, crack it open and look for something that interested me. I liked to read about space travel, other countries and creatures of all sorts.
Jill, of course, has no idea what an encyclopedia is. She eventually concluded that it was “like the internet, but printed out and never updated.” And yes, that’s reasonably accurate and more than a little snarky. But when I was a kid, the world’s knowledge, as I understood it, was completely contained within the 20 or so volumes that sat on the shelf in the family room. I still love finding a topic on Wikipedia and learning everything I can about it.
* I read more than just the encyclopedia. I also loved the atlas and anything by David Macaulay.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. He’s currently in the middle of a project to design a new shirt a week for an entire year.
This post was originally posted on April 29, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
Tangible validation
Each week for a year, I’m designing a shirt and releasing it on my Threadless store. This is the design for week 45.
My daughter’s orchestra performed at a competition at Universal Studios this week and won the highest honor. She volunteered to help carry the trophy back to their bus. While walking through the middle of a crowded park, people along the way — even though they had no idea why she was carrying a trophy — congratulated her. Everyone wanted to know what the trophy was for.
As a society, we love trophies (and plaques and certificates). They are a tangible representation of success. For some things like sports or races, the trophies are awarded to the last team or competitor standing. Other things are less black and white — like musical competitions, the Academy Awards and yes, design awards.
We love the validation that a trophy provides. We love to celebrate the moment. But too often, we’re quick to move on, seeking the next trophy. Wondering what else we can win. Never settling. And while that drive is wonderful, it’s also exhausting. It’s always important to keep things in perspective.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. He’s currently in the middle of a project to design a new shirt a week for an entire year.
Yeah. It’s almost 2 a.m., but I’m glad I saw it on opening night.
This post was originally posted on April 26, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
A larger sketchbook sparked my creativity.
Lauchttrum 1917 Master Slim, Moleskine, Field Notes
I’ve used Moleskine-sized sketchbooks for the last 10 years or so. The size was portable and useful. Not too small, not too big. Functional. I used one notebook for both sketches and meeting notes.
About a year ago, I purchased a Leuchttrum 1917 Master Slim sketchbook at the Atlanta Pen Show. The Master Slim is an oversized hardcover notebook. The official size is A4+, meaning it’s larger than a European letter size sheet of paper. I got the dot grid, which is my favorite paper type for any notebook. I didn’t have a purpose in mind when I purchased the Leuchttrum Master Slim. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to use it for. It sat on my desk unused for about a month waiting for the perfect project. I finally broke it out to start working on some lettering ideas for a new typeface.
It took some significant adjustment. The pages were so large, I had to get used to working with a larger surface area. I was working at a coffee shop and the open book took up most of the tiny table I was at.
But now, it’s my favorite sketchbook and I can’t imagine going back to the old size. I’m already on my second one.
I love having the big pages to work with. The Master Slim gives me room to do a whole series of small thumbnails, or work on a single, really intricate illustration. I can see the evolution of an idea across a spread instead of flipping through multiple pages. Every sketch for my 52 Shirts project is in a Master Slim notebook. It never occurred to me that my creative process might be altered by changing the size and type of sketchbook I’m using.
Having a large sketchbook has forced me to reevaluate how I use my notebooks. The Leuchtrum isn’t really practical for taking to meetings and it’s definitely not pocketable. So I now have two notebooks: The Leuchtrum is my sketchbook, and I use Story Supply or Field Notes pocket notebooks for any meeting notes and my new task tracking system. Using two notebooks works better for me and each notebook is better suited for their designated role.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. He’s currently in the middle of a project to design a new shirt a week for an entire year.
This post was originally posted on April 26, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
Join the cutest club around.
I’m excited that Threadless has chosen to include in their collection the shirt I designed with my daughter Jill as part of my 52 Shirts project. Team Rainbow Unicorn is one of the cutest things I’ve ever designed, and if I’m honest, it’s all because of my 10-year-old Jilly. She loves unicorns and when we gathered around the dining room table to create this shirt, she had some very strong opinions about what the unicorn should look like — especially the eyes. We sketched eyes in “kawaii” style, working on the perfect placement of the highlights and the eyelashes. The eyes make the design, and that was all from Jill.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. He’s currently in the middle of a project to design a new shirt a week for an entire year.
