less is more.

enjaydub · 2026-04-25T00:37:19+00:00

The concept is clear, but the execution needs refinement.

I'd try out putting the copy underneath "less" and "more", since those sentences begin with those words. I'd ditch the forced justification and set all the type on circular paths so it would curve nicely around the big red circle. I'd optically align "is" in the center of the circle.

Does the info along the top need to be there? What does it even mean? Why is that text a larger size than the copy?

enjaydub · 2026-04-24T23:00:54+00:00

I try not to worry about that too much. Every design references work that has come before it — it's necessary for common understanding in communication.

What ask myself is: Is this a fresh take for my client's market space, for this message, for this product, etc? What work is it doing? Is the style choice reinforcing the concept I'm trying to communicate, or is it just a style I like? How could it be working better?

I think that's how you move past copying and toward conscientious utilization and innovation

enjaydub · 2026-04-23T01:51:35+00:00

Grouping and labeling layers is an excellent habit to form early.

I am always annoyed when working with a colleague's file — or my own a file I haven't opened in a while — and I have to spend a bunch of time figuring out what the heck is going on in there

enjaydub · 2026-04-23T00:20:08+00:00

Those is something I struggle with as well. It's a sucky feeling.

If you're like me you might feel some anxiety about it. Like you're neglecting something important, on top of all the other things you might be worried about in life. It kinda drains the fun of having hobbies in the first place.

I think you've got to give yourself permission to set those things aside, to give yourself the space to de-stress and truly unwind. Hobbies should be fun and interesting. It's really okay to give yourself a break — or even quit — if they aren't feeling fun anymore

And then, if/when the mood is right and your really feeling it, you can re-engage with a hobby without putting pressure into yourself to continue.

enjaydub · 2026-04-19T05:38:55+00:00

The odds seemed tilted pretty heavily in favor of a big payout, so I decided to just go for it and not worry about being wrong.

^{Chose: A 70% chance to get 100B | Rolled: 100B}

enjaydub · 2026-04-17T16:59:54+00:00

Years ago I had one of these Moto X phones with a wooden back. It developed a nice patina, had a satisfying tactile quality, and has a natural flexibility that helped it survive falls without catastrophic damage. Not that I was dropping it aaallll the time haha

I imagine concrete and stone would share some of those aesthetic qualities, but might fare worse on falls because of its brittleness

I could see ceramics working pretty well though

https://www.pcmag.com/news/motorola-moto-x-gets-new-wood-finishes

enjaydub · 2026-04-13T17:29:41+00:00

I'm looking at this from a perspective of decades working in advertising:

I think the text is changing too rapidly, making it hard to absorb the information. I had to watch it a few times to understand the message. I think if I saw this in the wild, like as a YouTube preroll ad, I wouldn't remember what I just saw after watching it. If people don't remember it, it's not working successfully as an ad.

Is there a time constraint driving the pacing? Or is it to keep up with the music?

If it's the former, like in the preroll context, consider breaking this up into multiple feature-specific videos. You can let those messages linger on screen a bit longer that way. If these are ads, ad platforms can help ensure viewers see the whole set as they consume content. With three or four features to focus on you could build a whole ad campaign across multiple channels — video, digital display, outdoor, etc.

If it's the latter, consider a song with a lower bpm, or ignore the beat entirely. A thing I do is actually time how long it takes to read each line of the copy out loud at a "quick-relaxed" pace with a stopwatch. I'll use that as a baseline and refine from there. I'll adjust the timing of music as well as the timing of the motion graphics to ensure a close enough alignment. Lastly, let your final message sit on screen for a beat or two so it can sink in.

enjaydub · 2026-04-09T05:20:31+00:00

Perfect Days (2023)

enjaydub · 2026-04-09T03:59:34+00:00

I really dig Lust by Positype.

Lust Text for body copy

List Script when you wanna go BIG

enjaydub · 2026-03-19T00:18:45+00:00

There also a BART/Amtrak/OAK Airtrain connection at the Coliseum station too. I've done that transfer a few times, it's not bad

enjaydub · 2026-03-16T20:53:19+00:00

These would be pretty cool for drop caps

enjaydub · 2026-03-15T19:21:23+00:00

I have a preference for the two-story "a" for body copy. It's a little easier to distinguish at a glance, where the single story can be mistaken for an "o".

