easilyamused | John D. Berry’s blog

Do it now! Act without thinking! Do it now!

Inspired by the success of Cory Doctorow in giving away the texts of his books in every conceivable electronic form, and yet ending up selling more copies of the printed books than his publishers would otherwise expect, I have put together a digital version of Dot-font: talking about design, which you can download for free.

This PDF is designed for easy onscreen reading – or for printing out two-up on your laser printer and reading in a comfy armchair. I am also including the full text in a Microsoft Word file (.doc) and in a “plain text” file (.txt), for those who prefer either of those formats.

This electronic version is published under a Creative Commons license; you’re free to share the files, though not to claim them as your own or make money off them. (For the details of the license, look here or see the copyright page of the digital book.) I haven’t included the right to create “derivative works” based on this book – but hey, if you’ve got an idea for a stirring adventure series set in the “dot-font” universe, or if you have an uncontrollable urge to make “dot-font” action figures, let me know.

Unlike Cory’s novels and essay collections, the print version of Dot-font: talking about design is illustrated. The electronic version is not. I can’t give away other people’s images, but I can freely distribute the full text.

So go ahead, download the book. Pass it on. Let me know what you think. And let Mark Batty, my excellent publisher, know too. Let a hundred dot-fonts bloom!

Categorized as book design, books, design, education, information design, publishing, typography, writing & editing |

A link has just gone up on the ATypI website to a set of videos from the program of the 2007 ATypI conference in Brighton – a selection (not complete) of the talks and presentations that made that conference worth attending. (When I first started listening to one of the recordings, I found myself thinking, “Hey, that sounds like me…!” Of course, as I realized after a few moments, it was me: I did the introduction to the speaker, and that was included in the recording.) It’s a nice, timely reminder of how eclectic and informative an ATypI conference can be. It also gives me a chance (at long last) to catch one or two of the talks that I missed because I was hosting another track at the same time. That won’t be a problem this year, since the main program at Typ09 will be presented in a single continuous track. (“All singing! All dancing!” The Busby Berkeley musical numbers starring John Downer, Erik Spiekermann, and David Berlow will astound and delight!)

Time’s a-wastin’! Register now!

Categorized as education, events, typography |

Last week I stopped by the opening of an exhibit at Seattle Central Community College, showcasing the work of students from SCCC’s graphic-design course taught by Jennifer Kennard, “X Type: Experimental Typography.” There was some noteworthy work, and I suggested to Jennifer that there ought to be a website showing it. One of the more unusual works was a video by Sean Fischer, featuring dancers enacting, horizontally against a white-sheeted background, the letters of the alphabet. To see the video, check out this link, then scroll down until you find “Dancers Expirimental Type” (yes, with that spelling). It’s refreshing, amusing, and the dancers were obviously having a lot of fun. (Note: there’s music with the video.)

If you’re in Seattle, it’s worth visiting the atrium gallery at SCCC and checking out the show.

[At left: the letter C.]

Categorized as education, letters, typography |