This post was originally posted on April 22, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
My six-year-old has some Siri-ous concerns.
Race Cars by Ryan, 6.
We were driving down I-20 towards Atlanta heading to the Atlanta Pen Show to see Myke and Brad at the live recording of The Pen Addict. The whole crew was in the car because we were dropping the kiddos off at Grandma’s house on the way.
It had been a long week so just outside of Columbia, everyone was asleep… except Ryan. Our six-year-old was wide awake and ready to talk. He eventually started telling me about all the things he wanted to invent someday. Rockets and spaceships, mostly. But then, he brought up cars that can drive themselves…
Ryan: I’m going to invent a car that can drive itself.
Me: That’s cool, bud.
Ryan: And you’ll control it with a video game controller.
Me: That’s not exactly a self-driving car. Engineers and scientists are already working on making a car that will drive itself.
Ryan: But how will it know where to go?
Me: You’ll hop in and say “Take me to Grandma’s house” and you’ll be on the way. There won’t even be a steering wheel.
Ryan: THAT WILL NEVER WORK!
(Keep in mind that 5 minutes ago, we were talking about building invisible rockets that could fly to the sun…)
Me: Why not? People are already working on it.
Ryan: Dad! Have you ever tried to ask Siri anything? That’s never going to work.
I don’t use Siri much. I use it for voice dialing when I’m driving. I’ve switched my AirPod controls so they don’t use the Siri functionality. I’d rather just tap to pause or play.
Ryan, though, loves talking to voice interfaces. He loves asking Siri questions. He uses the Siri remote on our Apple TV. We have an Echo Dot at home that he loves to ask Alexa about the weather, add things to our shopping list and ask it to play music and tell jokes. Ryan isn’t good at structuring his sentences in the perfect way to get the best response — he’s six — so even with the Alexa, it’s hit or miss.
We all know that voice assistants have to get better before they become the primary interface for our cars and devices, but I think it’s telling that a six-year-old who believes he could grow up and invent invisible rockets that will take us to the outer reaches of the solar system has zero confidence that Siri could ever get him to his Grandma’s house.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. He’s currently in the middle of a project to design a new shirt a week for an entire year.
This post was originally posted on April 22, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
But maybe a picnic isn’t your only option.
Each week for a year, I’m designing a shirt and releasing it on my Threadless store. This is the design for week 44.
It only takes one person to destroy what should be a fun time. One angry cloud. One person without perspective. One person committed to making people miserable. One unexpected storm. One person convinced that they are more important than everyone around them. And when that storm hits, it’s pretty much impossible to enjoy the picnic.
When the rain is coming down, no one will blame you if you pack up and go home. But it isn’t your only option. You can tough it out (and dance in the rain). You can change your plans and get away from the rain. The choice is up to you.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. He’s currently in the middle of a project to design a new shirt a week for an entire year.
Team Wertz picks strawberries.
Really enjoyed getting to have Dontrese with us last night. Exactly what I needed to hear…
The weather doesn’t feel like spring, but our roses don’t care.
Traditional post Atlanta Pen Show breakfast.
Great meal at St. Cecilia tonight with Liz and @tomrandklev.
This post was originally posted on April 15, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
Pizza and Pixels
Each week for a year, I’m designing a shirt and releasing it on my Threadless store. This is the design for week 43.
When I was a kid in the 1980s, we frequently ate at a neighborhood pizza place called Orlando’s Pizza. I don’t really remember that much about the pizza, but we always wanted to go there so the food must have been good.
In the back of the restaurant was a small arcade. “Arcade” is a little generous. It was at most four or five machines. After I finished my pizza I’d head to the back of the restaurant. If I had a quarter, I’d play. Or just watch the machines cycle through their demo screens. I played Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Galaga for the first time at the pizza joint.
It’s hard to imagine now, when the phone that we carry in our pockets play an endless selection of infinitely more complex games, but those arcade games were my first real exposure to computers. Our family eventually bought several Commodore computers, but my love of video games and technology can probably be tracked back to Orlando’s.
The restaurant is long gone, but I wanted to commemorate it with a redesign, renaming Orlando’s Pizza to Orlando’s Pizza and Pixels. And it was an excuse to turn a slice of pizza into an apostrophe.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. He’s currently in the middle of a project to design a new shirt a week for an entire year.