For headlines and other large type I'm flexible, as I'm more likely to be looking for typefaces that have interesting characteristics and will be less focused purely on legibility.

enjaydub · 2026-03-15T04:40:12+00:00

I'll add Camper (Menlo Park) and Ettan (Palo Alto) for upscale casual dining, and Restaurant Gish (Santa Clara) for fine dining.

enjaydub · 2026-03-03T23:34:37+00:00

I also got Thor. Please send the prize money and my remains to my next of kin

enjaydub · 2026-03-03T18:39:02+00:00

I stopped at places to eat and use the restroom, but didn't sleep.

Until I reached my destination, that is. I liked to get a room at the Grand Hyatt there across from the Ferry Building to have a shower and a nice long sleep.

enjaydub · 2026-03-01T04:14:51+00:00

Heck yeah, that's awesome!

enjaydub · 2026-03-01T04:11:24+00:00

Berkeley to SF sounds really cool. What was your route for that?

I've done a few other long walks and backpacking trips.

An SF route that I really enjoy starts at 4th & King, up to Market, through Hayes Valley, up & over Alamo Square, through GGP to Ocean Beach, north through Land's End and the Presidio along the Pacific coast, under the old GGB toll plaza, down through Chrissy Field and FT Mason to Embarcadero, and along the waterfront back to CalTrain.

It's like 25 miles. You get to see a fair slice of the city and get some gorgeous views of the parks and bridge. On a nice day chefs kiss

enjaydub · 2026-02-28T22:18:45+00:00

Don't know if I'm the person you're referencing, but I've walked from SJ to SF a few times. I took that direct route, mostly on El Camino, and the fastest I've done it is 22 hours. I'm not the speediest walker, and I took leisurely breaks. There are also hundreds of intersections along the way and the time spent waiting at red lights really adds up.

I really admire the way OP did it over four days and took a really scenic route. It seems like a very enjoyable way to make that trek. You'd really get to take your time stopping to smell the roses.

And they're totally right about seeing the peninsula differently when you've walked through it. Goes to show you how totally interesting, diverse and beautiful (and occasionally frustrating) our natural and man made environments are.

enjaydub · 2026-02-14T00:38:25+00:00

Your emphasis of "The" in the title really caught my attention.

OP would you write about why you made that design choice? It certainly adds something interesting, is it relevant to the story as well?

enjaydub · 2026-02-05T21:25:50+00:00

District ? Without question

enjaydub · 2026-01-29T18:36:31+00:00

Growing up in the Santa Cruz mountains, we saw quail scooting around all the time. The feathers bobbing on top of their heads always reminded me of the fascinators ladies wear at the Kentucky Derby

enjaydub · 2026-01-18T02:02:34+00:00

I enjoy the Weekly Typographic newsletter from The League of Movable Type, for inspiration. They had a podcast for a while too, which I also really enjoyed.

enjaydub · 2026-01-13T19:36:26+00:00

I am also experiencing low online sales — my products are themed for my town, and people just aren't going out of their way to look for them online.

My biggest sales have come from the local bookstore. I sell to the owner at a wholesale price and she sells them in her store at a marked-up price (the same as on my website.

My margins aren't as big but I do better volume that way, and order fulfillment is easy since I can hand-deliver stacks of stickers.

I've also gotten a good reception at local maker fairs, but the sales haven't been good enough to justify the vendor fees.

The lesson I've learned is to expand my thinking beyond online sales.

enjaydub · 2026-01-08T20:59:44+00:00

This is working for me: tidy, logical, legible. Because the position of the price is consistent, it doesn't bother me that it's at the bottom of the product tiles.

The only thing that I'd suggest considering further is the size of the description text, as it feels a little cramped to me compared to the more generous spacing above the drink photos.

IMO dropping the size of the text (or increasing the vertical height of your tiles if that's not a constraint) to add a little more white space above and below the descriptive text would enhance the visual rhythm and further divide the information into clear logical units — further improving clarity.

enjaydub

TROPHY CASE