52/52: Bold Fish, Big Ocean

6/16/18 • 2 min read

This post was originally posted on June 17, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.

Finishing one project, starting the next.

Each week for a year, I’m designed a shirt and released it on my Threadless store. This is the final design of the year.

This is it. The final shirt of my 52 Shirts project. This project has been everything I hoped, letting me explore a bunch of new ideas, techniques and inspiration. I’m almost sad to see it end. My sketchbooks are full of unused ideas. I could probably keep rolling for another few months without any problem.

I’m ready to move on to my next project, though. I’m starting a new blog and podcast: Bold Fish, Big Ocean. I’m excited to look at the people, things and ideas that inspire and shape me.

Bold Fish, Big Ocean is not quite ready yet — I’m still finishing up some things on the shirt project and need to work out some of the specifics for how I want to set up my new blog. But the logo is ready. This bold little fish has been hanging around for a few months waiting for the shirt project to wrap up.

The rest of this week, I’ll be posting some more reflections on 52 Shirts project. And look for my bold little fish to launch in early August.

You can purchase “Bold Fish, Big Ocean” from my Threadless store.

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 just finished a project to design a new shirt a week for an entire year.

50/52: Analog

6/2/18 • 2 min read

This post was originally posted on June 3, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.

I loved my analog childhood

Each week for a year, I’m designing a shirt and releasing it on my Threadless store. This is the design for week 50.

My entire childhood was essentially analog. I grew up with records, cassette tapes, VCRs and rabbit ear antennas. I took pictures on film and developed them in a darkroom. When I did research for papers in high school, I used the card catalog in the library to find resources. I sent people letters. And they wrote back. I didn’t have a mobile phone. And smart phones didn’t exist outside of science fiction. We had computers, but they were very simple and barely networked. I didn’t have to worry about social media or texting.

When I got to college, the internet was just taking off. I got email my freshman year and by the time I entered the workforce, everything was different.

I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t go back if I could. I love technology and I love all the things that are possible because of the advancements we’ve made over the last three decades.

But I loved my analog childhood. I feel like I’ve had the best of both worlds. I was able to grow up in a world with a lot less pressure and stress than kids have today. And then, I was able to fully benefit from the internet in college, when research and connectivity were more important. I appreciate how “easy” we have it today because I remember what it was like before. I think it makes me more thankful for the technology and capabilities that we have today.

You can purchase “Analog” from my Threadless store.

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.

49/52: Orion’s Belt

5/26/18 • 2 min read

This post was originally posted on May 27, 2018 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.

Ancient stories in the sky

Each week for a year, I’m designing a shirt and releasing it on my Threadless store. This is the design for week 49.

At certain times of the year, when I walk out my front door, the constellation Orion is directly in front of me. Orion’s Belt is easy to spot — three bright stars aligned in a row. I learned all these constellations in Cub Scouts in elementary school, and I had a star field guide at some point. I’ve forgotten most of them, but I remember Orion. I tend to look for it whenever I’m somewhere I can see the stars clearly. Now, my kids and my wife look for it, too. My son, Ryan, is still convinced it’s called “Ryan’s Belt.”

I’ve been thinking about constellations lately. How ancient people found shapes in the night sky to tell their stories… and how we don’t really do that anymore. Our ancestors shared their ideas widely as they traveled and traded. Other cultures took and shaped the stories to fit their traditions. And now, we know stories that pre-date written history. It’s impressive that their narrative is alive today.

What constellations could we find today in the night sky to pass onto our future generations? What grand stories do we even want to pass along?

This week’s shirt is Orion’s Belt and you can purchase it on my Threadless store.

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.