Shannon M Mayer | simayerDesign » Graphic Design

Mr. Typestaches

simayer — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:53:08 +0000

For all of you typography nuts out there, like me, there is “A Field Guide to Typestaches” available. It’s gorgeous poster featuring moustaches through typography. The poster is designed by Tor Weeks and you can buy it online via Old Tom Bloggery.

What’s On Your Bookshelf?

simayer — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:20:17 +0000

One of my favorite places to hang out is some sort of room full of books whether it’s a bookstore or a den lined with wall cases of books. Books inspire me, educate me, and provide an occasional escape into another reality.

This is what I have on 3-shelf bookcase at my home-studio and at my cubicle desk at work:

What’s on your shelf? Do you have any great recommendations?

Your Own Periodic Table of Typefaces

simayer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:40:34 +0000

Squidspot has what they call a “sweet reference/eye-candy for your wall” of a Periodic Table of Typefaces. There are many versions, including the source file, for purchase.

Internet Facts for a Day

simayer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:48:23 +0000

Looking for statistics, historical points, and literary entertainment? Look no further than Online Education. Here is an example of their findings about “A Day in the Internet”. Enjoy!

Created by Online Education

International user interface controls

simayer — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:23:07 +0000

Many countries that read left-to-right it is typically known that there is a handful of ways that text and arrows are read.

Some graphical examples:

In the recent weeks, I’ve been working on an interface design for an upcoming project. The design will be released to the international community in the coming months–which has caused an interesting dialog between the project’s team members.

The interface is meant for operators to control the high and low productivity, network structure, as well as some other features. The interesting points made amongst the team members were focused on the high/low productivity controls:

How should we represent the high control and the low control? Should there be a plus and a minus in their corresponding graphic?
Where should the high control and low control be in relation to the productivity indication screen?

Decision 1: Use an up arrow for the high control; use a down arrow for the low control. Put a + in the middle of the up arrow and a – in the down arrow.

Decision 2: [This is the fun one.] There is no proper answer for where the high/low arrows should be in relation to the productivity indication screen. Or is there?

Concept A included the down arrow on the left of the indication screen and the up arrow on the right of the screen. This may seem backwards to you right-handers out there like it did for me., but the left handers in the US and some of my co-workers in the UK (not sure if they were left-handed, right-handed, or both) chimed in that they liked it, it was easy for them to use.

–Scrap Concept A, could cause too many user frustrations.

Concept B included going with both of the arrows on one side of the indication screen; the up arrow on top, the down arrow beneath the up arrow. Everyone in the team agreed that it made sense — what goes up is above what goes down. Now only to choose what side of the indication screen the arrows should be on; left or right. The overall design of the interface panel dictated that. It was wherever there was the most available room for the arrows to be next the indication screen.

–Concept B approved; put the arrow buttons to the right of the indication screen where there was the most graphical real estate.

Do you think Concept A should have been chosen? Think it was the best decision to choose Concept B? Or do you have a different suggestion? Take the poll: